The Voelker Litigation Group represents clients in contract, business, construction, real estate, trust and estate, class action, financial institution, intellectual property, and labor and employment disputes. The firm and its attorneys have handled cases of all sizes from the relatively small matter to high-stakes litigation and have represented a cross-section of clients from the entrepreneur or sole-proprietor, to middle market and Fortune 500 companies. The firm puts its experience to work to turn your legal problems into an opportunity for your success.
Meet Daniel J. Voelker, Business Lawyer
- Dan has obtained record settlements and several million dollar verdicts on behalf of his clients.
- Dan has handled cases and trials in numerous states including New York, Virginia, Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, California, South Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Washington, Minnesota, Arkansas, Montana and New Jersey, among others.
- Dan was the Co-Chair of the litigation practice group of two large Chicago law firms, one of which the Chicago Tribune called “a litigation powerhouse.”
- Dan taught International Commercial Litigation and Arbitration as an Adjunct Professor of Law for over a decade.
- Dan tried one of the largest False Claims Act cases in history.
- Dan has been a CPA for forty (40) years.
- Martindale-Hubble and LexisNexis both give Dan their highest ratings in ethical standards and legal ability.
- Dan is admitted to practice in the Illinois and United States Supreme Courts.
- Dan is a prolific writer and has written groundbreaking articles on various legal and related topics. Read Dan’s articles… or read Dan’s Litigation Blog…
- Trial Advocacy Instructor, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy for many years.
Daniel J. Voelker
The founder of Voelker Litigation Group, Daniel J. Voelker, has built a solid reputation as a highly-effective business lawyer, a skilled negotiator and a person with exceptional financial savvy. He has been a litigator for over 30 years and co-chaired the Litigation Practice Groups of two law firms, where he was responsible for providing direction to dozens of litigators and trial attorneys.
Mr. Voelker focuses on preparing for trial with a winning strategy to enhance outcomes for clients. The firm puts its experience to work to turn your legal problems into an opportunity for your success.
Mr. Voelker was previously an Equity Partner and Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group of the 125 lawyer law firm Freeborn & Peters LLP, called a “litigation powerhouse” by the Chicago Tribune. There, Dan practiced extensively as a business lawyer in the area of complex commercial and business litigation, and appeared before both state and federal courts throughout the United States. As the Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group, Dan was responsible for providing direction to dozens of litigators and trial lawyers.
At Schwartz & Freeman (now known as Michael Best & Friedrich LLP), Mr. Voelker was an Equity Partner, Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Compensation and Policy Committees. As the Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group, Dan was responsible for providing direction to dozens of litigators, business lawyers and trial attorneys.
Mr. Voelker worked at Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson from 1985 to 1998, where he was an Equity Partner and served on the Litigation Training and Pro Bono Committees.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
— Earl Weaver
Education and Teaching
Mr. Voelker received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, College of Commerce and Business Administration in Accountancy in 1982. He received his Juris Doctorate from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he graduated with High Honors, was an Assistant Legal Writing Instructor, the Lead Articles Editor of the Law Review and a judicial extern to both a judge on the federal district court and a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Voelker is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he has been teaching International Commercial Litigation and Arbitration for more than 10 years, and an Instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, one of the most prestigious trial training programs in the world, teaching litigation and trial skills for more than 10 years. He has written numerous articles and given speeches on a variety of legal topics.
Mr. Voelker passed the CPA exam and became a Certified Public Accountant in August, 1982, almost forty years ago.
Organizations
Mr. Voelker has participated in a wide array of judicial and community events and organizations.
- Judge, 2002-2004 National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) National Finals
- Judge, Arlyn Miner Moot Court Competition
- President, Chicago-Kent College of Law Alumni Association Board (1999-2002)
- Member, Illinois Judicial Evaluation Committee (ISBA) (1997-2012)
- Member, Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee (ISBA) (1998-2002, 2008-2009)
- Member, Illinois Continuing Legal Education Committee (ISBA) (2001-2003)
- Member, Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board (2005-2008 and 2010-2011)
- Member, Standing Committee on Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee (2007-2009)
Writing
Dan is a contributing author to various chapters of The Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s (IICLE®) 2012 edition of Business and Commercial Litigation.
Dan has written an article based upon his groundbreaking research on the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Utilizing his extensive experience and skill in the art of cross-examination, Dan has essentially rewritten the history of baseball.
Dan has also contributed articles on the James Bond, Christopher Columbus and Art/Modigliani.
Read more on our Articles listing…
Awards
Received an “AV” rating* from Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review process for over ten years. An “AV” rating is given to those attorneys with “very high to preeminent legal ability,” and reflects “expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence.” Read more about the Martindale selection process…
See Martindale-Hubbell profile…
Selected in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 as a Leading Lawyer.
Leading Lawyers are selected by their peers as being among the top 5% of attorneys in the State of Illinois.
Read more about the Leading Lawyer selection process…
See Leading Lawyers profile…
Super Lawyers named Dan Voelker as being one of less than 5% of Illinois attorneys selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers® for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
To compile its annual list, the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson Reuters Legal division, undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff and a peer review of candidates by practice area. Super Lawyers magazine names attorneys in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through the independent research. Rising Stars names the state’s top up-and-coming attorneys.
The list of Super Lawyers is published in the Thomson Reuters Legal Super Lawyers magazine. Super Lawyers magazine is published in all 50 states and reaches more than 13 million readers.
Read more about the Super Lawyers selection process…
See Super Lawyers profile…
Top 30 real estate litigators in Illinois.