Donnell McNeal
Columbia
Summary
Dynamic attorney with 20 years of experience at the Law Office of Donnell H. McNeal, excelling in personal injury and civil rights law. Proficient in legal research and negotiation, I effectively resolved complex claims while demonstrating strong investigative analysis and communication skills. Committed to achieving favorable outcomes for clients through strategic litigation.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Attorney
Law Office of Donnell H. McNeal
Upper Marlboro
12.2005 - Current
- Admitted to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia at the District, Superior, Circuit and Appellate levels in both State/District and Federal Courts.
- Practice personal injury, torts, criminal, civil, family, entertainment, contract, estate & trust, administrative, employment, and civil rights law.
- Litigated, arbitrated, subrogated, negotiated, and facilitated alternative dispute resolution for 20 years across multiple lines of insurance from a Plaintiff's Counsel perspective.
- Conducted scene investigations, canvassed for witnesses, obtained recorded statements, submitted FOIA requests for police, fire, and EMS reports, collected HIPAA medical records and billing requests, drafted discovery documents, and conducted depositions and trials in Maryland and the District of Columbia to effectively manage general liability, property, casualty, automotive, commercial lines, professional malpractice, employment practices liability, and workers' compensation claims from initial report to resolution.
- Conducted legal and legislative research and writing to prepare briefs on various substantive areas of law in order to analyze the laws, regulations, practices and policies relevant to judicial determinations and logical conclusions.
- Managed general liability, property casualty, automotive, commercial lines, professional malpractice, employment practices liability, and workers' compensation claims from initiation to resolution.
- Performed legal and legislative research to prepare briefs analyzing relevant laws, regulations, practices, and policies for judicial determinations.
Senior Claims Representative
ESIS Risk Management
Columbia
07.2005 - 11.2005
- Managed discretionary settlement authority of $5,000, successfully settling claims exceeding $100,000.
- Negotiated settlements with plaintiff's attorneys, achieving reasonable claim amounts based on comprehensive review of medical, incident, and police reports.
- Researched and evaluated cases, providing actionable recommendations for settlement based on jurisdiction and case merits.
- Assisted defense counsel in conducting investigations for preliminary settlement and trial conferences.
- Worked under a contract to settle general liability run-off claims ranging from one (1) to three (3) years old from the Rouse Company and General Growth Properties.
Law Clerk
Law Firm of O'Guinn & McNeal
Columbia
08.2004 - 07.2005
- Drafted initial complaints, subpoenas, orders, writs of attachments, and executions to support enforcement of judgments.
- Served summons, filed civil actions in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and Circuit Court for Prince George's County.
- Conducted manual and computerized legal research using Lexis-Nexis, Westlaw, and Pacer to inform case strategies.
- Researched complex workers' compensation issues and filed necessary documentation for agreements on final compromises and settlements.
Claims Representative
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company
Woodlawn
04.1997 - 08.2004
- Assist in reducing the trauma and economic cost associated with automotive accidents by accurately taking initial loss information, setting reserves, investigating insurance coverage, determining liability, dispatching for losses, and settling property damage and bodily injury claims.
- Managed total loss claims for salvaged vehicles.
- Resolved liability disputes through arbitration with other insurance companies to ensure fair outcomes.
- Managed subrogation process with other insurance companies to recover company funds.
- Coordinated rentals and conducted scene investigations to support claims processing.
- Utilized Pacman software to document claims from inception to resolution.
- Inspect damaged vehicles, wrote estimates via Pathways CCC and Mitchell's estimation software.
Housing Clinic Legal Representative
08.1999 - 12.1999
- Represented indigent citizens of the District of Columbia in court with legal housing problems, involving breach of implied warranty of habitability, housing code violations, self-help evictions, and tort claims.
- Drafted complaint for actions, Temporary Restraining Orders, Preliminary Injunctions, Applications to Proceed In Forma Paupers, and court orders.
Legislative Assistant
01.1999 - 04.1999
- Worked for Councilmember, David Catania, under Linda Bumbalo to research and draft legislation on topics including criminalizing parents that fail to pay child support; tax incentives for the District; voting reporting procedures; making the Board of Trustees more effective by reducing the number of members; and regulating parking lots, garages, and valet parking companies in the District.
Judicial Intern
10.1998 - 12.1998
- Responsible for researching both the legal and factual implications of compelling cases tried before the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
- Extended payments for parties unable to pay court costs and drafted court orders for District Court Commissioners.
