Matthew Dowling Plunkett Cooney Litigation Chicago: business law and litigation defense services

Bio

A partner in Plunkett Cooney’s Chicago office, Matthew S. Dowling is an experienced litigator and trial attorney who defends product liability and wrongful death claims arising from transportation accidents and exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos.

Mr. Dowling is a member of the firm’s Torts & Litigation Practice Group, and his practice includes defending an array of companies in various industries ranging from aviation to logistics and trucking to ride-sharing providers. He has successfully represented clients in cases involving catastrophic injuries allegedly caused by specific product failures and negligence actions arising from accidents on premises, as well as related employment claims.

Mr. Dowling’s litigation practice includes defending numerous transportation-related claims in federal courts throughout the United States. He also represents a variety of professionals in malpractice claims, including attorneys, real estate agents and brokers, home inspectors, general contractors and architects.

In the field of aviation, Mr. Dowling has significant experience defending airlines in litigation nationwide. These cases involve physical injury, property damage, general insurance disputes and contractual issues, and wrongful death actions resulting from alleged design defects.

Clients retain Mr. Dowling because of his pragmatic and creative approach to providing cost-effective case management and claims resolution. For instance, when talc litigation started in Illinois, he spearheaded the defense of mesothelioma claims against the manufacturers of cosmetic talcum powders. He helped these Fortune 500 companies navigate the cases and develop defense strategies. In addition, he oversaw the designated litigation team.

Representative Client Work

Served as first and second chair in several trials involving a contractor in a toxic tort asbestos case, a motor vehicle negligence case and a contaminated talcum powder toxic tort case in Cook County, Illinois
Handled complex litigation for multi-national corporations, including SEC defense, contractual issues and commercial litigation
Handled an appeal involving nuanced personal jurisdiction issues in complex product liability litigation for a Fortune 500 corporation involving injuries arising from exploding lithium-ion batteries
Successfully defended airline client in Cook County, Illinois in a wrongful death action alleging design defects with the autopilot manufactured by the defendant. This accident stems from an aircraft crash in West Virginia, resulting in the pilot's and four passengers' fatalities. After two weeks of trial, the jury returned a complete defense verdict for the client.