Dennis A. VanDerGinst

VanDerGinst Law, PC - Moline
VanDerGinst Law, PC - Moline
4950 38th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265 United States

Dennis VanDerGinst is the President/CEO of VanDerGinst Law, one of the most successful personal injury law firms in the country. He has been a tireless advocate for his clients and a stalwart ambassador for his profession. As a result, he has been recognized as one of the best in the country by clients, peers, and other professionals.


Dennis received his law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Iowa, and the federal courts. During his career he has represented clients in almost every state of the country. The focus of his practice has been on helping injured people. The law firm which bears his name has represented over 50,000 injury victims during his career, in all areas of personal injury law including but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, worker’s compensation, mass and class actions, and all types of negligence cases.


His dedication to his clients has earned Dennis and his firm the prestigious Torch Award for Ethics, awarded by the Better Business Bureau, marking the first time this honor was ever bestowed upon a lawyer or law firm in the region. Dennis has also been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO Lawyer Rating Service and Client Champion recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, the most established attorney rating service in the profession. In 2018 and 2020, Dennis was voted as the Best Attorney in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in a survey conducted by the Quad-City Times. He was runner-up for that honor in 2019.


Dennis’s accomplishments and expertise within the profession have also won him accolades from his peers. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Rating Service (the highest available rating) and has been rated Superb with a 10/10 rating from AVVO Lawyer Rating Service. He has been designated a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, a staple in the legal profession. Chicago Lawyer magazine has recognized Dennis as one of the Top Injury Lawyers in Illinois and the Iowa Association for Justice has featured him in an article in IAJ’s magazine, Iowa Trial Lawyer. He has likewise been selected as one of the top attorneys in the nation by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, the American Trial Lawyers Association, Premier Lawyers of America, the National Trial Lawyers, and the American Society of Legal Advocates, among others.


His success in the field of personal injury law is illustrated by his inclusion in the Multi-Million-Dollar Advocates Forum, whose membership is limited to those attorneys who have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, which he has done dozens of times in his career.


His expertise has made him a reliable source of law-related information for numerous media outlets. He is often called upon to speak about legal and consumer issues in the news. He has been featured on the National Public Radio program, America’s Premier Lawyers, as well as on numerous regional and national radio and television programs and podcasts. He has been profiled in Fortune magazine, and numerous news and/or law-related publications. Similarly, he has authored numerous legal articles in professional journals and magazines and has been an active speaker/lecturer at regional and national conferences, conventions, seminars, and webinars that focus on the importance of personal injury law. In addition, Dennis has taught Torts and Insurance law as an adjunct professor.


He has been an extremely active member of several professional organizations such as the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Illinois and Iowa State Bar Associations, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and the Iowa Association for Justice. Dennis has served on the Board of Managers for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Board of Governors for the Iowa Association for Justice, The Board of Advocates for AAJ and on the Board of Trustees for the Pound Civil Justice Institute. He has also served as the State Delegate to AAJ for both Illinois and Iowa – the only person to ever serve in that capacity for both of those states. Additionally, he has served on the National Advisory Board for the National Crime Victims Bar Association and for the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America.


His career accomplishments have earned him the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Who’s Who, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Premier Lawyers of America, and the Best Attorney-Lifetime Charter Membership from Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America.


Through his stewardship VanDerGinst Law became one of the first law firms in the country to embrace the powerful potential of the internet. The firm’s award-winning website, www.VLaw.com, has become a legal resource for other law firms, law students and lay people across the country. The VanDerGinst Law Facebook page is one of the most “liked” attorney Facebook pages in the world. In addition to consumer and legal news, the firm often uses their online platforms to present cases and legal issues to focus groups and online mock juries.


Perhaps most important, Dennis has created a corporate culture at VanDerGinst Law which embraces the firm’s responsibilities as ambassadors of the profession and leaders in the community.


The Mission of VanDerGinst Law, as authored by Dennis, is to help people both in and out of the courtroom. In the courtroom the firm’s focus is on assisting those who have become injured or infirm due to the negligence or wrongdoing of others. Outside of the courtroom the firm’s focus is on helping those least able to help themselves, including the injured and infirm, the elderly and children. Additionally, the firm focuses on giving back to those to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude including first responders, veterans and active military, teachers, and front-line health care workers.


