In January of 2011, Michael L. McDonnell joined the Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck, LLC, after practicing law throughout Connecticut for the last 22 years. Mr. McDonnell has spent his entire career representing clients in civil trials in almost every courthouse in the state. The majority of his trial work has involved representing defendants and major insurance companies, however, during 5 years of his career he exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases. Mr. McDonnell has obtained over 60 civil jury verdicts and numerous courtside verdicts.

Mr. McDonnell practices in the area of civil litigation with a focus on catastrophic personal injury cases including wrongful death, medical malpractice, products liability, motor vehicle claims, traumatic head injury claims, admiralty claims, liquor liability claims, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, premises liability claims, negligent assault claims and workers’ compensation claims.

Mr. McDonnell is active in professional organizations including the Connecticut Bar Association and the Hartford County Bar Association. During 2007 and 2008 he was the Chairman of the Hartford County Bar Association’s Community Outreach Program that provided area schools with programs to educate school children about how the legal system works in Connecticut. He has presented seminars to attorneys and insurance claims professionals on Deposition Practice and Procedures, Pre-Trial Attachments of Property, Trial Procedures and Jury Selection.

Mr. McDonnell has been asked to act as the mediator or arbitrator in a large number of personal injury actions including motor vehicle accidents, negligent assaults, premises liability claims and uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.

Admitted to practice in Connecticut, Mr. McDonnell received his J.D. in 1988 from Western New England School of Law and initially attended Connecticut College and he received his B.S. in 1978 from Lyndon State College, VT. Mr. McDonnell was also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut in 1989.

Mr. McDonnell was born in New London and raised in Waterford. He has resided in Haddam for the past 19 years while also keeping a sailboat on the Thames River during the sailing season. Mr. McDonnell enjoys sailing throughout Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, Block Island Sound and Narragansett Bay. He is a member of the Thames Yacht Club, Goodspeed Opera House and Mystic Seaport.