Don Keenan
Painting a subject without their knowing it, a surprise portrait, is always fraught with danger… and in the case of Don Keenan, doubly so. A larger than life character, electrifying, the trial lawyer community with his “Reptile Theory” of practice, a TV personality, renowned children’s advocate, often to be found unshaved wearing shorts, T-shirt, and always those sunglasses. An ex-marine of Irish blood and creator of the Kids Foundation and Bono aficionado. All this and more went into this painting. It was with relief that I saw it was warmly and enthusiastically received at its unveiling in Houston. Kudos to the courage of the man brave enough to commission this painting!
Painting a subject without their knowing it, a surprise portrait, is always fraught with danger… and in the case of Don Keenan, doubly so. A larger than life character, electrifying, the trial lawyer community with his “Reptile Theory” of practice, a TV personality, renowned children’s advocate, often to be found unshaved wearing shorts, T-shirt, and always those sunglasses. An ex-marine of Irish blood and creator of the Kids Foundation and Bono aficionado. All this and more went into this painting. It was with relief that I saw it was warmly and enthusiastically received at its unveiling in Houston. Kudos to the courage of the man brave enough to commission this painting!
Don Keenan
Keenan, Don. 16" x 20". 2015. Collection of Keenan Law Firm. Atlanta, GA. Portrait on canvas. Commissioned by HMR Funding, Dean Chase.
Keenan, Don. 16" x 20". 2015. Collection of Keenan Law Firm. Atlanta, GA. Portrait on canvas. Commissioned by HMR Funding, Dean Chase.
The Historical Portraits Collection
This collection presents a fascinating cross section of great trail lawyers, activists, and jurists who have fought to improve our legal systems and the lives of others from earliest time
Click the names below to find out more
Fred Levin
A ground-breaking American plaintiff lawyer known for his landmark suit against the five largest tobacco companies and his boldness in defense against large international corporations.
Ruth B. Ginsburg
One of the most brilliant champions of justice and hardworking women of our time.
Clara Brett Martin
She took on formidable, male-driven, institutional obstacles to become the British Empire’s first-ever female lawyer.
Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.)
One of the most rigorous and fertile minds of antiquity. His rhetorical techniques are still used today by trial lawyers around the world.
Fred Baron (1947 - 2008)
During his career, Fred Baron uncovered the danger of asbestos exposure and the poisonous effects of the chemical TCE.
Melvin Belli (1907 - 1996)
His courageous, innovative use of demonstrative evidence and his willingness to teach and share his techniques were second to none. He loved the law and the limelight equally and lived in both worlds to the fullest.
William Blackstone (1723 - 1780)
English barrister, jurist and judge whose Commentaries provide a complete overview of English law and are still frequently consulted today.
Louis Brandeis (1856–1941)
The first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court judge, his decisions affirmed individual liberty and privacy and opposed unchecked governmental power.
Adelfa Bottello Callejo 1923 - 2014
First Tejana attorney, activist and community leader in Dallas who dedicated her life to fighting racial and educational injustice.
Benjamin N. Cardozo (1870 - 1938)
Considered one of the most outstanding common law jurists of the twentieth century, he served as Chief Justice of the New York State Court of Appeals and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC)
Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist. His influence upon the history of European law exceeds that of any other prose writer in any language.
Mike Colley (1936 - 2015)
A nationally renowned trial attorney and highly successful leader of his local Republican Party in Ohio.
Michael Collins (1890 - 1922)
An Irish patriot who led the Irish Free State Army against British rule and founded the free Republic of Eire in 1921.
Philip Harnett Corboy (1924 - 2012)
Pioneered medical malpractice and wrongful death cases across the United States for more than half a century. Few lawyers have made such an impact in transforming the practice of personal injury law.
Clarence Darrow (1857 – 1938)
Probably the most famous and revered trial lawyer and civil libertarian in American history. A theologian, poet and great wit who passionately opposed capital punishment.
Percy Foreman (1902 - 1988)
Percy Foreman represented a number of notable figures throughout his career, from Mafiosos to Jack Ruby, the man who shot John F. Kennedy's assassin.
Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804)
Patriot of incorruptible integrity. Soldier of approved valor. Statesman of consummate wisdom. One of the writers of the Federalist Papers.
Richard "Racehorse" Haynes (1927-)
A legendary, colorful, and flamboyant Texas criminal defense attorney, Richard "Racehorse" Haynes has been called “one of the most successful and most colorful silver-tongued devils to grace Texas since God made trial lawyers.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841 –1935)
One of the most widely cited U.S. Supreme Court justices in history, he helped move American legal thought towards legal realism, advocating for broad freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
John Jay (1745–1829)
A Founding Father of the United States, one of the writers of The Federalist Papers, and the nation's first Chief Justice.
Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
Author of the Declaration of Independence. Statesman, diplomat, farmer, architect, inventor, and scholar. A member of the Continental Congress, first Secretary of State, second Vice-President, and third President of the United States.
Justinian I (483 - 565)
One of the last great Roman Emperors, Justinian I reigned for forty years and passed a corpus of legislation which has significantly influenced western civilization.
John F. Kennedy (1917 – 1963)
The 35th President of the U.S., he secured the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress, established the Peace Corps, and furthered the civil rights movement.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968)
As attorney General of the United States, he fought organized crime and was a key supporter of the civil rights and anti-war movements.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)
A famed American Baptist minister and civil rights activist known for his use of nonviolent civil disobedience.
William Kunstler (1919 - 1995)
A self-proclaimed radical civil rights attorney dedicated to defending the socially marginalized and calling out the irony of a discriminatory legal system.
Lincoln Remembers
An attorney and statesman revered for his distinctive human qualities, his fierce adherence to democracy, his battle to protect the Union and the emancipation of slaves.
Belva Ann Lockwood (1830 – 1917)
An attorney, author, educator, politician, and forerunner of gender equality in jurisprudence, the legal system, and education.
Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)
A South African President, revolutionary, activist, and philanthropist who struggled relentlessly to end apartheid and advocate globally for human rights.
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John Marshall (1755 - 1835)
The fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and principal architect of the nation's constitutional law. He constructed and defended both the foundation of judicial power and the principles of American Federalism.
Thurgood Marshall (1908 - 1993)
An extraordinary civil rights attorney, Solicitor General, and the first African American Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Thomas More (1478 - 1535)
The first layman to hold office as Lord Chancellor of England. A brilliant jurist, scholar and statesman of unshakeable convictions. He symbolizes the courageous lawyer of conscience and the independent magistrate of integrity.
Ron Motley (1944 – 2013)
Bold in the face of mass social injustice, he was renowned for leading large-scale lawsuits on critical social and environment issues.
Perry Nichols (1915 - 1983)
Perry Nichols was a Miami trial lawyer who founded what is today the Florida Justice Association.
Rosa Parks 1913 - 2005
African American civil rights activist who was the instigation behind the Montgomery bus boycott and is nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in America
John Maurice O’Quinn (1941 –2009)
A great mentor and one of the brightest and most determined legal minds of his generation. He gave generously and worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.
Harry Philo (1924 - 2012)
A courageous leader in the struggle for equal justice, he was renowned for his lectures, articles, seminars, and individual mentoring on the philosophy of progressive change and safety advocacy.
Roscoe Pound (1870-1964)
A leading proponent of sociological jurisprudence, this former Dean of Harvard Law School was one of the most creative lawyers in modern American history.
Louis Riel (1844 - 1885)
A rebel Metis leader and founder of Manitoba, who defended the rights of his people against the Government of Canada.
Leonard M. Ring 1949 - 1994
Prominent Chicago personal injury lawyer and strong, vocal advocate for victim's rights.
Earl Rogers (1869 – 1922)
California criminal defense lawyer extraordinaire and professor of medical jurisprudence, he inspired the titular character of the 1957 legal drama Perry Mason.
John Sopinka (1933 - 1997)
The first Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)
Elected president at the depth of the Great Depression, he revitalized a moribund economy and helped the American people regain faith in themselves.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)
A U.S. President, author, explorer, and soldier, he is remembered for his far reaching foreign policy, antitrust and corporate reforms, and pioneering environmental activism.
W. McKinley "Mickey" Smiley, Jr.
"...If you want to be truly happy then devote yourself to the realization of someone else’s dreams."
Earl Warren (1891 - 1974)
A man of granite integrity and fairness. One of the most controversial Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court who issued a stream of decisions which significantly broadened civil rights.
Edward B. Williams (1920 - 1988)
Edward B. Williams, who began his legal career as an insurance defense attorney, ultimately became one of the first “Superlawyers” in the United States.
Enoch Woodhouse
A Boston trial lawyer, he received the Medal of Honor for service in the 332nd Fighter Group in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
Clara Shortridge Foltz
The first female lawyer to practice on the Pacific coast, first woman admitted to the California bar, first woman to run for Governor of California and the first to champion the concept of public defenders.
John Adams
A lawyer, author, statesman, diplomat and leader of American Independence. First Vice President and Second President of the United States, he was devoted to the right to counsel and the protection of innocence.