“Christopher Clarke and Clara Villarreal each have decades of experience leading high stakes litigation on behalf of clients, and have distinguished themselves with an absolutely sterling reputation among both clients and members of the Bar Association,” said Michael Coffey, Founding Partner.
MANHATTAN, NY – Coffey Modica LLP, a leading defense litigation firm representing businesses and insurance companies in liability claims, excess property and casualty, medical malpractice, and other professional industries, is pleased to announce two new partners, Christopher Delamere Clarke and Clara Villarreal, who will both work from the firm’s 14 Wall Street office.
“Christopher Clarke and Clara Villarreal each have decades of experience leading high stakes litigation on behalf of clients, and have distinguished themselves with an absolutely sterling reputation among both clients and members of the Bar Association,” said Michael Coffey, Founding Partner. “Together they make up a significant addition to the Coffey Modica practice.”
Clarke has represented individuals, institutions, physicians, police officers, religious organizations, government and private entities throughout his 30-plus years as a trial attorney, including as lead attorney in over 300 trials. He focuses his practice on negligence, transportation, trucking, civil rights, construction, medical malpractice, complex litigation, abuse, and mass tort matters.
Fluent in Spanish, Clarke is a member of the New York Bar Association, New York County Trial Lawyers Association, and Suffolk County Bar Association. He has conducted thousands of depositions and has successfully argued appeals in the Appellate Divisions, First and Second Department and the United States Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School after obtaining a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany.
“Throughout my legal career, I have had the privilege of going up against some of the litigators at Coffey Modica and believe them to be formidable in the courtroom,” said Clarke. “The team the firm has built in just five years is impressive and I am delighted to now join the partnership.”
Villarreal has logged more than 100 jury trials and verdicts over the course of her more than 35-year legal career. She focuses on high-exposure, multi-million-dollar, complex litigations in a range of areas, including construction accidents, emergency response, premises liability, product liability defense, trucking and transportation, and municipal liability.
“Coffey Modica has some of the top talent within the legal industry, many of whom I have grown to respect throughout my career,” said Villarreal. “I look forward to joining as a partner and further propelling the legal standard for excellence on which the firm has focused for the past five years.”
Admitted to practice in the US District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, she has represented both private entities and public institutions as lead trial counsel in high-profile cases and previously acted as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York. Villarreal, a fluent Spanish speaker, attended St. John’s University as an undergraduate before obtaining her J.D. from New York Law School.
“Any litigator who has gone up against Christoper or Clara knows them as legal powerhouses at the top of their craft,” said Patricia Mooney, New York Managing Partner. “Since the beginning, Coffey Modica has been committed to fostering an environment that attracts top legal talent, and we are pleased to have both of them join our New York team.”
About Coffey Modica
Founded in 2021, Coffey Modica is one of the fastest growing defense litigation firms in the nation with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida. Coffey Modica LLP represents defendants in high-profile, high exposure matters across many disciplines and industries around the country. Known for being aggressive trial attorneys and litigators, Coffey Modica resolves matters on behalf of its clients with the most cost-effective resolutions aligned with their short- and long-term business goals and culture.
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