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Biglaw Partner Removed From Firm After Wife’s Remains Found In Stairwell – Above the Law

On
October
27th,
the
wife
of
now-former
Duane
Morris
partner
Adam
P.
Beckerink,
Caitlin
Tracey,
was
found
dead
in
the
stairwell
of
Beckerink’s
apartment
building
in
Chicago’s
South
Loop.
Tracey’s
severed
foot
was
found
nearby.
Tracey’s
parents,
Andrew
and
Monica
Tracey,
received
a
temporary
restraining
order

successfully

blocking
Beckerink
from
retrieving
her
body
after
alleging
Caitlin
Tracey
was
the
victim
of
domestic
abuse
at
the
hands
of
Beckerink.

As

reported
by

CWB
Chicago,
Tracey
received
an
order
of
protection
against
her
husband
in
October
of
2023.

In
an
affidavit
seeking
the
order,
Tracey
claimed
Beckerink
“contacts
me
approximately
twenty
times
a
day”
and
calls
her
“derogatory
names
like
‘liar,’
cheater,’
‘whore,’
and
a
‘piece
of
sh*t.’”

She
also
claimed
that
she
filed
a
police
report
for
domestic
battery
in
September
2023
after,
she
said,
Beckerink
came
into
a
hotel
room
at
the
Ritz
Carlton
while
she
was
sleeping
and
launched
into
verbal
and
physical
abuse.

Tracey
said
she
filed
a
second
police
report
because,
she
claimed,
Beckerink
became
physically
and
verbally
abusive
at
the
South
Loop
residential
building
in
August
2023,
“slamming
my
head
against
a
cabinet,
slapping
me,
punching
me,
putting
my
head
on
a
headlock,
and
dragging
me
away
from
the
door.”

After
the
August
2023
incident,
Tracey
said,
“The
police
officers
attempted
to
arrest
the
[man],
but
he
refused
to
open
the
door.”

Tracey
also
alleged
an
incident
in
July
of
2023
in
which
she
said
Beckerink
hit
her
with
a
pickle
jar
and
“poured
vodka
on
my
body,
which
burned
my
wounds.”
Tracey
said
Beckerink
took
her
to
the
hospital
following
those
head
injuries.

Tracey
moved
to
vacate
the
order
of
protection
a
month
after
it
was
granted.

Beckerink
is
not
facing
charges
related
to
Tracey’s
death.
There
are
two
pending
domestic
violence
charges
and
felony
charges
of
resisting
and
obstructing
arrest
in
Michigan,
where
Tracey
lived.

Beckerink’s
attorney,
Todd
Pugh,

said
,
“Caitlin
was
the
love
of
Adam’s
life,
they’ve
been
married
since
April,
her
family
has
not
had
any
contact
with
her
in
the
several
months
since
she
married
Adam.
He
wanted
to
include
them
in
honoring
her
memory
and
wanted
to
do
this
at
the
funeral
home
that
her
family
selected,
but
based
on
the
filing
that
we
just
received,
that
wasn’t
sufficient.”

But
after
these
details
emerged,
Duane
Morris
decided
it
was
enough
to
kick
Beckerink
out
of
the
partnership.

Duane
Morris

provided
the
following
statement

on
the
matter,
“This
is
a
shocking
and
tragic
case,
and
we
send
our
deepest
condolences
to
the
family
and
friends
of
Caitlin
Tracey.
Our
firm
was
not
aware
of
the
domestic
violence
and
other
allegations
against
Adam
Beckerink
asserted
in
various
legal
proceedings
until
recent
media
accounts
of
her
death.
Once
we
confirmed
key
facts,
the
partners
board
swiftly
removed
Adam
as
a
partner
of
Duane
Morris
LLP.
He
is
no
longer
associated
with
our
firm.

“This
is
a
tragedy
for
all
involved.
Our
deepest
condolences
go
to
Caitlin
Tracey’s
family.
Counseling
will
be
available
for
Chicago
office
employees
this
week.

“Out
of
respect
for
the
legal
process,
it
is
not
appropriate
for
the
firm
to
speculate
about
the
ongoing
investigation,
other
than
to
say
we
hope
justice
will
be
served,
and
we
stand
ready
to
assist
if
we
can
be
helpful
to
investigators.”

If
you’re
a
victim
of
familial
or
domestic
violence,
reach
out
if
you
need
help,
before
it’s
too
late.
If
you
feel
that
you
are
in
immediate
danger,
please
call
the National
Domestic
Violence
Hotline
 at
1-800-799-SAFE
(7233).
Assistance
is
available
in
English
and
Spanish.




Kathryn Rubino HeadshotKathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast
,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer
.
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Feel
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