Meet Brendan Donelon
Taking a Risk, Reaping the Rewards

By Stephen R. Bough
From The KC Counselor, August 2001 Issue

Going out on your own is a difficult jump for a young lawyer. But for Brendan Donelon, the jump has been a successful and enjoyable leap.

Brendan graduated in 1992 from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) with an Economics degree. Three years later he graduated from the UMKC School of Law and then began clerking for Jackson County Circuit Judge John I. Moran.

"That was a great experience," says Brendan. "I learned more after that first year of law school than I ever could have imagined. I was able to attend every attorney conference in chambers and watch more than 20 jury trials."

That gave Brendan valuable opportunities to interact with jurors and to more fully understand jury dynamics. Clerking for Judge Moran confirmed what Brendan had believed he wanted to do while going through law school: be a plaintiff’s trial lawyer.

After clerking for Judge Moran, Brendan tried several litigation positions at different firms. While he enjoyed the people he worked with, he was not happy with his practice – he hated billing hours and wanted desperately to be his own boss. During the spring of 1999, Brendan even considered another career using his law degree.

Before he could act on embarking upon another career, Brendan ran into Mike Fletcher, a friend from law school. Mike had recently become a partner at Sanders, Simpson, Fletcher & Smith, and the firm was looking for an experienced attorney to work on employment discrimination cases, an area which Brendan had experience.

Brendan’s wife, Julie, knew he wanted to start his own practice and supported him 100 percent. One thing led to another, and soon the firm and Brendan had worked out an "of counsel" relationship while setting up his own practice, Donelon, P.C.

"I got my own practice, but I also was giving up steady income and benefits," Brendan said. "Both sides were taking a risk on the relationship. However, it has paid off since."

Since joining Sanders, Simpson, Fletcher & Smith, Brendan has been able to try four jury trials to a plaintiff’s verdict. In his first two years of practice, he has obtained settlements and verdicts in excess of $2 million. His of counsel relationship gives him the ability to focus his attention on strong cases.

His goal, Brendan says, is to have a defense attorney ask him, "Is this the only case you’re working on?" That very thing has happened on three separate occasions, Brendan notes.

"Brendan is everything you could want in a lawyer," says former KCMBA President Walt Simpson. "He’s hard-working, fun to work with and he has a great sixth sense of what juries like to hear."

The of counsel relationship also gives Brendan the flexibility to enjoy the practice of law.

"I often work out of my home, and that allows me to practice law in running shoes and blue jeans," Brendan says.

He also notes that being happy and organized contribute greatly to his enjoyment of the law, as well as to his success at trial. An avid duck hunter, Brendan normally takes off one day a week during the fall to go hunting with his father and friends, and he believes the time is well spent.

"I believe my time away from the office is not lost (time)," he says. "It lends to my overall well-being, which in turn pays a direct dividend on my cases."

Being well organized and computer-literate are two keys to having a successful small practice, Brendan says. Taking the initial risk is the biggest hurdle for most lawyers.

"It was a hard decision" to go out on his own, he says, "but one that I do not regret by any means."

He says his friends’ confidence in his ability has made his new career possible. Going from a steady salary to his own practice was the ultimate financial risk. His biggest supporter, though, was his wife, Julie.

"Her support and confidence in my abilities is incredible, and I couldn’t do it without her," Brendan says.

In their spare time, Julie and Brendan enjoy working on their older home and spending time with their Labrador, Scout. We all wish Brendan the best of luck as he continues to enjoy the practice of law and taking those long weekends to go duck hunting in the fall.