Matthew Behncke

Mr. Behncke represents both plaintiffs and defendants in all types of commercial litigation in federal courts, state courts, and arbitrations. Mr. Behncke joined Susman Godfrey after clerking for a federal court of appeals judge. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Behncke was a player in Major League Soccer where he played for both FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake and represented the players as FC Dallas player representative in negotiating Major League Soccer’s first collective bargaining agreement.

Princeton University (B.A., Department of Politics, 2002; Certificate, German Language and Literature)
University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2009)

Law Clerk to the Honorable John M. Rogers, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2009-10)

• Texas Law Review, Chief Articles Editor, Volume 87
• William Winston Roper Award, 2002, awarded to Princeton's top male student-athlete of high scholastic rank
• William and Peggy Cotton Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law
• Princeton University Men's Soccer Captain, 2000-2001, All-Ivy League Selection 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001; 1998 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, 1998; Selected by FC Dallas with the 18th overall pick in the 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

• State Bar of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

• Major League Soccer Player, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake (2002-05)
• FC Dallas Player Representative to the Major League Soccer Players Union 2003-04; Member of the MLSPA Bargaining Committee that negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement between MLS and MLSPA