Dan McDonald
FOUNDING PARTNER
Licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Florida
Dan McDonald now limits his practice exclusively to property tax valuation litigation and brings to the service of his clients a unique, formidable blend of experience, skills and qualifications. He is a career trial lawyer licensed to practice law in four states.
Dan has over 40 years of litigation experience with over 200 jury trials in cases involving catastrophic personal injury, professional malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, insurance, property damage, breach of contract, underpayment of oil and gas royalties and products liability.
In addition, Dan has been a licensed senior property tax consultant since 2010. His first property tax valuation jury trial was in 1988 for Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company which resulted in a favorable jury verdict and tax savings of over $200,000. He has significant experience in appraisals and the Texas Property Tax Code.
Prior to starting his own firm, Dan was a partner in the trial section of Kelly Hart and Hallman, a major firm with several Fortune 500 clients. During his years at Kelly Hart and Hallman, Dan practiced in a broad area of complex commercial and business cases, including construction, banking, antitrust and intellectual property. During these years, Dan also had a substantial personal injury defense practice including products liability and medical and hospital negligence.
In 1991, Dan started his own law firm to engage in a contingent fee practice representing plaintiffs, focusing primarily on cases involving pharmaceutical and medical device cases, legal malpractice, catastrophic injury and wrongful death, property tax litigation, and complex business disputes. Dan has had the distinction of serving as regional steering counsel for the silicone gel breast implant litigation, fen-phen diet drug litigation and Baycol litigation.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 1977 and his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1980. Throughout his 40 year career, Dan has been an entrepreneur in the field of law, serving at the forefront of many cutting-edge legal battles. Dan established McDonald Law Firm to continue the tradition of providing outstanding service and results to clients.
Dan has a Martindale-Hubbell “a.v.” rating, the highest rating awarded by the trusted lawyer rating directory. Since 2014, he has been selected as a Top Attorney by Fort Worth, Texas magazine. In 2016, Dan was named one of the ten Newsmakers of the Year by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Dan is admitted to practice in the State of Texas, the State of Oklahoma, the State of Mississippi and the State of Florida.
Since 1989, Dan has been actively involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth, having served on both their Board of Directors and Board of Governors. Also, Dan and his wife Dottie started the McDonald Family Foundation, which provides four-year college scholarships annually to high school seniors who are members of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth. To date, the Foundation has provided more than 30 college scholarships to at-risk youth. Dan is also a volunteer for the Presbyterian Night Shelter. He makes and delivers several hundred sack lunches every week.
“My proudest moment as a lawyer was the $11 million verdict I obtained in a trial on behalf of a fourteen year old boy who had suffered a brain injury in a tragic accident. His injury was truly catastrophic, limiting his ability to learn and communicate. Confined to a wheelchair, he will require assisted care for life. The financial result I obtained for him will provide for the care he needs for the rest of his life, allowing him to live in comfort and security long after his parents are gone and can no longer help provide him assistance. I am humbled and gratified every day by the opportunity I had to represent this young man and the part I was able to play in securing his future.”
― Dan McDonald
2014, 2015, 2016
