Profile
Presentations
Publications
Personal

Donald Mrozek served as chairman of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP from 1989 – 2015. Today, as chair of the firm's Consultant/Coach for the ProfessionSM Practice, he helps law firm leaders address complex business and management-related challenges and opportunities involved in effectively managing their firms.

Don and the team — which includes members of Hinshaw’s leading Lawyers for the Profession® practice — advise law firms and their leaders on a wide variety of subjects including formation of a firm; partner compensation, governance and practice group structure; strategic planning; "enterprise risk management" for law firms; analysis and improvement of firm profitability; selecting and grooming successor managing partners and other firm leaders; how to ethically withdraw from a firm; exit strategies for retiring firm founders and majority owners of firms; and planning in the event of death or disability. He is also available for coaching of professionals; arbitration and mediation of partner disputes; and acting as an expert witness in disputes involving lawyers.

Don also represents clients in the areas of governance; business litigation; fidelity bond claims and litigation; and internal investigations involving allegations of fraud and related misconduct and related areas.

Under Don's leadership, Hinshaw grew from a small Chicago-area law firm to a national firm with 25 offices, approximately 500 attorneys and more than $225 million in revenues. His accomplishments as Chairman of the firm are chronicled in the July 9, 2015 issue of American Lawyer Daily and in Bloomberg Law's Big Law Business.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
    • Fidelity and Surety Committee, Former Vice-Chairman
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
    • Business Litigation Committee, Former Chairman
    • Fidelity and Surety Committee, Former Vice-Chairman
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
    • Professional Liability Committee, Past Chairman
  • Chicago Inn of Court, Member, 2003 – Present; President, 2006 – 2007
  • DePaul University Law School
    • Dean's Advisory Council, 1990 – Present; Chairman, 2011 – 2012

Honors & Awards

  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Litigation – Insurance, 2020 – 2024; Litigation – Construction, 2018 – 2021
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the Litigation - Insurance "Lawyer of the Year" in Chicago, 2023
  • Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2005 – 2024
  • Honored as one of the Top 100 Leading Business Lawyers in Illinois in Leading Lawyers Magazine Business Edition, 2010
  • DePaul University School of Law, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2010; Law Review Sapientia Award, 2009; Certificate of Appreciation Award, 1997
  • Named as one of "The Best of the Law Firm Leaders" by Of Counsel, 2002
  • Recognized by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in the areas of Closely & Privately Held Business Law; Commercial Litigation; and Insurance, Insurance Coverage & Reinsurance Law
  • Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability

Presentations

Don has lectured on numerous legal and management topics to local, regional and national audiences at seminars sponsored by many organizations, including:

Law firm and law firm leader consulting and coaching:

  • Co-Chair, Managing Partner Forum (MPF) Fall Symposium, Virtual Event, November 3, 2021
  • Panelist, "State of the Legal Profession and Registrant Survey Results," Managing Partner Forum (MPF) Fall Symposium, Virtual Event, November 3, 2021
  • Panelist, "A Big Picture Look at Succession Alternatives Assessing the Value of Your Law Firm: What’s it Really Worth?," Managing Partner Forum (MPF) Fall Symposium, Virtual Event, November 3, 2021
  • Panelist, “Transitioning to Younger Partners,” Managing Partner Forum (MPF) Fall Symposium, Virtual Event, November 3, 2021
  • Panelist, "Lessons Learned: A Panel of Active and Retired Managing Partners Tells It Like It Is," Managing Partner Forum (MPF) Fall Symposium, Virtual Event, November 3, 2021
  • "Firm Leadership Succession," The Managing Partner Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2018
  • "What’s Keeping Law Firm General Counsel Awake At Night?  Law Firm Succession," The Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2018
  • "Selecting The Next Leader Of The Firm: Law Practice Exit Strategies," The IADC Midyear Meeting, La Quinta, California, February 2018
  • "The Risks of Managing a Firm Like a Business," The ABA National Legal Malpractice Conference, Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 2017
  • "Leadership in Action," The MPF 2017 Leadership Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2017
  • "General Counsel and Their Managing Partners: Developing a Risk Management Partnership," The Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2017
  • "Successful Partnering: Between Inside and Outside Counsel," The Chicago Bar Association, Program Faculty, Chicago, Illinois, 2003
  • "Utilizing a National/Regional Program for Litigation," 40th Risk and Insurance Management Society Annual Meeting, April 2002
  • "Inside Law Firm M&A's," Illinois Legal Times Roundtable Discussion, March 1998
  • "Competitiveness Through Innovative Client Services: Meeting and Exceeding Client Expectations is the Future for Your Firm," Mid-Year Meeting/International Association of Defense Counsel, February 1996
  • "Splitting the Pie: Determining Partners' Income," Illinois Legal Times Roundtable, November 1994
  • "Building the Client-Driven Law Firm: Creative Ways to Get Lawyers to Listen to Their Clients," Fourth International Conference on Legal Services Marketing, Institute on Law Firm Management, October 1994
  • "Client Surveys and Focus Groups," Association of Legal Administrators/Chicago Chapter, February 1994

