Press Release

Partner Daniel Donovan Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers

Kirkland & Ellis is pleased to announce that partner Daniel (“Dan”) Donovan has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.

Mr. Donovan, based in Kirkland’s Washington, D.C. office, litigates energy, financial and technology disputes across the country. He has secured substantial victories for plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes matters before trial and appellate courts, juries and arbitration panels, and counsels companies and executives on corporate governance matters.  In addition, Mr. Donovan litigates pro bono matters for voters, represents veterans seeking benefits, and spends substantial time training and mentoring lawyers.

Mr. Donovan was inducted into the College as a Fellow during the Induction Ceremony at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the College from Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, in Chicago. 

Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years of trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.

Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently less than 6,000 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, made up of active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows across the U.S. and Canada. 

The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College says that it is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Since 1981, Kirkland has had 18 trial lawyers inducted into the College’s membership. 

Renowned for its experience in complex litigation and arbitration, Kirkland’s Litigation Practice is comprised of over 700 attorneys worldwide. Kirkland represents clients in trial and appellate courts at the federal and state level, before administrative tribunals, and in arbitrations and other dispute resolution proceedings. Kirkland also represents clients in connection with proceedings involving government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service and all fifty state Offices of Attorneys General.