Aggressively Protecting Client Rights
Alan J. Donato received his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif (top 10% of the class) with Great Distinction and was certified in Oral Advocacy. Mr. Donato was also inducted into the Order of the Barristers for high honor in trial skills and courtroom advocacy. For eight years after graduating, Mr. Donato trained young lawyers as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at McGeorge School of Law.
Mr. Donato has a proven track record of effectively representing clients in criminal court. He has successfully helped hundreds of clients navigate our legal justice system and has tried numerous cases to jury verdicts in both state and federal court. In 2017, Mr. Donato was inducted into the Lawyers of Distinction Honor Society and was recognized by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys as among the “10 Best Attorneys in California” for exceptional and outstanding client service. In 2018, Mr. Donato was inducted into the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys.” In 2019, he was selected as a “Rising Star in Northern California” by Super Lawyers, an honor only 2% of attorneys receive, then received the recognition again from 2020 through 2023. Additionally, he has been named a 2019 and 2021 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine. Most recently, in 2024, Mr. Donato was selected as Attorney of the Year by the Sacramento County Bar Association.
Mr. Donato is also an experienced civil litigator. Not only has he helped a multitude of clients with devastating personal injuries to recover money damages for their pain and suffering, but he also has years of experience effectively defending his clients’ legitimate business interests from hostile internal takeovers and lawsuits by disgruntled employees.
In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. Donato has led the way for legal reform in California in regards to Cannabis Law. Mr. Donato sits on the legal committees for the California and National Organizations for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), as well as Americans for Safe Access. Mr. Donato has a decade of experience helping cannabis businesses of all sizes comply with California’s ever-changing legal field.
On his off-time, Mr. Donato enjoys being a husband and proud father of three girls and a boy. When he is not coaching tee ball or playing with Barbies, you can probably find him enjoying one of the many outdoor activities our amazing state has to offer. Mr. Donato enjoys hiking, swimming, and biking. Mr. Donato has also been known to take his girls on regular trips to visit relatives in South Lake Tahoe. Mr. Donato truly is a family man, and he treats his clients as just that — family.
