Matthew W. Bailey

For 30 years, Matt has guided corporate, transportation, and business clients through a broad range of incidents, accidents, claims, and lawsuits. He is a seasoned negotiator, regularly seeking early resolution of claims to avoid costly and disruptive litigation, while limiting client exposure and the unpredictability of outcomes. 

An experienced trial lawyer, Matt has served as lead counsel in numerous bench and jury trials, defending claims involving transportation, products liability, premises liability, insurance, bad faith, and general liability in both state and federal courts throughout Louisiana. 

Matt has earned a reputation as an honest, trusted, and well-respected attorney by clients, the plaintiff’s bar and judges alike. He prides himself on the ability to make more friends than enemies throughout the course of his career, ensuring that personalities and emotions do not get in the way of negotiations, decisions, trials, and outcomes. 

Matt leads the firm’s Rapid Response team and is frequently retained immediately upon the occurrence of an emergency, accident, or catastrophic event.  He and his team are experienced in managing the risks, responding to the scene, leading the investigation, securing evidence and engaging experts as needed to protect his clients.

As head of the Irwin Fritchie Baton Rouge office, Matt is actively involved in national and international defense organizations, having served as the President of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA), on the Board of Directors of Defense Research Institute (DRI), and as an active member of numerous other legal industry committees. 

Honors & Recognitions

Louisiana Super Lawyers
AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell rating

Professional Affiliations

• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Past President (2015-2016)
• Defense Research Institute, Board of Directors (2014-2016)
• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• Transportation Industry Defense Association
• Trial Attorneys of America
• Transportation Lawyers Association
• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Louisiana State Bar Association