Daniel R. Campbell is a trial lawyer with significant experience trying cases in state and federal courts. He focuses his trial practice on a variety of commercial litigation matters, including private capital litigation, collective and class actions, products liability and aviation actions, alcohol and beverage industry disputes, and trust and estate litigation matters. Daniel is the co-lead of the firm's class-action litigation practice and chair of the Associates Committee.
Daniel has argued before the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Illinois First and Third District Appellate Courts. He has first-chaired or second-chaired more than a dozen bench trials, arbitrations, evidentiary hearings, and jury trials. Daniel recently first-chaired a five-day jury trial in a police brutality case, and first-chaired a stage-three evidentiary hearing in a post-conviction actual innocence case. Daniel has taken several private equity disputes to arbitration or trial in various venues, including a two-week bench trial in a purchase price adjustment dispute. His commercial trial experience includes cross-examining C-Suite executives in federal and state courts and conducting direct examinations of fact witnesses and key expert witnesses. Daniel has taken or defended in excess of 100 fact and expert depositions in large commercial actions in state and federal court. Daniel has argued and won numerous dispositive motions in state and federal court including motions for summary judgment, class certification, Daubert and Frye motions, motions in limine, TRO and preliminary injunction motions, among others.
Daniel has significant aviation industry experience, including representing clients in complex aviation (fixed-wing and rotorcraft) disputes, mass disaster and accident disputes, and further advising defense industry clients on complex interactions with government authorities. He also advises clients on maintenance, repair, and overhaul issues, including disputes.
Daniel has vast Illinois state court litigation experience, including drafting and filing substantive briefs and arguing key motions, such as motions for summary judgment and motions for temporary restraining orders, and trying evidentiary issues. Additionally, he has worked on government contracts vendor disputes, aviation product liability, bankruptcy, tax, and trust and estate litigation. Daniel advises clients on compliance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and represents clients in defense of actions brought under the Act.
While in law school, Daniel served as associate editor of The Elder Law Journal and as a Moot Court executive editor. He also won various American Bar Association (ABA) client-counseling competitions. In addition, Daniel served as a legal clerk for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and as lead counsel/advanced clinic student for the University of Illinois College of Law Federal Civil Rights Clinic. In this role, he won a case on a civil constitutional claim after a three-day jury trial he first-chaired in federal court, as well as obtained a favorable settlement and substantial fee awards in two other cases. Daniel first-chaired a total of four cases and two jury trials in federal court while attending law school.
Daniel regularly contributes to legal education articles and guides. He has co-authored articles for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s Federal Civil Practice 2024 Edition and authored a comprehensive guide for clinic students at the University of Illinois College of Law for the Federal Civil Rights Clinic. He also leads certain boot camp seminars on impeachment and refreshing recollection, as well as serving as a guest lecturer for the trial advocacy program on the “Use of Technology in the Courtroom” and “Closing Arguments” and as part of the Fundamental of Law Practice course at the University of Illinois College of Law.
Daniel serves on the firm’s technology committee.
