BatesCarey is pleased to announce the additions of Partner Matthew Fortin and Associates Paula Villela, Benjamin Beaird and Lauren Tuckey.

Matt has extensive experience managing and litigating first-party property insurance claims, ranging from hail and wind damage to condominium complexes, underground cave collapses and major hurricanes to Cyclone Yasi in Australia and the Canterbury earthquakes in New Zealand. Matt serves as an integral part of BatesCarey’s COVID-19 Team, addressing business interruption insurance claims across the country. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Paula brings years of appellate clerk and insurance coverage experience to the firm and focuses on litigation related to the nation’s opioid crisis as well as commercial general liability, professional liability and first-party property insurance disputes. She is a key member of BateCarey’s Opioid Coverage Task Force and the Insurance Appellate Team. Paula earned her J.D., with high honors, from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Benjamin counsels insurance carriers in both third-party and first-party complex coverage litigation matters and provides coverage analysis in coverage disputes involving a wide range of policies, including professional liability, commercial general liability, products liability and reinsurance. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Lauren is an experienced corporate litigator, having handled many complex insurance coverage and subrogation disputes. She concentrates on product liability matters, as well as railroad liability, construction accidents and a variety of contract disputes. Lauren earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law.