Under his leadership the firm has grown to be one of the nations most prestigious and recognized plaintiff firms with a practice that spans the globe. He and his team consistently win multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for the firm's clients. Through his determination, Don and others in the firm have fought to improve dangerous conditions within industries and to create meaningful changes.
Nolan Law Group provides the best representation to persons who have sustained severe personal injuries or lost loved ones as a result of aviation crashes, brain injuries, work-related and unsafe premises occurrences, unsafe products, medical malpractice, vehicular collisions and other related areas. Don's unwavering pursuit of justice and his willingness to take on tough cases has led to a concentration in three unique areas of the law aviation, traumatic brain injury and railroad law. In the area of commercial and general aviation law, Don has represented the rights of families in aviation disasters around the world. His dedication has lead to the redesign of safety systems and defective components of major commercial and general aviation aircraft. In the course of his career as a lawyer he has served in a leadership position on numerous Plaintiffs' Steering Committees, Trial Teams, and as Liaison Counsel, for complex mass tort cases including American Airlines Flight 587, United Airlines 232, Singapore Airlines SQ006, TWA Flight 800, Swissair Flight 111, US Air Flight 427, United Airlines Flight 585, American Eagle Flight 4184 and others.
Practice Areas
Aviation Law
Education
- DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois
- B.A. - 1974
- Honors: With Honors
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1977
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2007
- New York, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1992
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1983
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Aviation and Space Law Committee
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Aviation Law Section, Chair, 2004, Leaders Forum, Member
- ATLA PAC Eagle Member
- Railroad Section, Chair, 1988-1999
- Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, President, 2001-2002
- Editor of TBI Litigation Group Newsletter, President, and Executive Committee Member
- Birth Trauma Litigation Group, Member
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Secretary, 1996-1997
- Illinois State Bar Association, Appointment to Tort Section Council, 1994-1996
- Chicago Bar Association, Member
- Appointment to Public Affairs/Media Relations Committee, 1996-1999
- Long Range Planning, Chair 1997-1999
- Tort Litigation Committee, Chair, 1989-1990 and Vice-Chair, 1988-1989
- Judicial Evaluation Committee, 1984-1987
- Industrial Commission, 1982-1983
- Civil Practice, 1981-1982
- National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation
- National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association
- Lawyers Pilots Bar Association
- Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy
- Brain Injury Association of Illinois, Board of Directors, 1996-2001
- Brain Injury Association of Illinois, Honorary Member of the Board of Directors since 2002
- Spinal Cord Injury Association
- DePaul Aviation Institute Advisory Board Member
- Civil Justice Foundation Trustee
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
- Melvin Belli Society
Honors
- Leading Lawyers Network, The Top Lawyers
- ATLA Board of Governors Leaders Forum 2004
- Civil Justice Foundation Honor Roll of Champions 2004
- The Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers 87th Edition 2003
- 1st Annual Lighthouse Award For unwavering support, encouragement and guidance. Presented by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois October 4, 2002
- Toe Tonahill Award ATLA, New Lawyers Division Annual Conference July 21, 2000
- Brain Injury Association Certificate of Appreciation Presented by the Brain Injury Association of New York June 23-23, 2000
- Supporting Fellow Roscoe Pound Foundation August 31, 1998
- Chicago Bar Association Certificate of Appreciation For service to the organized bar and the association as Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee June 1998
- ATLA Board of Governors Presidents Club 1998
- Presidents Award In appreciation for providing continuous and exemplary support of programs and services Presented by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois October 24, 1997
- Recognized as a “Special Friend” of the Brain Injury Association of Illinois For exceptional support and commitment to increasing the quality of life for the brain injured person and their family. Presented by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois October 4, 1996
- AV Peer Review Rated
Classes & Seminars
- 2007 American Association for Justice Annual Convention Aviation Law Section Opening Statements, Speaker Chicago, Illinois July 2007
- 2006 Annual Brain Injury Association of Illinois Education Conference Pulling It All Together, Speaker Oakbrook, Illinois October 2006
- 2005 Annual ATLA Conference Aviation Law Section Panel Member Toronto Canada July 2005
- 2005 Conference on Brain Injury Brain Injury Association of Utah and The Utah Trial Lawyers Association Pulling It All Together, Speaker Salt Lake City, Utah March 3-4, 2005
- North American Brain Injury Society Annual Brain Injury Medical-Legal Conference Putting It All Together, Speaker Napa, California October 8-10, 2004
