Leading the firm are the founding principals, Steven B. Belgrade and John A. O'Donnell.
Steven B. Belgrade
Mr. Belgrade received his Juris Doctor in 1975 and is a member of the Illinois and Indiana Bar, as well as several United States District and Appellate Courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He has litigated numerous cases and appeals in several state and federal courts, including courts in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Iowa. In addition to specializing in admiralty and maritime claims, Mr. Belgrade's areas of civil trial work include insurance coverage disputes, personal injury defense, transportation law and general litigation.
He is a member of the Maritime Law Association (Proctor in Admiralty), Chicago Ocean Marine Association, American Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Transportation Lawyers Association (Executive Committee).
Furthermore, Mr. Belgrade has served on the faculty of Loyola University of Chicago's Law School, teaching admiralty and maritime law. He has lectured on maritime law and trial advocacy at various law schools and bar seminars. He also has served as chairman of the admiralty and maritime law committees of both the Illinois and Chicago Bar Assocations and as President of the Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Chicago.
John A. O'Donnell
Mr. O'Donnell received his Juris Doctor in 1981 and holds Bar admissions in the State of Illinois and Indiana, as well as several United States District and Appellate Courts throughout the Midwestern United States.
He is also a member of both the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Association (Chairman, Admiralty Committee), the Maritime Law Assocation and has served as President of the Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Chicago. Mr. O'Donnell has lectured on admiralty and maritime law, civil litigation matters, including personal injury defense, and trial advocacy at several Chicago law schools and legal seminars.
As a former leading prosecutor in the Illinois Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Mr. O'Donnell possesses a broad background of trial experience, including numerous jury trials and in excess of two hundred bench trials. He has successfully litigated cases ranging from admiralty and maritime law to general negligence, construction injuries, products liability and property loss claims.