On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department granted the Grievance Committee’s motion to confirm the Special Referee’s report in the matter of attorney Matthew John Cavalier, resulting in his suspension from the practice of law for two years, commencing December 5, 2025. Cavalier faced disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Grievance Committee for the Tenth Judicial District.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Matthew John Cavalier,” with case number 2022-06396.
The charges against Cavalier stemmed from allegations of professional misconduct related to the handling of his attorney trust account. The Grievance Committee’s petition, containing ten charges, was served to Cavalier on August 5, 2022. Cavalier admitted to the factual allegations and conclusions of law in his verified answer dated August 25, 2022. The court referred the matter to Ralph T. Gazzillo as Special Referee, who sustained all ten charges in a report dated January 8, 2024, following a hearing on November 13, 2023.
The core of the allegations involved misappropriation of fiduciary funds from Cavalier’s escrow account, a violation of Rule 1.15(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Specific charges detailed instances where Cavalier’s escrow account balance fell below the required amount for client matters. One charge cited a deficiency of $6,652.36 in August 2017 related to client Ferrara, while another involved a real estate transaction on Hillside Avenue in Queens Village, where the account was deficient by up to $791.75 in January 2018. Further deficiencies were noted between October and November 2017, reaching $24,499.15.
Additional charges included failing to deposit and maintain client funds in a separate account, misusing the escrow account for personal funds, and commingling personal and fiduciary funds. Cavalier also faced accusations of failing to maintain required bookkeeping records for his escrow account and failing to reconcile the account. These actions were deemed to reflect adversely on his fitness as a lawyer, violating Rule 8.4(h) of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
During the hearing, Cavalier testified about his high-volume commercial and no-fault collections practice, which he operated for 20 years. He admitted to depositing personal funds, including proceeds from the sale of his father’s condominium, into his escrow account and using the account for personal expenses. He attributed his actions to being “bad at math and lazy” and failing to properly supervise his staff.
The Special Referee’s report acknowledged Cavalier’s charitable efforts but also highlighted his admissions of “stupidity, sloppiness, laziness, and not paying attention.” The court considered Cavalier’s candor and charitable work in mitigation. However, it emphasized that Cavalier knowingly failed to honor his fiduciary obligations and repeatedly misused his escrow account, even after prior warnings from the Grievance Committee. The court also noted prior disciplinary actions against Cavalier, including an admonition in 2016 and two letters of caution in 2013 and 2010, all related to escrow mismanagement.
In light of these findings, the court ordered Cavalier’s suspension from the practice of law for two years, with the possibility of reinstatement no earlier than June 5, 2027, contingent upon fulfilling specific requirements, including refraining from practicing law, complying with rules governing suspended attorneys, meeting continuing legal education requirements, and demonstrating proper conduct.
The court further ordered that Cavalier desist from practicing law in any form and refrain from holding himself out as an attorney during the suspension period.
According to Avvo, Mr. Cavalier is a litigation lawyer in Ronkonkoma, NY. He acquired his law license in New York in 1997.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
