Nyhan Congratulates Longtime Shareholder Dan Ugaste as He Transitions into a Senior Counsel Role

Thirty is a milestone number. Cats have exactly 30 teeth. The atomic number of Zinc, an essential trace element, is 30. After 30 years of dedicated service to Illinois employers (also the entire lifespan of a Seal), Shareholder and Illinois State Representative Dan Ugaste will be stepping away from practicing law full-time into a Senior Counsel role at Nyhan where he will continue practicing on a part-time basis. Dan is a seasoned workers’ compensation practitioner who remains committed to serving his community in a variety of professional and volunteer capacities. In his transition, Dan looks forward to shifting more time and attention to service our community.

Dan has spent his career representing insured and self-insured businesses in a wide range of industries, often before the Workers’ Compensation Commission and Appellate Court. Throughout his career, Dan has been passionate about defending the interests of employers. He has worked diligently to push for legislative changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act that would impact employers positively and ease the burden on doing business in Illinois.

This background, as well as Dan’s rich experience in professional and community engagement outside of the courtroom, led him to a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives for the 65^th District, where he has worked on multiple committees, including the Labor and Commerce and Judiciary – Civil committees.

Dan has taken on multiple leadership roles within the Illinois legal community, formerly acting as President of the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association as well as Past Chair and Legislative Liaison for the Chicago Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Committee.

A sought-after lecturer, Dan frequently shares his subject matter authority in speaking engagements for organizations such as the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission for Judicial Training, Illinois Self-Insurers’ Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of law, Dan is a former volunteer firefighter and Alumni Board Past President for Lake Forest College, his undergraduate alma mater. These days, he can be found spending his free time in church service, which often includes domestic missionary trips.

Nyhan is proud to have served as Dan’s professional home for the past 25 years. His detailed, yet flexible, approach to legal practice has played a key role in tightening the firm’s presence in Illinois’ employment law landscape. While his colleagues will undoubtedly miss having him around full-time, Nyhan looks forward to supporting his transition into his next chapter, where he can take the energy and devotion he has shared with the profession for the past three decades and redirect it toward his passion for service.