Loss Control Manager
Kmart Corporation
Ellicott City
01.1994 - 04.1997
- Responsible for detecting, responding, and prosecuting both internal and external theft incidents.
- Monitored and trained store personnel on paper, visible, and invisible waste.
- Conducted investigations, inventories, and audits on associates.
- Supervised a staff of two.
- Accountable for all aspects of safety and security.
- Responsible for employees possessing special police officer commissions.
Server/Investigator
01.1996 - 03.1996
- Tracked down individuals that courts, law firms, and collection agencies had difficulties locating and served them with summonses, subpoenas, and many other such legal documents.
Residential Advisor
Management & Training Corporation
Randallstown
05.1992 - 04.1994
- Counseled students with various social problems.
- Ensured students abided by all rules and regulations inside of the institution.
- Responsible for disciplinary actions.
- Conducted dorm meetings, and accountability checks.
- Taught social skills training courses.
- Served on evaluation panels.
Law Enforcement Officer
University of Maryland Police Department
College Park
05.1991 - 04.1992
- Enforced the criminal, common, and traffic law statutes in the state of Maryland as devised by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission.
- Performed investigations, arrests, traffic stops, emergency medical responses, patrol, and many other public related activities.
- Served court summons and warrants.
- Utilized portable, mobile, and stationary transistor radios.
- Special training in the use of PR-24, 9mm Sig, and various defensive tactics.
Research & Teaching Assistant
09.1990 - 05.1991
- Assisted in organizing and setting up meetings for Maryland Committee for Dispute Resolutions.
- Utilized the IBM PC to disseminate information to members of Maryland's Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) program.
- Collected and maintained manuscripts for persons seeking publications in the Mediation Quarterly.
- Helped to develop a form of coding in which data derived from courts involved in ADR could be used to conduct statistical analysis.
- Generated hypotheses of mediation in minor matters and its implications for the U.S. Legal System.
- Tutored students in criminal procedure and evidence.
Education
J.D. -
David A. Clarke School of Law at University of the District of Columbia
05-2000
Law Enforcement Certification -
University of Maryland Police Academy
09-1991
B.A. - Criminology, minor in Psychology
University of Maryland at College Park
05-1991
Skills
- Bluebook citation and legal research
- Federal rules of civil procedure
- Westlaw and LexisNexis proficiency
- PACER usage
- Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect
- Excel and PowerPoint skills
- Library of Congress research techniques
- Videography and photography expertise
- Investigative analysis
Accomplishments
- General Honors Program
- Office of Minority Student Education Award
- Department of U.S. Air Force Student Award
- Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
- Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society
- Nominated for Judicial Board Committee
- Nominated for the Mary McLeod Bethune award
- Nominated for the President's Commission of Ethnic Minority Issues (PCEMI)
References
Available upon request
Graduate Undergraduate Experience
- Housing Clinic Legal Representative, 08/99 - 12/99, Represented indigent citizens in court., Drafted legal documents for housing issues.
- Legislative Assistant, 01/99 - 04/99, Researched and drafted legislation for Councilmember.
- Judicial Intern, 10/98 - 12/98, Researched legal implications of cases., Drafted court orders.
- Server/Investigator, 01/96 - 03/96, Tracked down individuals for legal documents.
- Research & Teaching Assistant, 09/90 - 05/91, Organized meetings and assisted in research.
Activities
- Founder & President of Alpha-Omega Christian Fraternity, Inc.
- Omicron Delta Kappa
- Criminal Justice Student Association
- American Family Association
- Air Force ROTC
- Maryland Humanities Council
Timeline
Attorney
Law Office of Donnell H. McNeal
12.2005 - Current
Senior Claims Representative
ESIS Risk Management
07.2005 - 11.2005
Law Clerk
Law Firm of O'Guinn & McNeal
08.2004 - 07.2005
Housing Clinic Legal Representative
08.1999 - 12.1999
Legislative Assistant
01.1999 - 04.1999
Judicial Intern
10.1998 - 12.1998
Claims Representative
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company
04.1997 - 08.2004
Server/Investigator
01.1996 - 03.1996
Loss Control Manager
Kmart Corporation
01.1994 - 04.1997
Residential Advisor
Management & Training Corporation
05.1992 - 04.1994
Law Enforcement Officer
University of Maryland Police Department
05.1991 - 04.1992
Research & Teaching Assistant
09.1990 - 05.1991
J.D. -
David A. Clarke School of Law at University of the District of Columbia
Law Enforcement Certification -
University of Maryland Police Academy
B.A. - Criminology, minor in Psychology
University of Maryland at College Park