MEET OUR PROFESSIONALS

About Our Professionals

FREDERIC E. MATTHEWS

Contact Me Now (419) 354-4442

Admitted

  • Ohio - 1980
  • United States Military Courts - 1981
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio - 1985

Education

  • State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.A. - 1977
  • University of Toledo College of Law, J.D. - 1980

Bar Memberships

  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Wood County Bar Association
  • Toledo Bar Association

Full Biography Here

Fred brings to the representation of all his clients an earnest desire, skills and knowledge developed over the years, to achieve the best possible outcome and resolution to the problems confronting clients, their families or their business.

You will have at your disposal his education, thirty plus years of experience, the collaboration with the firm and many faceted skills to obtain practical and creative solutions to the issues confronting you.

For over 30 years he has focused on the area of family law - dissolutions, divorce, parenting matters, custody and support issues. In the late 1980's, Fred served as one of two domestic relations referees for the Wood County Common Pleas Court, hearing the entire spectrum of domestic relations cases and making decisions on hundreds of cases. Since then, Fred has represented hundreds of clients in a wide range of family related matters, helping to find resolutions to complicated, emotional issues facing families.

Fred has been practicing law since 1980, starting as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Navy, from 1980 to 1984. Fred litigated hundreds of cases for both the prosecution and defense. He also served as a special assistant United States attorney. After leaving active duty he continued to serve the Navy, Navy families and veterans for 26 years as a reservist, until he retired in 2010.

Following his active duty in the Navy, he moved to Bowling Green in 1985 and continued litigating cases as a public defender handling hundreds of cases, both misdemeanors and felonies. In 1987, Fred was appointed to the bench as a Domestic Relations Referee (now known as a Magistrate) in the Wood County Court of Common Pleas. In that capacity he heard and decided hundreds of divorces, dissolutions and family law related issues.

In 1989, he joined the law firm of Rayle & Stearns and in 1993 became a partner in Rayle, Matthews and Coon. Having been a Domestic Relations Referee, his practice focuses on divorces, dissolutions, custody and parenting issues and related juvenile court parenting cases as well. His current work includes mediating disputes between parties, representing parties in divorces, dissolutions and many family related matters and also includes serving as a Guardian ad litem.

Fred is married to his wife Jeanne of 35 years. They have three children, two daughters, a son and 2 grandsons.

SCOTT COON

Contact Me Now (419) 354-4442

Admitted

  • Ohio - 1984
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio - 1986
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio - 1993
  • United States Supreme Court - 2001

Education

  • The University of Cincinnati, B.A. - 1980
  • The Ohio Northern University School of Law, J.D. - 1984

Bar Memberships

  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Wood County Bar Association
  • Northwest Ohio Bar Association

Full Biography Here

Scott aggressively defends clients throughout Northwest Ohio with over 30 years of experience in all areas of criminal defense law.

Because a criminal conviction brings life-altering direct and collateral consequences, Scott leverages years of experience as both a criminal defense lawyer and as a former prosecutor to provide an effective defense strategy tailored for each client. Scott often is called upon by The Courts to represent people charged with serious offenses.

Scott also maintains an active civil litigation, personal injury and family law practice.

Scott is an honors graduate of The University of Cincinnati and The Ohio Northern University School of Law. He has been practicing law since 1984 and is licensed to practice before all Ohio Courts, The United States Federal District Courts in the Northern and Southern District of Ohio and the United States Supreme Court.

Scott is a member of The Wood County Bar Association, where he was Grievance Committee Chairman from 1996 to 1998 and President from 2011 to 2012. He is also a member of The Northwest Ohio and Ohio State Bar Associations (Delegate, 2014 to 2015).

ELIZABETH BOSTDORFF

Contact Me Now (419) 354-4442

Admitted

  • Ohio - 2013

Education

  • The Ohio State University, B.A. - 2004
  • University of Toledo College of Law, J.D. - 2013

Bar Memberships

  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Wood County Bar Association
  • Toledo Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Full Biography Here

Elizabeth joined the firm of Rayle, Matthews & Coon in December, 2013. Prior to joining the firm she worked with both the state and federal government. Following college, Elizabeth was employed at the Ohio House of Representatives as a Sr. Legislative Aide to the Chair of the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee. Elizabeth then moved to Washington, D.C. where she managed the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's grassroots efforts and communications between the Washington, D.C. office and the affiliated state cattlemen's associations in forty states. During law school, Elizabeth worked for the office of Congressman Bob Latta as a District Representative and Caseworker.

Whether administering a loved one's estate or guardianship, addressing a civil or business matter, or navigating a domestic relations or juvenile issue, Elizabeth strives to provide her clients the best representation possible. Her experiences in and with the government, allow her to understand the complexity of her client's legal issues and advocate in her client's best interest. Her background in agriculture provides her insight into the uniqueness involved in agricultural matters.

Having grown up in Bowling Green, she is very dedicated to this community and active in various organizations. Her involvement includes: Relay for Life of Southern Wood County, Wood County Beef Producers Association, Wood County Bar Association, Toledo Bar Association, University of Toledo College of Law Alumni Board of Governors, Ohio Township Association, Wood County Historical Museum and the Wood County Township Association. In 2013, Elizabeth was first appointed, and then elected to serve as the Plain Township Fiscal Officer and maintains the financial books and communications of Plain Township, Wood County, Ohio.

She is a 2013 graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law and a 2004 graduate of the Ohio State University. In December 2013, he was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio and joined the law firm.

Elizabeth lives in rural Bowling Green on her family's farm with her cows.

Why choose us

At Rayle, Matthews and Coon we have professionals and paraprofessionals with combined experience exceeding 100 years. When you hire one of us, you hire all of us. We can provide you with skillful representation over a broad range of practice areas from our team who consult with each other on a daily basis. We are a family, and we will provide you with the same level of care we would want for members of our family.

ABOUT MAX RAYLE

Max Rayle
• Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wood County Bar Association Law Library
• Former Chairman of the Wood County Public Defender Commission
• Former Chairman of the Ohio State Bar Association Board of Governors
• Former Chairman of the Bar Association Board's Budget and Headquarters Committee

Max Rayle was a well known attorney throughout Northwest Ohio and statewide who passed away in 2013. Max practiced civil, criminal, administrative, general and appellate law from a base in Bowling Green for 37 years.

Max began his career as a staff attorney and referee (now magistrate) with the Wood County Common Pleas Court in 1976 and then joined the firm of Middleton and Roebke in 1978, where he became a partner. In 1989, he and Jodie Stearns formed a new practice at the corner of South Main and West Wooster Street which eventually became Rayle, Matthews and Coon. Max, Fred and Scott practiced law together from the late 1980's until his passing.
Max was a great litigator, no matter the type of case. He took great pride in representing clients in all different kinds of cases, civil, criminal, administrative and at all levels of the court from municipal court level up to the Ohio Supreme Court where he appeared multiple times. Max would take on cases involving complex legal issues he may not have known very much about. He would educate himself on the area of the law, eventually becoming an expert. 

Before entering the courtroom Max was always extremely well prepared. There was no one that would prepare more than Max when he was going to trial. Many lawyers who tried cases against Max said they were better lawyers for having tried cases against him.

Max was a legend for his skill, engaging personality and dedication to his clients. He was the voice of reason and common sense. Many were lucky enough to know Max as an opponent, a co-counsel, as a partner and as a mentor. Many have said that Max was the best trial attorney that they had observed, that he owned the courtroom. He both educated and entertained juries.
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