Christopher J. Donegan is a Florida-licensed trial attorney and the founder of Donegan Legal Solutions, Inc., a litigation consulting firm serving plaintiff law firms and legal service companies across Florida and nationally. With 14 years of experience spanning both sides of high-stakes civil litigation, Chris brings a perspective that few consultants can offer: he has built and run litigation departments, tried cases, managed complex fraud investigations, and developed the infrastructure that drives growth at plaintiff practices.
In addition to his consulting practice, Chris is a co-founder and co-owner of Illutamy, Inc., a medical illustration and diagnostic imaging company that produces colorized imaging, animations, medical illustrations, and demonstrative exhibits for use in litigation. Illutamy works with law firms throughout Florida to develop compelling visual tools that help juries and mediators understand the true impact of their clients' injuries.
Chris began his legal career at one of Florida's largest insurance defense firms, where he rose to partner and ran an active litigation practice group. During that time, he managed a special projects division investigating physician and medical clinic fraud — including billing fraud, ownership fraud, and fraudulent medical procedures — on behalf of the country's largest insurance carriers. He also served as local counsel in multi-district litigation matters, developing a command of complex, multi-party case management that he brings to consulting engagements today.
After nearly 7 years in defense, Chris transitioned to the plaintiff side, spending 2 years playing a central role in the development of the litigation department at a large plaintiff firm in the greater Tampa Bay area. He contributed to recruiting and developing a team of litigation attorneys, paralegals, and support staff; negotiating vendor contracts; building out document management systems; and growing the active docket to more than 300 files. That experience — understanding what it actually takes to run a high-volume litigation operation efficiently — is at the core of what Donegan Legal Solutions delivers to practices navigating the same challenges today.
Chris joined Barnes Trial Group in 2021, and his move to Of Counsel in April 2026 created the space to launch Donegan Legal Solutions and expand his work with Illutamy — while keeping him actively connected to Florida trial practice. As Of Counsel, he remains involved in the strategy, development, and handling of catastrophic personal injury cases across Florida. That active practice is what distinguishes DLS from consulting firms built on historical experience: the perspective Chris brings to every engagement reflects the legal environment as it exists right now, not as it existed years ago.
Over the course of his career, Chris has tried more than 20 cases, including as first chair, across a broad range of case types: automobile and trucking accidents, premises liability, negligent security, fraud, and food contamination matters, throughout Florida.
Chris earned his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law, graduating cum laude, and simultaneously earned his Master of Business Administration from Stetson's School of Business Administration with a 4.0 GPA. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Saint Louis University in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship with a focus on Family Business and Succession.
A native of Hernando County, Chris has lived in the greater Tampa Bay area for more than 20 years. He has called Safety Harbor, Florida home for more than 10 years, where he lives with his wife, Kelly — a hospital homebound teacher for Pinellas County Schools — and their dog, Milo. Outside of work, Chris and Kelly enjoy traveling and spending time with their nieces and nephews.