Hon. Matthew J. Nestor (Ret.)

Hon. Matthew J. Nestor (Ret.) joins Signature Resolution after more than two decades on the Massachusetts bench and a distinguished career spanning litigation, securities regulation, and public service. As a Massachusetts Trial Court judge, he presided over thousands of civil and criminal matters, including complex commercial disputes, securities and regulatory cases, employment matters, construction litigation, receiverships, family law proceedings, persona injury actions, and appeals. Before taking the bench, Judge Nestor served as Director of the Massachusetts Securities Division and First Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth, overseeing enforcement investigations and administrative proceedings under state securities law. Earlier in his career, he was a trial attorney with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and also represented plaintiffs in private practice.

Judge Nestor offers parties and counsel something preparation and credentials alone cannot replicate: a firsthand understanding of how disputes actually unfold before judges and juries, what evidence courts are likely to admit, and what it genuinely takes to move a case from filing through verdict. Having presided over the full arc of litigation for more than 21 years and spent years speaking directly with jurors following trial, he brings case assessments grounded in experience rather than theory.

Judge Nestor’s approach begins with a question that cuts to the heart of every dispute: what is this case actually worth, and what will it cost to find out? He arrives at every mediation having thoroughly reviewed the record and analyzed the matter as a trial lawyer and judge would, identifying the evidence that matters, the arguments that are likely to succeed, and the risks each side faces. He provides candid assessments, realistic evaluations of exposure, and a clear picture of the costs and uncertainties of continued litigation. At the same time, he recognizes that successful resolution requires more than numbers. He works to understand what each participant needs to say, what concerns must be heard, and what each party needs in order to move forward. Throughout the process, he maintains the strict neutrality and commitment to fairness that defined his years on the bench.

Judge Nestor’s background in securities regulation provides particular insight into disputes involving broker-dealers, investment advisers, customer complaints, employment matters within the financial services industry, regulatory investigations, and allegations of fraud. His extensive receivership experience includes oversight of complex business operations, distressed assets, and insolvency-related disputes. He has also presided over significant employment, construction, and government-related litigation, giving him broad experience across the full spectrum of civil practice.

Judge Nestor’s family law experience includes thousands of domestic relations and restraining-order matters involving custody, parenting time, support, and family dynamics. He has also presided over a substantial number of criminal sexual assault cases and represented plaintiffs in some of the earliest publicly filed clergy-abuse cases in Boston, experiences that provide a depth of understanding and sensitivity in emotionally charged disputes.

In addition, Judge Nestor is actively involved in the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry and brings practical knowledge of ownership disputes, partnership agreements, breeding arrangements, sales transactions, and other equine-related matters. This unique background allows him to serve as an informed neutral in a specialized area of practice that few mediators can offer.

Now at Signature Resolution, Judge Nestor brings to every session the credibility, candor, preparation, and people-first instincts he built across a career spent at the center of Massachusetts litigation. Parties and counsel will find in him a neutral who arrives ready, engages honestly, and remains committed until the work is done.