Matthew Cahill Appointed FTA Chief Counsel

Matthew Cahill has been named chief counsel for FTA, where he will manage legal operations for an agency that invests more than $21 billion annually in financial and technical assistance to support and expand public transportation across the U.S., reaching more than 4,000 local public transportation systems. Leading a team of more than 20 attorneys based in Washington, DC, and FTA’s regional offices, Cahill advises on legal requirements for FTA’s financial and technical assistance, oversight and enforcement, legislation and regulation, labor and employment, procurement, and litigation activities.

Cahill brings to FTA more than a decade and a half of industry experience touching all major modes of transportation. He joins FTA from USDOT’s Office of General Counsel, where he served as a senior associate general counsel. Prior to entering government service, he was in private practice at Sidley Austin LLP, where he represented clients in the transportation and energy sectors in high-stakes regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Earlier in his career, he served in consulting, government affairs, and program management roles for major consulting and engineering firms and for an industry association, including program management oversight of more than $2 billion in intercity passenger rail construction grants.

Cahill began his career with a summer internship at FTA while a college student. He is a past recipient of an American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) scholarship and is an active member of transportation and legal industry professional groups.