Donald J. Nolan

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.

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

Memberships and Societies

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

Appointments and Cases

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

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 Brain Stem 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 Brain Stem 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

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, October 4, 2002

For unwavering support, encouragement and guidance. Presented by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois

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, June 1998

For service to the organized bar and the association as Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee

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