Matthew J. Donnelly
Attorney Donnelly grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania attending Neshannock Elementary followed by high school at Kennedy Christian. He graduated from Grove City College in 2001, where he majored in history with a pre-law concentration. For law school, Attorney Donnelly enrolled at the Duquesne University School of Law where he received the CALI Award for academic excellence in Appellate Practice and Procedure.
Upon graduation from law school and his admission to the Pennsylvania Bar in 2004, Attorney Donnelly first joined the law firm of McBride and McBride in Grove City, Pennsylvania where he gained experience in a myriad of legal disciplines including workers’ compensation, business law, family law, bankruptcy, criminal law, and juvenile law. During his tenure with this firm, Attorney Donnelly was appointed as contract counsel in the Mercer County Juvenile Court to represent children and parents involved in dependency and delinquency proceedings. To further advocate for the protection of children, Attorney Donnelly also served on the board of directors for the Mercer County Juvenile Advocacy Center, which provided guardian ad litem services for children and families involved in court proceedings.
In order to focus his advocacy on protecting and vindicating the rights of injured workers, Attorney Donnelly joined the Law Offices of Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. in 2008. This focus and concentration has proven to be both rewarding and fulfilling. Attorney Donnelly takes pride in protecting injured workers’ ability to provide for their families, obtain the medical treatment they need, and maximize their recoveries. In the past year alone Attorney Donnelly has collected over $3,000,000.00 in workers’ compensation wage loss settlements for his clients.
Attorney Donnelly also understands the internal workings of the workers’ compensation insurance companies because he worked as a workers’ compensation insurance defense attorney for a number of years. This inside knowledge enables Attorney Donnelly to anticipate and counsel his clients on the strategies and maneuvers they will encounter as the case unfolds.
Beyond the courtroom, Attorney Donnelly has been a frequent nationwide lecturer and course material author for the National Business Institute. His speaking and continuing legal education course material engagements include:
- 4/16/18: Workers Compensation – Critical Essentials from Both Sides of the Aisle
- 7/29/19: Handling the Workers’ Compensation Case from Start to Finish
- 2/10/20: Workers’ Compensation Law
- 10/19/21: Mini Med School for Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
- 6/28/23: Mini Med School for Workers’ Compensation Attorneys (re-presented due to demand)
- 8/24/23: Sophisticated Workers’ Compensation Tips and Tricks
- 12/19/23: Update to the Mini Med School for Workers’ Compensation Attorneys program
- 3/18/24: Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Fundamentals
When not engaged in litigation or teaching activities, Attorney Donnelly loves spending time with his wife of 23 years, and has enjoyed 13 years of volunteering for the Grove City Youth Soccer Association where he has proudly coached his three children.
Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 2004
- U.S. District Court of Pennsylvania, 2004
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 2004
Education
- Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- J.D. – 2004
- Honors: C.A.L.I. Award for Excellence in Appellate Practice and Procedure
- Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania
- History & Pre-Law – 2001
Honors and Awards
- C.A.L.I. Award for Excellence in Appellate Practice and Procedure, 2004
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Mercer County Bar Association, Member
Past Employment Positions
- Post & Shell, PC, Senior Associate, 2010 – 2012
- Dallas W. Hartman, P.C., Associate Attorney, 2008 – 2010
- McBride & McBride, Associate Attorney, 2004 – 2008
- Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly and George, Clerk, 2003
- Superior Court of Pennsylvania, Clerk, 2002
Pro Bono Activities
- Mercer County Juvenile Advisory Council, 2004 – 2010