bar admissions
Illinois
Pro Hac Vice to Indiana State Courts
Court ADMISSIONS
United States Supreme Court (5/13/2013)
Illinois Supreme Court (11/8/2001)
United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (7/12/2002)
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar) (7/12/2002)
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (Trial Bar) (3/16/2020)
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (Trial Bar) (7/7/2008)
Education
Xavier University (Executive Leadership)
Chicago-Kent College of Law (JD)
Lewis University (BA/BS- Political Science & History)
Bio
Dan Costello
Managing Partner
Dan Costello, Founder of Costello Ginex & Wideikis, PC, is currently recognized as a national expert in complex case litigation and as one of the premier “parachute” attorneys in the United States.
In 2014, Dan was one of four finalists for the Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Outside Counsel of the Year, selected from nearly 53,000 members. In 2019, he was named as a member of the CLM Advisory board, and Co-Chair of the Litigation Management Symposium (LMS), and a chancellor of the Litigation Management Institute (LMI). In 2021, he became Co-Chair of the Anti-Nuclear Verdict (ANV) task force and instructor at the ANV Trial Academy. In 2026, he was also named to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) Defense Counsel Advisory Group, a select group of leading attorneys from across the country.
Dan has been selected as lead national trial counsel for several companies including one of the oldest Mutual Companies in North America, handling the largest cases throughout the United States. From 2023-2026 he was retained in trials in fifteen states across the country. In 2025, he was retained as trial counsel in one of the largest products liability claims in the United States. He has also been retained as lead counsel in complex cases including lead trial counsel in two cases of first impression in Illinois including the loss of opportunity to have a biological child for 60 plaintiffs in a cryogenic tank malfunction, and a class action lawsuit in litigation of Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) dealing with statutory/punitive damages. He also was recently the head of the defense steering committee and lead counsel for a complex construction injury case with over 30 parties, and catastrophic injuries.
Dan looks back on his firm's history, discusses the principles of why he founded his firm, and looks forward to the future
Dan also acts as a litigation consultant, billing fees expert, and expert in litigation of construction defect disputes. He has recently been retained as an expert witness in multiple party litigation in California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona, among other states. He maintains an active practice in consulting with carriers on litigation management strategy, implementation, and improvement.
Dan has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a top rated Illinois attorney handling construction litigation from 2020-2027. He has managed, supervised, or handled over 10,000 construction defect claims in his career throughout the United States.
Specialties:
Construction Litigation, Litigation Management, Complex litigation, Transportation, Products Liability, Construction design / defect.
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