Don C. Keenan

Don C. Keenan, founder of The Keenan Law Firm in Atlanta, Georgia, is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on medical malpractice and personal injury, with a particular emphasis on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving children. Over four decades, he has built a distinguished record, securing more than 381 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1,000,000, including 15 above $10,000,000 and one surpassing $100,000,000. His work has taken him to 47 states and three continents.

Mr. Keenan's cases arise from medical negligence, products liability and premises liability. Behind each is a larger purpose: making society safer for children. He pursues this through what he calls the One-Third Solution, which devotes one-third of his efforts to litigation, one-third to public awareness campaigns on prevention and one-third to advancing regulations and legislation. His Playground Safety Project and Toy Safety Campaign drew attention from outlets including the Today Show, USA Today and Good Morning America.

An accomplished attorney, Mr. Keenan's landmark cases have reshaped children's legal protections. In the 1980s, he handled the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kathy Jo Taylor, which established due process rights for foster children for the first time in American history. In 1999, he represented the family of Terrell Peterson, an abused foster child whose story appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and in a highly rated 60 Minutes segment. In 2006, he obtained the largest U.S. jury verdict on behalf of an abused child.

Mr. Keenan's professional leadership is equally notable. He became the youngest National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1992, leading a delegation of lawyers to Czechoslovakia and later Russia to conduct the first civil trials in those emerging democracies. He later served as National President of the Inner Circle of Advocates and received Georgia's Chief Justice Award for Civility and Professionalism. He also sits on the Advisory Committee of the National Judicial College.

Over the years, Mr. Keenan’s tireless advocacy has earned him some of the field’s most distinguished honors. Oprah Winfrey recognized him as one of the “People Who Have Courage,” Emory University presented him with its Career Achievement Award for Public Policy and Child Advocacy, and he received the 2007 Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the State Bar of Georgia’s 2008 Tradition of Excellence Award. Known widely as “The Voice of the Voiceless,” he continues to dedicate his life to keeping children safe.