University of Illinois College of Law

About

Bradley C. Nahrstadt currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC, a 35 lawyer litigation firm in Chicago, Illinois. As Chief Operating Officer he is responsible for all aspects of the management of the firm, including hiring and firing personnel, associate training and education and client development activities. Prior to joining Donohue Brown, Brad was the President and Managing Partner of Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis Ltd. He served as co-chair of that firm’s insurance coverage practice group, and was a member of the product liability, professional liability and tort defense practice groups. He concentrated his practice in the defense of high stakes product liability, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith and commercial litigation cases in state and federal courts around the country and also handled a number of matters at the appellate level.

Since 2008, Brad has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Illinois Leading Lawyers for product liability defense and medical malpractice defense. In 2007 and from 2010 to 2017 he was selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers for product liability defense, and in 2006 was selected by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of the “40 Illinois Attorneys under 40 to Watch.” 

Brad is the award-winning author or co-author of over 90 articles that have appeared in some of the leading legal publications in the country. In addition to writing articles, Brad is the author or co-author of 35 book chapters on all manner of discovery and trial practice. He has served as the general editor of two separate publications issued by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education: Illinois Product Liability Practice (2005, 2009, 2011, 2014) and Illinois Insurance Law (2009, 2011, 2014).

Brad is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, the Professional Liability Defense Federation, the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, the Association of Defense Trial Counsel and The Litigation Counsel of America. He has served as President of three different legal organizations: The Primerus Defense Institute (2010-2011), the Chicago Lincoln Inn of Court (2016-2018) and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (2018-2019). In 2008, Brad was elected to membership in the American Law Institute, an honor reserved for less than 1% of the attorneys practicing in the United States. He is “AV Preeminent” peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability.

Education

JD University of Illinois
BA Monmouth College