Mathew B. Tully, Esq.

Founding Partner

Mathew B. Tully, Esq. is the Founding Partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC.

Mat concentrates his practice on the representation of military personnel and federal government sector employees. He has represented federal employees before such federal agencies as the MSPB, EEOC, and OSC and in court before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Before launching his legal career, Mat served for three years in the U.S. Army as a field artillery officer. After suffering from military discrimination at the hands of his civilian employer, Mat received his juris doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. A lieutenant colonel in the New York Army National Guard, Mat has chosen to dedicate his legal career to protecting and preserving the rights of his fellow veterans and reservists.

On Sept. 11, 2001, while employed in the legal department of Morgan Stanley, Mat escaped from the World Trade Center and shortly thereafter relocated to Upstate New York. There, in his ski home, he began providing legal services to his friends and former colleagues who were facing the same discrimination he had. The firm quickly outgrew his home and, with the addition of a partner in 2004, Tully Rinckey PLLC opened an office in Albany, N.Y. As a result of success within the federal employment and military law sectors, the firm then expanded into Washington, D.C.

Mat has become a pioneer in the field of USERRA litigation, winning several landmark cases, which have greatly influenced the laws protecting United States veterans. His leadership in military law is reflected in his role as a syndicated columnist for the Army Times. Mat is also frequently asked by local and national media outlets to offer his legal commentary on military matters. Most recently, he has been featured in the Washington Post and on CNN. In October of 2007, Mat testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs regarding his criticism of and recommendations to USERRA. He provided his knowledge of laws protecting veterans again in February of 2008 in front of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

In 2005, Mat was deployed to Iraq with the 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division and was based at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq. As acting division chief of operations, he was responsible for the organization and implementation of the military's security and stability operations in Saddam Hussein's hometown. Mat returned to the firm in 2006 but was deployed for a second time in October of 2007. During his month-long deployment to Egypt, Mat conducted a series of exercises in support of "Operation Bright Star," which works to enhance the relationship between the United States and the Middle East.

In 2008, Mat graduated from the National Security Space Institute. The NSSI is the Department of Defense's premier institute for training service members to support military operations and advance U.S. national security interests. Upon graduating, he received the Air Force Space Medal, which certified him as a space professional.

He went on to complete the Army Space Operations Officer Qualifications Course making him Army Functional Area 40 qualified. Mat is also a retired supervisory federal law enforcement officer and is a qualified “retired law enforcement officer” under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA).

Mat was raised in Massapequa Park, NY but has lived in South Korea, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Brooklyn, NY. He currently lives in Niskayuna, NY with his wife, Kimberly, sons, Kevin and Brendan and dog Oslow.

MILITARY BACKGROUND

Before launching his legal career, Lieutenant Colonel Tully served for several years on active duty in the United States Army as a Field Artillery Officer and later joined the New York Army National Guard, where he currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Tully was called to serve on active duty at Ground Zero in New York City as the Task Force World Trade Center Military Chief of Operations and Plans (S-3). He founded his law firm soon after, but never wavered in his duty to serve the United States.

Lieutenant Colonel Tully left his rapidly-growing law firm in 2005 when he was deployed to Iraq with the 42nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division at Forward Operating Base Danger. As the acting Division Chief of Operations, he was responsible for the organization and implementation of security and stability operations in Saddam Hussein’s hometown. Lieutenant Colonel Tully’s division, comprised of 25,000 coalition personnel, was stationed in the infamous Sunni Triangle. He was transferred to Camp Victory in Baghdad when Operating Base Danger was turned over to the Iraqi government in November 2005.

Lieutenant Colonel Tully deployed again in October of 2007 to Egypt and conducted a series of exercises in support of “Operation Bright Star,” which works to enhance the relationship between the United States and many Middle Eastern countries.

In 2008, Lieutenant Colonel Tully graduated from the National Security Space Institute (NSSI) -- the Department of Defense’s premier institute for providing service members with the space training required to support military operations and national security interests. Lieutenant Colonel Tully is the first known attorney to have completed the training, to be an Army Space Operations officer. He received the Air Force Space Medal upon graduating and is now a fully qualified Army Functional Area 40 officer.