Mr. Matthew K. Clarke

Matthew K. Clarke

Matthew K. Clarke '99 has joined the aviation division of Portland's Landye Bennett Blumstein law firm as a partner following several years with the Wolk law firm, a well-known plaintiffs' aviation law firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has worked on such notable commercial aircraft cases as the US Airways Flight 5481 crash in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the American Airlines Flight 1420 crash in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke

Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke Send an e-mail.
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Matthew K. Clarke is an experienced aviation and trial attorney. He has successfully litigated numerous aircraft accident cases in state and federal courts throughout the country against many well-known companies in the aircraft industry, as well as in commercial aircraft accidents, including American Airlines Flight 1420 and US Airways Express Flight 5481.

Mr. Clarke has helped many aircraft accident victims and their families investigate and determine the cause of the crash and obtain a recovery for their loss when it is the result of negligence. In several instances, his work has uncovered dangerous aircraft mechanical flaws, which were only known to the manufacturers, not the Federal Aviation Administration or the flying public.

Mr. Clarke joined Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP in 2008 following several years of practice at the Wolk Law Firm, a well-known plaintiffs' aviation law firm in Philadelphia.

Admitted to Practice
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Mr. Clarke grew up in the southern Willamette Valley and on the Oregon Coast.

Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke

Matthew K. Clarke is an experienced aviation and trial attorney, having successfully litigated numerous aircraft accident cases in state and federal courts throughout the country against many well-known companies in the aircraft industry, as well as in commercial aircraft accidents, including American Airlines Flight 1420 and US Airways Express Flight 5481. Matt has helped many aircraft accident victims and their families investigate and determine the cause of the crash and obtain a recovery for their loss when it is the result of negligence. In several instances, his work has uncovered dangerous aircraft mechanical flaws, which were known only to the manufacturers, not the Federal Aviation Administration or the flying public. Matt joined Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP in 2008 following several years of practice at a well-known plaintiffs' aviation law firm in Philadelphia.

Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke

Matthew K. ClarkeAirlaw / Bio for Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke joined The Wolk Law Firm as an associate in 2003.Prior to that, he worked for The Wolk Law Firm while attending law school.Matt earned his J.D. from Temple University's Beasley School of Law in 2002.He received his B.S. from the University of Oregon in 1999.He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, Oregon, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Third and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Matt has represented clients in aviation cases in various states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Texas.Matt recently completed successful litigation on a wrongful death claim alleging deficiencies in the capability of the Cessna Caravan to fly safely in icing conditions against the manufacturer of the aircraft, Cessna Aircraft Company, and the designer of its de-icing system, Goodrich Corporation, stemming from a 2002 fatal crash of a Cessna Caravan in Arizona.Matt has represented clients in a wide-range of aviation cases, including plane crashes occurring as a result of structural problems with the aircraft, engine failure resulting from various design defects and negligent maintenance, instrument failure, negligent air traffic control leading to a mid-air collision, and a collision with an unlit obstruction near an airport at night.

Matt has earned a reputation for his ability to effectively and persuasively argue complex legal issues.Matt wrote the brief which led to the Middle District of Florida's recent decision in McCarty v. Precision Airmotive, 2006 WL 2644921 (M.D. Fla. 2006), one of the first decisions to reject the latest trend in aviation defense strategy to argue that aviation lawsuits filed in state courts must be heard in federal court and are controlled by federal regulations, not state law.In McCarty, Matt demonstrated that, in aviation cases, federal regulations are relevant to defining the duty of care under state law but federal law does not control the duty of care.The court agreed, and its holding is now a widely referenced authority against the aviation industry's recent efforts to obtain federalized immunity from liability.In Buschmann v. Little Rock National Airport, a case stemming from the crash of American Airlines Flight 1420, Matt wrote the brief that successfully defeated numerous arguments for summary judgment advanced by the airport defendant in an effort to avoid trial on the merits, including the airport's claim of immunity and federal preemption.In another case, Matt successfully struck the defendant's sole expert, a recognized authority in his field, delivering a major blow to the defense and leading to a successful settlement.Matt has defeated many other defense arguments seeking to limit our clients' claims, or otherwise prevent them from having their day in court.Matt's persuasive legal writing and effective oral advocacy, both in the trial courts and on appeal, make him a valued member of our team and a benefit to our clients.

Matt is originally from Eugene, Oregon and stayed in Philadelphia after graduating from law school, despite the snow, because of his passion for aviation law and helping clients of The Wolk Law Firm obtain justice.Matt can be reached at mclarke@airlaw.com.

Matthew K. Clarke LBB Litigation
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Matthew K. Clarke
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Matthew K. Clarke Send an e-mail.
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Matthew K. Clarke is an experienced aviation litigation attorney. He has successfully litigated numerous aircraft accident cases in state and federal courts throughout the country against many well-known companies in the aircraft industry, as well as in commercial aircraft accidents, including American Airlines Flight 1420 and US Airways Express Flight 5481.

Mr. Clarke has helped many aircraft accident victims and their families investigate and determine the cause of the crash and obtain a recovery for their loss when it is the result of negligence. His efforts have resulted in several multimillion-dollar recoveries for his clients. In several instances, his work has also uncovered dangerous aircraft mechanical and design flaws, which were known only to the manufacturers, not the Federal Aviation Administration or the flying public.

Mr. Clarke joined Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP in 2008 following several years of practice at a well-known aviation law firm on the East Coast.
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Mr. Clarke grew up in the southern Willamette Valley and on the Oregon Coast. He and his family returned to Oregon in 2008 after living on the East Coast for several years. His wife, Ebony, is the Culturally Specific Services Director at LifeWorks NW, a nonprofit organization that provides the Portland metro area with mental health and addiction services across the lifespan. She also chairs its cultural action team.

Matthew K. Clarke practiced law with a well-known aviation law firm on the East Coast for several years before joining Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP in 2008. He focuses his practice on:

Matthew K. Clarke, Oregon and Pennsylvania State Bars