Donald McGarrah
Partner
Judicial Experience and Successes
Over the past 30-plus years, attorney Donald (Don) R. McGarrah has developed a wealth of experience and expertise in numerous legal arenas. In that time, he has served as Lead Trial Counsel in 38 different states in the preparation and trial of complex cases. His tireless efforts have helped victims in countless personal injury and catastrophic damage cases. He has been honored with awards for excellence in trial practice and has been Lead Trial Counsel in numerous multi-million dollar cases. He takes great pride in giving each client his undivided, personal attention.
Donald McGarrah's Career
Trial attorney Don McGarrah has been practicing law in the Chicagoland area for more than 30 years. During that time, Don has developed a wealth of experience and expertise in several areas, including:
- Handling matters as Lead Trial Counsel in 38 different states in both state and federal courts involving complex personal injury claims with catastrophic damages for both Plaintiffs and Defendants.
- Has extensive experience in handling medical cases involving infants who have sustained neurological injuries, i.e. brain damage, during labor and delivery.
- Has extensive experience serving as National Trial and Coordinating Counsel handling recurrent product liability matters.
- Has extensive experience in handling high exposure property damage subrogation matters involving alleged product failures and product and premises fires.
- Has extensive experience handling insurance coverage issues and disputes, including bad faith refusal to settle issues.
- Has extensive experience in manufacturing related areas, including the design and content of product warnings and instructions; product design issues; issues involving recall and retrofit programs; punitive damages issues; and corporate governance issues.
Don lives in Clarendon Hills with his wife, Mary and his beautiful daughters Megan, Maddie, and Melanie.
Member of the Illinois Bar and Education
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1979
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois – Trial Bar – 1983
Education
- St. Louis University School of Law
J.D. – 1978 - Spring Hill College
B.A. – 1975
Donald McGarrah's Honors, Awards, and Professional Associations
Honors & Awards
- Lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in areas involving law.
- Guest lecturer at The Law School at the University of Notre Dame in Trial Practice.
- Created, administered and taught Wildman Harrold’s former in-house Trial Practice Clinic.
- Recipient of the Everett J. Hullverson Award for Excellence in Trial Practice at St. Louis University.
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Don currently serves as an elected Village Trustee for the Village of Clarendon Hills.
- Former member of the Advisory Board for Heartland Christian Resources; the Illinois Board of Directors for USO Illinois; the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse America; and former Sustaining Member of the Product Liability Advisory Council.