Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell: Nationally Respected and Community Focused
“A law firm can’t be a first-rate institution without looking out for its community.”
This principle underlies the philosophy—and philanthropy—of Denver-based Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell (WTO), one of the nation’s leading law firms in the field of complex civil litigation and home to numerous distinguished alumni of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Since its founding in 1998, WTO has been at the forefront of some of the nation’s most high-profile—and high-stakes—litigation matters, in fields ranging from consumer class actions to catastrophic injury to “bet-the-company” commercial litigation.
An Investment in Legal Education
With the goals of training the next generation of outstanding civil litigators and improving the American civil justice system, WTO has made a significant six-figure philanthropic commitment to the Sturm College of Law in support of The Denver Difference campaign. WTO’s transformative commitment will launch three innovative and distinctive programs:
- WTO Academy on Complex Litigation, a simulation-based course in which law students proceed through the phases of a complex civil litigation matter under the guidance of nationally recognized attorneys from WTO, distinguished judges and faculty members at the Sturm College of Law;
- WTO Summit on Complex Litigation, an annual convening of federal and state judges, defense counsel, plaintiff-side lawyers and in-house counsel designed to share best-in-class strategic understandings relevant to the field of complex civil litigation; and
- WTO Public Event Series in Complex Litigation, consisting of an annual high-profile lecture delivered by a leading judge, practitioner or other expert and addressing emerging issues arising in the field of complex civil litigation.
Why establish these programs at the University of Denver? According to Mike O’Donnell (JD ’79), co-founder and Chair of WTO, “The Sturm College of Law is a national leader in experiential legal education and punches well above its weight in the field of civil litigation.” For Jack Trigg (JD ’63), who formed WTO in 1998 with O’Donnell and other founding partners, “It is important that we invest in the Sturm College of Law to train the next generation of lawyers in the field of complex civil litigation.”
Legal Careers Shaped by Experiential Learning
For both O’Donnell and Trigg, their investment is both professional and personal. O’Donnell had a highly positive and formative experience as a student at the Sturm College of Law, where his passion for litigation was first spurred. And he currently serves as a member of the law school’s Dean’s Advisory Board, in which capacity he has participated in strategic discussions about ways to enhance and differentiate the law school’s educational programs. For Trigg, the experiential learning opportunities that he received at the Sturm College of Law also shaped his career trajectory. “As a law student, I was able to represent clients who had been accused of crimes, and I knew right then and there that being a trial lawyer is what I wanted to do.”
Both alumni have excelled at the highest levels of the profession. For more than a decade, O’Donnell has been recognized by Chambers and Partners for his expertise in the fields of product liability, mass torts and commercial litigation, with clients praising his spectacular expertise, strategic acumen, and negotiation skills. In 2021-22, he served as the 72nd President (and first from Colorado) of the American College of Trial Lawyers—an invitation-only body of exceptional trial lawyers who have demonstrated the highest standards of advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality. Among O’Donnell’s many other professional, civic and educational recognitions, he has served as a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation; as a Trustee of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society; as a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association; and as a recipient of the Sturm College of Law Outstanding Alumni Award.
For his part, Trigg gained a reputation during his decades-long career as one of the nation’s top lawyers in the field of high-stakes products liability defense, earning major judgments for Ford and Volvo, among other clients. He served as President of the Lawyers for Civil Justice, and like O’Donnell—as with six other WTO lawyers—Trigg was inducted into the prestigious American College. While serving as President and Chairman of the Board of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, he directed the first international meeting in London. He also earned perennial recognition by Chambers USA in the category of national products liability lawyers and received the Sturm College of Law Outstanding Alumni Award.
A Commitment to Excellence and Community
Based on WTO’s reputation for outstanding and ethical advocacy, national accolades have justifiably followed: In both 2018 and 2019, by way of example, The American Lawyer named WTO among seven finalists for the journal’s National Litigation Boutique of the Year. But what distinguishes WTO is not just its track record of litigation excellence but its commitment to its community. In 2005, WTO established the WTO Foundation, which has donated more than $3 million over the course of its history to over 100 nonprofit organizations. Each year, 85% percent of the firm’s personnel volunteers time or donates money to Foundation-related causes.
“As a law dean and legal educator—and one who practiced for a half-decade as a civil litigator—I have long respected WTO as one of this nation’s most outstanding law firms in the field of complex civil litigation,” observed Bruce Smith, dean of the Sturm College of Law. “The firm’s generous and visionary investment will transform the way that students prepare for careers in the field of complex civil litigation and beneficially shape this vital and dynamic area of legal practice for years to come.”
O’Donnell agrees and is committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the law school as it builds out its innovative programs. “We are blessed to be in a position to provide investment, strategic counsel and expertise to promote initiatives that are important to our city, state and nation.”
To learn more about the Sturm College of Law’s programs and campaign goals, contact Kelly Hall, the law school’s Executive Director of Development, at Kelly.Hall@du.edu.
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