John D. Donlevy

Admitted

  • Illinois, 1957
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education

  • University of Chicago Law School, J.D
  • Northwestern University, B.S
  • Stanford University, 2 years

Associations and memberships

  • Chicago Bar Association: Defense of Prisoners Committee; Chair, 1993 -1994; Criminal Law Committee
  • Illinois State Bar Association (Member. Sections on: Criminal Justice; Civil Practice and Procedure) and American (Member, Criminal Law Practice Section)
  • Astor Terrace Condominium Association (Member, Board of Directors; Former Long-Term President)
  • University Club of Chicago

Employment

  • Assistant State’s Attorney of Cook County, Illinois (Criminal Division) 4 years, assigned to misdemeanor and felony courtrooms
  • City Prosecutor of Evanston, Illinois. 1 Year
  • Associate and Partner, Mayer Brown & Platt (now Mayer, Brown LLP), Chicago, Illinois, 1962 – 1990
  • Sole Practitioner, 1990 to present

Biographical details

  • 2017: Endorsed as leader in the legal industry through receipt of Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement
    Award from Marquis Who’s Who
  • Listed in: Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in American Law; The American Bar, 2007 – 2008 (www.americanbar.com). 2008 Ed.
  • Awarded the highest rating (AV) from Martindale-Hubbell.
  • Author: “The Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel; Does Miranda Suffice?,” Vol. 2, CBA Record, p. 13, 1988; “Vocational Rehabilitation Needs Legislation Rehabilitation,” Vol. 1, CBA Record, p. 28,1987;
  • Profiled, Illinois Police and Sheriffs News, Fall 1995 ed., p. 4.

Representative cases

  • FIDUCIARY BREACH 

Chancery trial (3 1/2 weeks) involving off-track betting location; Favorable result affirmed on appeal.

  • DEFENSE OF BANK IN CREDIT CARD CONSPIRACY CASE – FEDERAL COURT

Following eight years of discovery, our legal team successfully obtained summary judgment, which was sustained by the 7th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • Sheet Metal Antitrust

Successfully defended state action for price-fixing penalties brought against sheet metal companies in Chicago area, obtaining outright dismissal.

  • First Summerdale Conviction

Successfully prosecuted two Summerdale detectives for conspiring with Richard Morrison to defeat burglary prosecution. This was the first case brought to trial in the Summerdale police scandal.

  • Operation Greylord Represented indicted government witness in Operation Greylord involving judicial corruption.

Client received probation.

  • Reduction of Felony Gun Charge Represented Iraq veteran charged with possessing loaded gun in his vehicle.

Convinced prosecutor to reduce charge to misdemeanor UUW for probation.

  • Vacating Old Warrant and Conviction

Successfully moved to vacate arrest warrant and seven-year-old convictions for aggravated battery and resisting arrest, accomplished for a non-Illinois resident.

  • Murder case

Indiana Represented defendant in post-conviction proceeding in Lake County, Indiana involving presentation of numerous witnesses and documents. Although trial court declined to vacate 50-year prison sentence for murder, case remains alive in federal habeas corpus.

  • Minimized Damage in Construction Case 

Represented construction firm and its president in federal court, achieving settlement for small portion of amount claimed.

  • EVIDENCE SUPPRESSED IN DRUG CASE

Following granting of 2015 motion to suppress, State dismissed Class X and felony UUW counts. Client granted probation on remaining count.

  • POLICE HIGH-SPEED CHASE

Client found not guilty of felony charge in 2014, following bench trial in Bridgeview Court.

  • FELONY CHARGE REDUCED

Felony criminal damage to State property (police car) reduced in 2015 to misdemeanor for time served.

Ratings and Reviews