Matthew Clark is a partner at Bentley & More whose practice focuses on insurance bad faith, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, and governmental entity liability. Mr. Clark is the head of the firm’s law and motion practice, litigating in a wide variety of courtrooms across the state, and is the attorney responsible for handling not only the firm’s extensive motion practice, but also its significant appellate practice.
Committed to providing skilled and compassionate representation to those who have been affected by bad faith insurance claims, or suffered injury or death as a result of someone else’s negligence.
Awards
• Super Lawyers: Rising Star, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020
• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2020 – 2021
Publications
• Workers’ Compensation and Covid-19, Los Angeles & San Francisco Daily Journal, March 2020 Issue.
• Vaping with Fire – Emerging Issues in E-Cig Litigation, CAOC Forum Magazine, September/October 2018 Issue
• Demander Beware! A Policy Limit Demand is Crucial To Any Claim for Failure to Settle, But Making an Incorrect Demand Can Cripple Your Case, CAALA Advocate Magazine, September 2017 Issue.
• Questions In Coverage: Intentional Tort By An Employee, CAALA Advocate Magazine, September 2016 Issue.
• The Dangers of Vaping: A Primer on Litigating Exploding E-Cig Cases, OCTLA’s The Gavel, Fall 2016 Issue.
• Safeguarding a Default Judgment from Claims of Insurer Neglect, CAALA Advocate Magazine, December 2015 Issue.
• The Lid is Off the Policy…But What’s Next?, CAALA Advocate Magazine, August 2015 Issue.
Mr. Clark’s Experience Includes:
1. Primary attorney successfully litigating questions of personal jurisdiction against a foreign manufacturer across more than a dozen actions, ultimately achieving a settlement on behalf of dozens of clients.
2. Lead law and motion attorney and integral part of the litigation team that secured a $30 million settlement on behalf of a client who suffered a massive traumatic brain injury, vision loss, and incurred a lifetime of care after the driveshaft of a truck in front of her vehicle dislodged, ricocheted off the roadway, and rocketed through the client’s windshield, striking her in the face with massive force.
3. Lead law and motion and appellate attorney on behalf of the family and surviving spouse of a young woman killed by a vehicle that navigated around improperly placed bollards, drove along the Venice Beach Boardwalk, and struck numerous individuals. Following denial of defendant’s summary judgment and an on-the-merits denial of the subsequent writ proceeding (see City of Los Angeles v. Superior Court (Alvarez), Second Appellate District, Division Three, Case No. B280429), the defendant settled with the firm’s clients for $12 million, the largest wrongful death settlement in the City’s history.
4. Assisted in achieving a high-seven figure settlement for the family of a young woman killed by police misconduct, who, while a hostage during a botched bank robbery and subsequent pursuit, was tragically gunned down in a barrage of police gunfire.
5. Lead law and motion attorney in the case of a client who fell through an uncovered, unsecured hole in the roof of a jobsite, fell more than 20 feet to the floor below, and suffered a massive traumatic brain injury, significantly disabling orthopedic injuries, and will likely be confined to a facility for the rest of his life. Following judicial reference, the matter result in a $67 million judgment, with the firm pursuing, and ultimately settling for significant value, the insurance bad faith case against the insurer that refused to settle when provided with an opportunity to do so.
6. Lead law and motion attorney on a Wyoming insurance coverage dispute in which the Court granted the insureds’ partial summary judgment motion—finding coverage under the policy for a more than $26 million judgment in the underlying case against the insureds. The case is Interstate Fire & Casualty Company et al. v. Apartment Management Consultants, LLC, et al., Case No. 2:13-CV-00278-ABJ.
7. Lead law and motion attorney representing an insured who had purchased medical coverage for her newborn surrogate twins. After a wrongful denial of coverage, and multiple motions in the district court, the matter resolved for a confidential seven figure settlement.
8. Lead law and motion attorney for clients injured in a crosswalk when a driver, due to the public entity’s failure to install proper warning equipment, failed to see them and struck the plaintiffs, causing serious and life-long injuries. Combined settlement with the driver’s employer and the public entity resulted in a high-seven figure settlement.
9. Lead law and motion attorney in the case of a client who fell off a piece of construction supplies while on a jobsite, suffering quadriplegia, a brain injury, and massive orthopedic injuries. Despite serious difficulties with liability, assisted the firm in securing a more than $4 million settlement on behalf of the client.
10. Representing 28 tenants on a pro bono basis against the landlord and landowners permitting uninhabitable living conditions to persist on a property in Downtown Los Angeles. Resulted in nearly $4 million in settlement/refurbish/repair benefits going to the tenants.
11. Law and motion attorney assisting with the case against an insurer who failed to settle claims against its insured related to the insured’s medical practice. After confidential arbitration, the matter resolved for an eight-figure settlement.
12. Representing a former oil refinery employee who alleged breach of implied contract for continued employment against his former employer for wrongfully reduced the employee’s profit sharing agreement without good cause. Mr. Clark sat second chair at trial where the jury awarded approximately $2 million in past economic damages. (George Sturges, Jr. vs. Kern Fuels Research, LLC, et al.)
13. Representing the family in a wrongful death case where a woman was tragically killed during the repossession of her automobile. The case resulted in a confidential seven figure settlement for the husband and daughter.
14. Lead associate and law and motion attorney on property insurance case for commercial property in Southern California. After successfully opposing the insurer’s three motions for summary judgment and writ petition, the matter settled in favor of the insured for $3.05 million.
15. Lead associate and law and motion attorney on multiple six and seven figure settlements in favor of clients injured in auto accidents after the adverse driver’s insurance carrier refused to accept a reasonable opportunity to settle within policy limits.
16. Lead law and motion attorney litigating wildfire underinsurance claims, resulting in an eight-figure settlement to provide clients the funds to replace and rebuild damaged homes.
Memberships
• State Bar of California
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
• Consumer Attorneys of California
• Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