- ATLA Annual Convention 2003 Aviation Law Section Program Media Relations & Disaster Assistance in Complex Accidents, Moderator San Francisco, California July 21, 2003
- Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group Program Defeating the Defenses in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases, Moderator San Francisco, California July 20, 2003
- ATLA Annual Convention 2002 Emerging Issues: Airports and Airplanes, Panel Atlanta, Georgia July 21, 2002
- Southern Methodist University Annual Aviation Law Symposium, Speaker Dallas, Texas, February 22 – 23, 2001 Pre-Impact Terror
- American Bar Association Aviation Issues in the New Millennium Conference, Moderator Washington, D.C. October 19 – 21, 2000
- Brain Injury Association of Illinois Annual Education Conference, Speaker Lisle, Illinois, October 16, 1999 Pediatric Life Care Planning
- Brain Injury Association of California Annual Conference, Paper San Francisco, October 12, 1999 Special Opening Statement Techniques in the M.T.B.I. Case
- John Marshall Law School Legal and Medical Seminar, Paper Chicago, Illinois, September 9, 1999 Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury Seminar, Speaker Columbus, Ohio, June 3-4, 1999 The Ultimate T.B.I Notebook
- Utah Trial lawyers Association Winning Brain Injury Cases: Medical, Legal and Technological Issues, Speaker Salt Lake City, Utah, January 28-29, 1999 The Ultimate Trial Notebook
- Handling the Severe TBI Case: Settlement and Trial Perspectives Direct Examination of Medical and Defense Experts in the Mild to Moderate TBI Case
- Brain Injury Association Annual conference for Attorneys, Speaker Palm Beach, Florida, September 17-19, 1998 Organizing the File and Preparing the Case For Settlement or Trial
- The Brain Injury Association of New York State Understanding the Medical and Legal Aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury, Speaker
- New York, New York, June 18-19, 1998 Final Arguments in Brain Injury Cases
- Vocational Economics, Inc. Defining Monetary Damages, Speaker San Francisco, California, November 12, 1997 Overview of a Traumatic Brain Injury Case Opening Statement Appropriate Use of a Vocational Economic Expert
- Brain Injury Association of Illinois Annual Educational conference, Speaker Lisle, Illinois, October 24-25, 1997 Lawsuits and Workers’ compensation claims: What Brain Injury Patients and Health Care Providers Should Know About Legal Rights and Remedies
- Brain Injury Association, Inc. Annual Conference for Attorneys, Speaker San Francisco, California, September 25-27, 1997 Organizing the File and Preparing the Case For Settlements or Trial
- Vocational Economics, Inc. Defining Monetary Damages, Speaker Chicago, Illinois, September 12, 1997 Overview of a Traumatic Brain Injury Case Opening Statement
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual convention, Speaker San Diego, California, July 19-23, 1997 Summation in the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case The Use of Demonstrative Evidence in Construction Site Accidents
- Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin Annual Seminar, Speaker May 30-31, 1997 Presentation of the Brain Stem Case
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America New Jersey Educational Foundation Boardwalk Seminar, Speaker Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 18, 1997 Preparing the Case for Settlement and Trial
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association, Speaker New Orleans, Louisiana, February 9, 1997 Demonstrative Evidence in Both Head and Neck Injuries
- Brain Injury Association of North Carolina, Speaker Charlotte, North Carolina, January 24, 1997 Evaluation of Claims involving Brainstem Injuries
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Mid-Winter Convention, Speaker Boca Raton, Florida, January 20, 1997 Voir Dire in the Mild Brain Injury Case
- Brain Injury Association of Illinois Educational Conference, Speaker Lisle, Illinois, October 4, 1996 Unifying the Medical-Legal Approach to Traumatic Brain Injury
- Brain Injury Association Annual Conference for Attorneys, Speaker Palm Beach, Florida, September 19, 1996 Preparing the Post Concussion Syndrome Case for Settlement and Trial
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention, Speaker Boston, Massachusetts, July 29, 1996 Traumatic Brainstem Injury
- Brain Injury Association of Michigan, Speaker Flint, Michigan, March 28, 1996 Understanding Economic Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association Mardi Gras Conference, Speaker New Orleans, Louisiana, February 19, 1996 Proving the Invisible Injury: Seeing is Believing
- Brain Injury Association of North Carolina, Speaker Charlotte, North Carolina, January 29, 1996 Direct Examination of Vocational Economic Analyst
- Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin, Speaker Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 5, 1996 The No Reported Loss of Consciousness Case: Panel Discussion Effective Summation in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
- The National Head Injury Foundation, 14th Annual National Symposium, Speaker San Diego, California, December 3-5, 1995 Informed Consent: What’s it all about?
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association, Moderator New Orleans, Louisiana, February, 1995 Proving Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
- Chicago Bar Association, Program Moderator Chicago, Illinois, February 14, 1990 The Wrongful Death Act: Obtaining the Successful Result
Past Positions
A. Dennison Weaver, Ltd., Chicago, Illinois, Associate, 1979 to 1981
Garreston and Santora, Chicago, Illinois, Associate, 1977 to 1979
