Donald Segal

Donald Segal uses a proverb to explain his approach to mentoring young attorneys and encouraging them to work out solutions to complex challenges: “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” Over the past 50 years, he has used his extensive experience, knowledge and thoughtful leadership to shape the careers of countless attorneys. The firm’s co-founders still turn to Don for his insight on complex matters.

Don has a long history of giving back to the community. In 1975, he joined the newly formed American Brain Tumor Association, the first national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to brain tumors, where he served as president and member of the board of directors. He also co-founded and serves on the board of directors for the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, a not-for-profit corporation that gathers and disseminates epidemiologic data on brain tumors.

Don is heavily involved in continuing legal education and pro bono programs at Segal McCambridge. He oversees the firm’s participation in the Chicago Municipal Court Pro Bono Program and serves as a mentor to the firm’s Pro Bono & Public Service Committee.

As head of the litigation practice at Epton, Mullin, Segal & Druth in the 1960s, Don began to work closely with attorneys William Mahoney, Jeffrey Singer and Edward McCambridge. In 1986, the four attorneys started Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., a firm focused solely on litigation. Under Don’s guidance, Segal McCambridge has grown from a four-lawyer firm in Chicago to more than 150 attorneys and additional offices in Austin, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jersey City, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis.