Mattison (Mattie) Raiford graduated cum laude from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. While in law school, Mattie served as Treasurer of Women in Law, Managing Editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal and as a Dean Rufus Harris Peer Fellow for first year law students. She also volunteered at the New Orleans Entertainment Law Legal Association (ELLA Project) and was an extern at the Sun Belt Athletic Conference. Prior to law school, Mattie graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and a minor in Business Administration.

Prior to joining Vela Wood, Mattie was an associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Dallas office in the corporate law section. During her time at Akin Gump, she assisted with public and private mergers & acquisitions, finance transactions, corporate governance and general corporate matters.

Mattie was born and raised in Austin, Texas but now resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband Danny and their sweet (but very sassy) pup Avery. She enjoys reading, playing volleyball, traveling, and trying new restaurants around the Dallas area.

Fun Facts:

  • During her time in college, Mattie studied abroad in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
  • Mattie loves talking about new places and maintains an elaborate Google doc system to keep track all of the cities, hotels, and restaurants she wants to visit around the world.
  • In her final year of law school, her Tulane Law School intramural volleyball team finally beat the medical school team to take home the championship.

Education:

  • Tulane Law School, J.D., Cum Laude
  • Baylor University, B.A. in International Studies, Minor in Business Administration