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Criminal Justice

Former Duane Morris partner arrested on outstanding warrant related to Michigan assault case

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 10, 2025, 3:16 pm CDT

Updated: A former Duane Morris partner was arrested on an outstanding Michigan warrant at his condo in Chicago’s South Loop on Friday, the same building where his wife’s body was found in a stairwell in October 2024.

Adam Beckerink, 46, was ordered extradited to Michigan at a court hearing Monday, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The warrant was based on charges of domestic abuse and assaulting police officers arising from incidents at the home in Berrien County, Michigan, where Beckerink’s wife, 36-year-old Caitlin Tracey, lived before her death, WGN-TV reports.

Initial media reports said the warrant was issued after Beckerink did not show up for a pretrial hearing in the Michigan case in October 2024. He also missed his trial that was set to happen days later, the reports said.

But Chicago police said the warrant was for alleged violation of pretrial conditions in the Michigan case, without providing further information, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Beckerink has not been charged in Tracey’s death. But in the extradition hearing Monday, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak referred to Beckerink as a suspect, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Beckerink’s lawyer, Jonathan Brayman, said Monday and at a court hearing Saturday the warrant was not valid, according to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Brayman said Monday that his client had attended all his hearings and had not violated any conditions of pretrial release, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Beckerink “is the absolute opposite of a fugitive from justice,” Brayman said on Monday, pointing out that Beckerink was arrested at home.

Beckerink was ousted from Duane Morris after the law firm became aware of domestic violence allegations against him made in court proceedings, including allegations made by his wife when she obtained an order of protection against Beckerink in 2023.

See also:

Duane Morris partner ousted after wife found dead in stairwell and her parents allege domestic violence

Judge denies bid by former Duane Morris partner to stop his wife’s funeral

Updated March 11 at 8:02 a.m. to add lawyer Jonathan Brayman’s assertion that former Duane Morris partner Adam Beckerink had attended all court hearings in Michigan.

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Criminal Justice

Duane Morris partner ousted after wife found dead in stairwell and her parents allege domestic violence

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 12, 2024, 9:42 am CST

Updated: A judge in Cook County, Illinois, has granted a temporary restraining order that prevents a now-ousted partner at Duane Morris from retrieving the remains of his wife after her body was found in a stairwell in his South Loop residential building last month.

The lawyer, Adam P. Beckerink, was blocked from receiving the remains in a Nov. 7 TRO sought by the parents of Beckerink’s deceased wife, 36-year-old Caitlin Tracey, report CWBChicago, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

The parents alleged that Beckerink, a tax lawyer, had physically abused his wife, the articles report. The parents filed a separate action in Berrien County, Michigan, where Tracey had lived, that seeks authority to access her remains from the Cook County medical examiner and make funeral arrangements. A Michigan judge granted the request Tuesday.

Tracey’s body was found in a stairwell of Beckerink’s building in Chicago’s South Loop on Oct. 27. Her foot had been severed.

Beckerink was “swiftly removed” as a partner at Duane Morris, and he is no longer associated with the law firm, a firm spokesperson told the ABA Journal in a statement. Duane Morris was not previously aware of the domestic violence allegations, the statement said.

Two domestic violence charges are pending against Beckerink in Berrien County, according to the Chicago Tribune. He is also facing felony charges of resisting and obstructing arrest. He has not been charged with crimes related to his wife’s death.

Tracey had obtained an order of protection against Beckerink in Cook County in October 2023, but it was dismissed the following month after Tracey moved to vacate it, according to CWBChicago and the Chicago Tribune. In an affidavit supporting her bid for a protection order, Tracey said she filed two police reports for domestic battery against Beckerink in August and September 2023, the articles report.

The affidavit alleged that Beckerink physically abused her at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, at Beckerink’s South Loop residential building and at her Michigan home, according to CWBChicago and the Chicago Tribune. In one instance, she alleged, Beckerink struck her in the head with a pickle jar and poured vodka on her body, burning her wounds. In another, she alleged that Beckerink strangled her and slammed her head against a cabinet.

Tracey’s parents, Monica and Andrew Tracey, are represented by lawyer Andrew J. Cunniff of Galarnyk & Associates in the Cook County case and by Mowitt “Mitt” S. Drew III of Butzel Long in Michigan.

A lawyer for Beckerink, Todd Pugh, told the Chicago Tribune that there is no link between Beckerink and Tracey’s death.

“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,” Pugh said. “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.”

Here is the full statement from Duane Morris to the Journal: “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.”

In a statement after the Michigan judge ruled for Tracey’s parents Tuesday, Drew said he and his clients are “incredibly grateful” for the expedited decision.

“The ruling allows Caitlin’s family not only to honor her life with the final services she deserves but also to grieve appropriately, supporting them in their journey through this difficult time,” Drew said.

Updated Nov. 12 at 11:35 a.m. to include information on the Michigan judge’s ruling and a statement by the parents’ attorney.

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Judge denies bid by former Duane Morris partner to stop his wife’s funeral

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 21, 2024, 10:51 am CST

A Chicago judge on Wednesday denied a former Duane Morris partner’s emergency motion to stop his deceased wife’s parents from holding her funeral, so that he can obtain her remains.

Judge Eve M. Reilly of Cook County, Illinois, denied lawyer Adam P. Beckerink’s request to preserve the remains of his wife, 36-year-old Caitlin Tracey, pending appeal.

Tracey was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell in Beckerink’s South Loop residential building on Oct. 27. Her foot had been severed.

The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and Fox 32 Chicago have coverage of Reilly’s Nov. 20 order.

Beckerink was ousted as a partner at Duane Morris after Tracey’s parents sought her remains in court filings alleging that he had physically abused their daughter. A judge in Berrien County, Michigan, granted the parents’ request Nov. 12, saying he had jurisdiction because Tracey was a resident of New Buffalo, Michigan, at the time of her death.

The parents then sought to enforce the judgment in Cook County because the Medical Examiner’s office had the remains.

Two domestic violence charges are pending against Beckerink in Berrien County, Michigan, according to past coverage by the Chicago Tribune. He has not been charged with any crime related to his wife’s death.

The couple had been married six months when Tracey died. A lawyer for Beckerink, Todd Pugh, has previously said Tracey “was the love of Adam’s life.”

In an affidavit supporting a bid for an order of protection that was granted in October 2023, Tracey said Beckerink physically abused her at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, at Beckerink’s South Loop residential building and at her Michigan home.

In one instance, she alleged, Beckerink struck her in the head with a pickle jar and poured vodka on her body, burning her wounds. The protection order was dismissed in November 2023 when Tracey moved to vacate it.

Another lawyer for Beckerink, Telly Stefaneas, told Reilly in a hearing Wednesday that his client planned to appeal the Michigan decision awarding the remains to Tracey’s parents, Andrew and Monica Tracey, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Reilly noted in her order Wednesday that it has been three weeks since Tracey’s death, and the medical examiner’s office has indicated that it could not keep her body beyond 30 days.

“Caitlin is a human being who died under horrible circumstances,” Reilly wrote. “If it is possible for Caitlin’s body to be stored elsewhere for the duration of an appeal, that has not even been filed, no one has informed the court of that fact. Certainly, it does not seem just or equitable to do so.”

A lawyer for Andrew and Monica Tracey, Andrew Cunniff, said in a statement Tracey’s family is grateful for Reilly’s decision.

“We cannot imagine why the defendant would want to keep Caitlin away from her family—even now,” Cunniff said. “No one should have to bury their child, much less fight a legal battle to do it. Thankfully, the right side prevailed, and Caitlin will remain with her family where she belongs.”