To that end, his law firm has donated millions of dollars and countless hours to the organizations that support these initiatives and advance growth and prosperity in their communities. In recognition of his character and philanthropic efforts, Dennis was recognized by GQ's "Better Men, Better World” campaign.


In addition to his management responsibilities to the firm, Dennis oversees all injury cases and maintains an active caseload himself. He divides his time between each office and conducts Zoom meetings with all attorneys and staff each morning. 


Bar Admissions

State of Illinois 1989

State of Iowa 1994

State of Wisconsin 1996-2013

United States District Court for Northern District of Illinois 1989

United States District Court for Central District of Illinois 1992

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Federal Circuit 1990

United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa 2017


Professional Associations & Committees

ASSOCIATIONS

American Bar Association 1989-present

American Association for Justice 1994-present

Illinois State Bar Association 1992-present

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association 1992-present

Iowa State Bar Association 1994-present

Iowa Association for Justice 1994-present

Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (National Advisory Board)

Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers 1996-1999

Chicago Bar Association 1989-1992, 1997-current

Cook County Bar Association 1989-1992

DuPage County Bar Association 1991-1993

Rock Island County Bar Association 1992-present

Scott County Bar Association 1994-present

Winnebago County Bar Association 1996-1998

Brain Injury Association 1996-present

Illinois Brain Injury Association 1996-present

Trial Lawyers for Public Justice 1998-present

Pound Civil Justice Institute 2004-present

Academy of Trial Professionals 2004-2005

National Crime Victim Bar Association (former National Board of Directors member)


COMMITTEES

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Medicine & Law Committee 1996-present

Products, General Liability & Consumer Law Committee 1993-present

Automobile Law Committee 1993-present

Litigation Section 1993-present

Tort Law & Insurance Section 1993-present


AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE

Current AAJ State Delegate-Iowa

Former AAJ State Delegate-Illinois

Former Chairman – Committee on Internet Marketing and Client Services

Leader’s Forum

President’s Club

Eagle PAC member

Interstate Trucking Litigation Group 1994-present

Birth Trauma Litigation Group 2000-present

Nursing Home Litigation Group 2000-present

Birth Injuries Litigation Group 2000-present

Attorney Information Exchange Group 2000-present

Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway & Premises Liability Section 1994-present

Insurance Section 1994-present

Railroad Law Section 1999-present

Professional Negligence Section 1999-present

Product Liability Section 1999-present

Small Office Practice Section 1999-present

Toxic, Environmental & Pharmaceutical Torts Section 1999-present

Committee on Lawyer Marketing and Client Services 1999-present


ILLINOIS STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

Civil Practice & Procedure Section 1993-present

Insurance Law Section 1993-present

Tort Law Section 1993-present

Elder Law Section 1996-present


ILLINOIS TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Former Illinois State Delegate, Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Former Board of Managers

Board of Advocates 2000-2002

Medical Negligence Committee 1996-present

Legislative Committee 1995-present

Insurance Law Committee 1996-1999

Civil Practice & Rules Committee 1995-present

Membership Committee 1996-present

Product Liability Committee 1997-1999

Continuing Legal Education Committee 1997-1998

Publications Committee 1997-present

Young Lawyers Committee 1999-2002

Product Liability and Insurance Law Committee 1999-present

IOWA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION


Litigation Section 1994-present

Services to the Elderly Committee 1996-2000

Law Panels Committee 1994-1998


IOWA ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE

Board of Governors 2020-present

Iowa State Delegate to the American Association for Justice


ROCK ISLAND COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

Board of Managers 1998-2000

Bar Assn. Liaison to Young Lawyers Committee 1998-2000


WINNEBAGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

Professional Responsibility Committee 1996-1998

Continuing Legal Education Committee 1996-1998

Legal/Medical Committee 1996-1998

Editorial Board 1996-1998

Trial Section 1996-1998


CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION

Class Litigation Committee 1998-2004

Insurance Law Committee 1998-2004

Tort Litigation Committee 1998-2004


POUND CIVIL JUSTICE INSTITUTE

Board of Trustees 2004-2006


EDUCATION

DePaul University – College of Law

Chicago, Illinois

Juris Doctor, Spring, 1989.

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, Illinois

Bachelor of Arts, Fall, 1985

Black Hawk College

Moline, Illinois

Fall, 1980 – Spring, 1982

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