Donald J. Nolan is a nationally-acclaimed lawyer and founder of Nolan Law Group which has become one of the nation's most prestigious and well-recognized plaintiff firms.
In the area of aviation law, Donald Nolan has represented the rights of victims and families in air disasters around the world. His work has led to the redesign of several safety systems and defective components of major commercial and general aviation aircraft. In the course of his career, he has been appointed as Lead Counsel and to leadership positions in a multitude of air crash cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.
While he has consistently been named to the Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers and has been named a Leading American Attorney in Personal Injury Law, a distinction less than 6% of practicing attorneys can claim, he considers the creation of the firm itself and establishment of an experienced, competent & well-versed staff as the hallmark of a career dedicated to clients needs.
He continues to represent clients from around the world on a select basis in the most tragic of cases.
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 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
Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, American Airlines Flight 587 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, Singapore Airlines Flight SQ006 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, EgyptAir Flight 990 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, TWA Flight 800 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, Swissair Flight 111 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, USAir Flight 427 Plaintiffs' Liaison counsel, United Airlines Flight 585 Plaintiffs' Discovery Committee and Trial Team, American Eagle Flight 4184 Illinois Supreme Court Committee on IPI Jury Instruction Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Silk Air Flight 185 Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Air Philippines Flight 541 - Lead Counsel Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Corporate Air - Lead Counsel Garuda Flight 152 Silk Air Flight 185 LAPA Airlines Flight 3142 Air Philippines Flight 541 China Airlines Flight CI-611 Garuda Flight 421 American Trans Air Flight 208 Flash Airlines American Eagle Flight 5401 Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 Circuit City Corporate Jet United Flight 232 Austral Airlines Flight 2553 Mandela Airlines Lion Air Flight 538 Air France Flight 358
Presentations:
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 2005 Annual ATLA Conference Aviation Law Section Panel Member Toronto Canada July 2005 Academic Background: DePaul University, College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, J.D. - 1977 Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois, B.A. - 1974 Honors Professional Experience: Nolan Law Group, Chicago, Illinois 1981 - present Principal of nine-attorney law firm that concentrates on litigation involving wrongful death and representation of people who have suffered serious personal injuries from aviation disasters, railroad disasters, vehicular collisions, work-related and unsafe premises occurrences, unsafe products, medical malpractice and other related areas. A. Dennison Weaver, Ltd., Chicago, Illinois-Associate, 1979 - 1981 Garreston and Santora, Chicago, Illinois-Associate, 1977 - 1979 Admissions: District of Colorado - 2007 New York State Bar - 2003 United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit - 1992 Trial Bar, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois - 1983 United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois - 1977 Illinois State Bar - 1977 Awards and Recognitions: 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
