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
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