Damien S. Donnelly-Cole

Damien is a criminal defense trial lawyer with 18 years of experience representing clients in Oregon’s courts. He has built a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer by investing the time to understand his client’s needs, as well as the legal challenges they face, so that he can advocate for positive outcomes.

At the start of Damien’s legal career, he gained experience with both the prosecution of major crimes at the United State Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, and the defense of people accused of crimes as a public defender in both St. Louis, Missouri, and Portland, Oregon.  Ultimately, it was defending people that resonated with Damien and has been the hallmark of his career. 

As a former public defender, Damien represented people charged with Driving Under the Influence, Domestic Violence, Prostitution, and Ballot Measure 11 crimes like Vehicular Manslaughter, Attempted Murder, Robbery, Sex Crimes, and Assault.  While at the public defenders’ office Damien learned how to represent people charged with a wide variety of crimes, managed a heavy trial docket, and built relationships by being in the courthouse every day advocating for the people he served.

Since moving into a private criminal defense practice, Damien has been able to spend more time with his clients and to provide them with guidance earlier in the process.  Both changes have allowed him to advance his advocacy and help people who need his care.

Helping people is part of who Damien is as a person.  Before becoming a lawyer, he advocated for landmine survivors in Jordan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Bosnia to gain access to rehabilitation services.  He also worked to improve access to water and wastewater services in Cairo, Egypt, and participated in a public information campaign to provide Egyptians with reliable information about financial investing and financial markets. 

Living overseas has long been a hallmark of Damien’s life.  He was born in Ireland before moving to the United States. His family also lived in China for over a decade providing him with many opportunities to travel throughout Asia.  He studied in Cusco, Peru, and Madrid, Spain. And work brought him to the Middle East. Time spent living in, and observing, other cultures instilled in Damien the importance of communication, of listening to others with an open mind to understand who they are and what is important to them.

Ultimately, Damien moved to Oregon in 2006 when he focused his career on criminal defense.  Today he enjoys exploring this beautiful region with his family and friends and visiting courthouses across Oregon representing his clients.