Neil O'Donnell

Mr. O’Donnell received his undergraduate degree with distinction in 1976 from the University of Virginia, where he was an Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll student athlete. Mr. O'Donnell received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1980. He then served as a law clerk to the Virginia Supreme Court. A promised position with the Department of Interior Solicitors Honors Program and an interest in mountain climbing led Mr. O'Donnell to Alaska in 1982.

Mr. O’Donnell has received the highest "A-V" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the oldest and most respected attorney peer-review organization. Mr. O’Donnell is also listed in Best Lawyers in America. That organization states that it "compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers” and that "a listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded within the legal profession as a signal honor." Mr. O'Donnell is also a Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association, the highest and most distinguished level of membership in that organization.

Mr. O'Donnell is a member of the Alaska and Virginia Bar Associations, and is admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Alaska and Virginia, several federal circuit courts of appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. O'Donnell is an active member of several Alaska Bar Association committees. He is a past president of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska.

Representative Cases:

Alaska Right to Life P.A.C. v. Feldman et. al. – Successfully defended the Alaska Bar Association against claims that Bar Association rules violated constitutional free speech rights of Alaska judges.
Kosbruk v. Peninsula Airways – Obtained a substantial confidential settlement for the family of an individual who died in the crash of a Peninsula Airways Cessna Caravan.
T.Z. v. Nye Frontier Ford – Obtained a jury verdict of $7.6 million for an individual injured in an automobile collision.
Parish v. Columbia Cascade Co. – Obtained a defense verdict for a playground manufacturer in a product liability action.
Kenai Native Association v. Showalter - Represented an Alaska Native Corporation in a land dispute. After a successful trial, the Native Corporation was able to conclude a multimillion dollar land exchange.
Eklutna Native Corporation v. State of Alaska – Represented an Alaska Native Corporation in a successful lawsuit against the State of Alaska for soil contamination.
Farnsworth v. General Motors Corp. – Obtained a $7.7 million jury verdict in a complex product liability action for a young woman injured in an automobiled accident.
Great Pacific Fish Co. v. Foss Shipyard – Successfully represented the owner of a large fishing trawler which nearly sank as a result of negligent shipyard repair work.
Area G Home and Landowners Organization v. Municipality of Anchorage – Successfully defended the Municipality of Anchorage in a lawsuit challenging the extension of the Anchorage Police Service District to the Anchorage Hillside.
Jacobs v. National Park Service – Obtained a ruling that the National Park Service had illegally awarded a coveted Mt. McKinley mountain guiding permit to an unqualified guiding service.
Rosendin v. National Bank of Alaska – Successfully represented the National Bank of Alaska in a class action lawsuit challenging the bank’s non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees.
Klatt v. Foster & Marshall/American Express – Successfully represented original Anchorage homesteaders who lost the proceeds from the condemnation of their homestead due to inappropriate and self-interested investment advice.

Learn more about Mr. O'Donnell on our Alaska Personal Injury Law Group website.