Business Litigation, Fidelity Law, Corporate Governance and related areas:

  • "Common Issues Which Arise in the Investigation of the Fidelity Bond Claim," American Bar Association, Tort Trial Insurance, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, MidWinter Meeting, January 2013
  • "Court Costs and Attorneys' Fees," American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee seminar "Financial Institute Bonds: From the Masters," Baltimore, Maryland, November 2008
  • "Fraud in the Executive Suite: Internal Investigation, Employment Law Ramifications and Fidelity Coverage," Program Chair, Annual meeting of the American Bar Association/Fidelity and Surety Committee, August 1999
  • "The Trial of a Loan Loss Case Against the Fidelity Carrier - A view from the Jury Box," Mid-Winter Meeting, International Association of Defense Counsel, January 1999 (mock trial participant as attorney for the Fidelity carrier)
  • "Fraud in the Executive Suite," American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, 1999

Publications

  • "Components of Effective Partner Compensation: Long-Term Focus (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, September 15, 2017
  • "Enduring Principles for an Effective Partner Compensation System (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, May 17, 2017
  • "How to Evaluate Law Firm Leaders (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, March 1, 2017
  • "How to Plan a Law Firm Leadership Succession Part II (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, January 12, 2017
  • "How to Plan a Law Firm Leadership Succession Part I (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, November 23, 2016 
  • "How to Respond to Bullying in Big Law (Perspective)," Bloomberg Law, October 25, 2016
  • "General Agreement (F) Notice of Legal Proceedings Against Insured – Election to Defend," chapter co-author, "Financial Institution Bonds 537-576," (Duncan L. Clore ed., 3d ed.) 2008
  • "Chapter 78 Case Study: ServiceMaster's National Litigation Program," Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel, West Group & ACCA, September 2000 (updated 2003)

Community/Civic Activities

  • St. Rita Board of Directors (2015–Present)
  • Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, Member, Board of Directors (2004–Present) Vice Chairman (2012–Present)
  • DePaul University College of Law, Dean's Council (1990–Present) Chairman (2011–2012)
  • El Valor, "Tocar el Futuro": Member, Civic Leadership Team (1996–2008) Member, Board of Directors (2005–2008)
  • Hinsdale Hospital Foundation: Board of Trustees (1997–2003)
  • Josephinum High School: Board of Directors (1992–1998) Chairman, Development Committee (1993–1995) Chairman, Board of Directors (1995–1998)
  • American Cancer Society "Hoops for Life": Sponsor (1989–Present) Certificate of Appreciation Award (1997)
  • St. Rita High School, "Valentine's Day Committee" Founding Member (1990–Present) Co-Chairman (1993) Chairman (1994)
  • DePaul University Cornerstone Campaign, Law School Division, Vice Chairman (1992)
  • Burr Ridge Meadows Improvement Association: Board of Directors, Elected Member, (1984–1986) Board of Directors, President (1985–1986)
  • Infant Jesus of Prague Fiscal Board: Elected Member (1981–1983) President (1983)

J.D., with honors, DePaul University College of Law, 1973

  • Member, Law Review; Editor, DePaul University Law Review

B.S.E., Northwestern University, 1969