Donna Vobornik
Partner
Dentons US L.L.P.
Chicago
Age: 52

As a self-professed lifelong insurance lawyer who loves what she does as well as the “rigor and challenge” of having to understand many sectors of business, Donna Vobornik has seen it all — and hopes to see more.

“By virtue of working in insurance as a litigator, my career has provided me with a glimpse into different industries I wouldn't otherwise see: oil processing, grain elevators, hog production, automobile,” she said.

Currently, Ms. Vobornik is head of Dentons US L.L.P.'s legacy insurance litigation practice and a member of the firm's U.S. policy and planning board. A general litigator with extensive experience in complex insurance coverage litigation, she has represented insurance clients in about 80 environmental coverage cases in state and federal courts.

She also litigates other types of toxic tort coverage claims, including asbestos, Chinese drywall and diacetyl, a food flavoring. She represents insurers in bankruptcy proceedings and in major subrogation matters, and has extensive experience representing insurers in personal lines class action cases.

While most of the specifics of her cases remain confidential, winning is among the most exciting aspects of her job, she said. “It's exhilarating ... when you are working toward a major court argument or a beneficial settlement and accomplishing that win,” she said.

Robert C. Johnson, partner and Chicago head of litigation for Dentons, said Ms. Vobornik's experience and talent for understanding complex cases makes her a go-to litigator with an “encyclopedic knowledge of the law” in certain areas. “Donna has won many cases over the years because of her dogged pursuit of the facts and her persuasive abilities once she gets into court,” Mr. Johnson said.

Outside of her regular and vast responsibilities, she speaks often at insurance law seminars and is well-known for mentoring young attorneys. For women, specifically, she's been supportive of others coming up the ranks and those seeking to balance career and family life. “I've tried to be a mentor to those people, both men and women,” Ms. Vobornik said.

By Louise Esola