David L. Donnan

David L. Donnan

5.0
Rating: 9.3

Licensed for 39 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Shoreline, WA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Appeals

P.O. Box 55026, Shoreline, WA

About David

Practice Areas

2

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 36 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 1989

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in California for 39 years

State: California

Acquired: 1986

Inactive

No misconduct found

Location

David Donnan, Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 55026, Shoreline, WA, 98155

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David L. Donnan's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

7 Client Reviews

5 star (7)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by anonymous | July 26, 2022 | Consulted Attorney

This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.

Best attorney call I ever made

Mr. Donnan immediately answered my call after spending hours spinning circles with other attorneys, government departments, and websites. My questions were answered and explained very well. I will definitely recommend Mr. Donnan to those in need of his services and should I ever need more than a co...nsult I will not hesitate to hire him.

Posted by Timothy | April 20, 2022 | Consulted Attorney

This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.

Hope

David had given me some hope with additional information that I had yet to hear of. It's people like him that keep the fighting spirit going. Things would have been different if I found you sooner without any doubt.

Posted by Marie | September 9, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Expertise And Success Are A Winning Combination with Mr. Donnan

First, let me start by saying that I was not referred to Mr. Donnan but instead found him online as a random attorney who handles criminal cases and appeals. I have not had positive experiences regarding legal issues in the past, so my expectations were low at best, and my distrust of anyone being ab...le to gain positive outcomes on my behalf was high. Additionally, the law may be free of passion but my own case motions were loaded with emotional baggage that I did not wish to revisit if there was no guarantee of success. Especially, since I was revisiting previously settled and closed legal issues. A single meeting with Mr. Donnan persuaded me to take that chance though. He is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about his area of law. Couple that with his familiarity of the opposing attorneys and sitting judges that he interacts with, Mr. Donnan exudes a natural confidence that makes an extremely stressful process tolerable. He guarantees outcomes that he can deliver on and communicates candidly throughout the entirety of the process on outcomes that may not be possible. He is also very clear about what was needed from clients and when. Mr. Donnan's expertise, excellent preparation, and inspiring delivery of arguments with supporting case law was acknowledged by the judge in a very definitive judgement in my favor and in both cases. I now have closure and peace of mind on a chapter in my life that I never thought possible.

Posted by anonymous | July 30, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Very effective, good communicator, great results

David was very persuasive in his filings in the matter he worked on my behalf and achieved excellent results. He also was patient and persistent in a good way to bring all of the pieces together. Hi support staff is also excellent.

Posted by anonymous | February 13, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Mr Donnan is an Amazing Lawyer

My Lawyer Mr Donnan took his time to explain the journey ahead. And though it was a journey he was there to lead the way and guide me through the whole entire process. I appreciate his work and that of his staff as well. All I can say is thank you for a successful outcome.

See All Client Reviews

David L. Donnan's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse David
Stacey L. Bennetts headshot
Stacey Bennetts

Appeals lawyer | Feb 23

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. I have admired David Donnan's career for two decades. He is incredibly detail-oriented and astute. He cares deeply about representing those in need, and preparing the best case possible. He is without a doubt one of the best attorneys in Seattle. I would hire him if I ever needed legal help."

Brad Allen Meryhew headshot
Brad Meryhew

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 14

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. I have knows David Donnan since 1978 when we were in college together, and I have had the pleasure of working with him in the same law firm for more than a year. I know him to be an extremely hard-working, analytical and experienced attorney with excellent research and writing skills. He is as comfortable in the courtroom as he is at his computer drafting appeals, and has grown into a very skilled negotiator and litigator for clients in Municipal, District and Superior Courts around western Washington. If you need an experienced and dedicated advocate, David Donnan should be on your list."

Ann M. Schwartz headshot
Ann Schwartz

Appeals lawyer | Dec 15

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. David is a seasoned appellate lawyer with extensive experience. He has an acute intellectual awareness of the Constitutional implications of a client’s case that most attorneys do not have. His approach to difficult legal issues is simple—he is a zealous advocate who is inquisitive and highly intelligent. I think he would be a very good judge one day and I highly recommend him."

View All Endorsements
Mick Woynarowski headshot
Mick Woynarowski

Criminal defense lawyer

Alexandria Marie Hohman headshot
Alexandria Hohman

Criminal defense lawyer

Stacey L. Bennetts headshot
Stacey Bennetts

Appeals lawyer

Ann M. Schwartz headshot
Ann Schwartz

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.3 (Superb)

Honors

2011

Outstanding Mentor Award, King County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division

2004

Certificate of Appreciation, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

1998

Certificate of Appreciation, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Work Experience

2016 - 2022

Of Counsel, Meryhew Law Group

2001 - 2016

Director, Washington Appellate Project

1994 - 2001

Assistant Director, Washington Appellate Project

1989 - 1994

Staff Attorney, Snohomish County Public Defender Assoc.

1986 - 1989

Associate, Pitkin & Bellows

1980 - 1983

Supply Officer, U. S. Navy

Associations

2001 - 2005

Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Board of Governors

2001 - 2009

Washington Defender Association

Board of Directors

Sample of Legal Cases

In re Reifschneider, 130 Wn.App. 498, 123 P.3d 496 (2005)

Petition granted.

State v. Giles, 148 Wn.2d 449, 60 P.3d 1208 (2003)

Reversed and remanded for further proceedings.

State v. Thompson, 93 Wn.App. 364, 967 P.2d 1282 (1998)

Reversed and remanded.

State v. Mulligan, 87 Wn.App. 261, 941 P.2d 694 (1997)

Sentence reversed and remanded.

State v. Williams, 81 Wn.App. 738, 916 P.2d 445 (1996)

Reversed and remanded.

State v. Roche, 75 Wn.App. 500 (1994)

reversed and remanded for recalculation of offender score

See More Legal Cases

Education

1986

California Western School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1980

University of Utah

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2014

2014 Joint Contractor CLE

Criminal Caselaw Update

2011

Outside of the Box: Different Resources for Developing Appellate Issues

Hot Topics

2008

Suppressing Evidence: Delivering the Knockout Punch

Search and Seizure - State Caselaw Update

2004

Appellate Judges' Spring Program

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
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  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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