David is an accomplished trial lawyer with more than 30 years of courtroom experience. Prior to co-founding Hassett | Donnelly, David served as an Assistant District Attorney, Middle District, Worcester. He is an AV-Preeminent rated attorney with an exemplary track record of defense verdicts and dismissals throughout the region. In addition to regularly appearing in state and federal courts, David has argued insurance coverage issues before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
His areas of practice include Civil Litigation, Toxic Tort Litigation (including lead paint, carbon monoxide, mold and asbestos), Business and Commercial Litigation, Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death, Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith, Trucking Litigation, Class Action Defense, Construction Litigation, Hospitality and Liquor Liability and Professional Liability.
David is frequently called upon to provide defense strategy to insurers and defend companies in high-stakes litigation. He recently led a team at Hassett | Donnelly providing a national carrier with detailed coverage analysis in response to thousands of unique and complex first-party claims made throughout the country.
David has been selected by his peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America” (2012-2021) in the fields of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. He is a proud member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), invitation-only memberships earned only through extensive jury trial experience and the demonstration of high personal character and an honorable reputation. He is a Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one half of one percent of all American lawyers. David previously served on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association (MassDLA).
Education
- Boston College Law School, J.D.
- College of the Holy Cross, B.A., cum laude
Admissions
Memberships
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Worcester County Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- Litigation Counsel of America (LCA)
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
- Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association (MassDLA) – Board of Directors
- Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)
- Jury Finds for Insurer in Case of First Impression Involving Death of Policyholder
- SJC Finds No Bad Faith By Insurer In Fatal Arson Claim / Insured Receives 50% Proceeds
- Appeals Court Affirms Defense Verdict in MVA / Verdict Not Against Weight of Evidence
- Employer Not Vicariously Liable for Intoxicated Driver / Appeals Court Affirms Summary Judgment
- Defense Verdict in Motor Vehicle Case / $2 Million Dollar Award Against Co-Defendant
- Defense Verdict in Fatal Shooting Case
- Defense Verdict – Motorcycle and Truck Collision with Claims of Permanent Disability
- Summary Judgment in Wrongful Death at Paper Mill
- Judge reduces $135K fee award request to $50,000
- Hassett Donnelly Prevails on Behalf of Insurer Before Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- Massachusetts SJC Denies Insurer’s Attempt to Recover Attorney Fees
- Defense Verdict in Contract Case Involving Contested “Cut and Paste” Signature
- Defense Verdict in Drag Racing Death
- Hassett Donnelly Obtains Judgment for Insurer in c. 93A Action
- Defense Verdict – Carbon Monoxide and Memory Loss
- Defense Verdict – Idling Trucks and Carbon Monoxide “Poisoning”
- Defendant Insurance Company Dismissed from Multi-District Litigation Involving Chinese Drywall Cases
- SJC Rules No Duty to Indemnify Ambulance Company Delayed by Auto Accident
- Defense Verdict in Lead Paint Action – Working Without Crucial Evidence
- Charitable Immunity – Death of a Child
- Defense Verdict in Superior Court Trip and Fall Following Appeal of $245,000 District Court Judgment
- Defense Verdict in Backyard Trampoline Case
- Defense Verdict in “Road Rage” Assault and Battery Case
- Defense Verdict in Bad Faith / 93A Action Stemming from Lead Paint Case
- Defense Verdict / Plasterboard Fell on Plaintiff / Serious Injuries Alleged
- Defense Verdict in Slip and Fall on Snow and Ice
- Defense Verdict in Trip and Fall over Pallet Truck / Serious Injuries and Significant Lost Earning Capacity Claimed
- Defense Verdict in Motor Vehicle / Motorcycle Accident with Serious Injuries
- Defense Verdict in MVA with Serious Injuries
- Defense Verdict in Fall / Landscaper Fell in Hole / Serious Injuries
- Defense Verdict in Slip and Fall on Municipal Property
- Defense Verdict in Fall at Retail Store
- Defense Verdict in Electrocution Death Case
- Defense Verdict in Motor Vehicle Accident / Hearing Loss Not Causally Related
- David has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America list for Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2012-2024).
- David is a proud member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only membership earned only through extensive jury trial experience and the demonstration of high personal character and an honorable reputation.
- David is a Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America. The LCA is a highly selective, invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one half of one percent of all American lawyers.
- David is a proud member of the CLM, a membership achieved exclusively through peer nomination by a CLM Fellow.
- David is honored to be a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel. The IADC is an invitation-only professional association for corporate and insurance defense lawyers around the world.
- David has been included in the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the area of Litigation (2006-2021).