S. Joseph Donahue joined Block O’Toole & Murphy in 2005 and was named a partner in 2012. His vast experience as a trial lawyer both on the criminal and personal injury side has prepared him to deal with a variety of cases on all levels. Over the years, Mr. Donahue has obtained millions of dollars for his clients in settlements and verdicts. He handles cases ranging from construction accidents to motor vehicle accidents to premises liability cases, among others.
Following graduation from Loyola University in 1994, Mr. Donahue attended The City University of New York School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1997. That same year, he began his trial lawyer career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. There he investigated and presented thousands of criminal cases to the New York State Grand Jury. Shortly after, Mr. Donahue was promoted to Senior Assistant District Attorney, where he focused on prosecuting violent crimes. After many years serving the District Attorney's Office, Mr. Donahue took his trial skills to a private practice specializing in personal injury litigation and began representing individuals who suffered catastrophic injuries.
Some of Mr. Donahue’s landmark cases include a $10,875,000 resolution, after trial, for a union laborer who sustained internal injuries after a construction site accident, a $9,792,412 jury verdict for a patient who suffered an intraoperative stroke during brain surgery to remove a tumor and a $5,160,196 jury verdict for a landscaper who sustained spine injuries in a car crash.
Throughout his career, he has earned many accolades and praise. Since 2011, he has been selected as a Super Lawyer, meaning he is recognized as being in the top five percent of lawyers in his field. He has been named as the “Top 1% Trial Counsel for Medical Malpractice in New York State.” He has also earned membership to the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, groups in which fewer than one percent of U.S. lawyers are members.