Marshall Whalley

BIOGRAPHY
Attorney Whalley is an experienced Trial lawyer, Author, Lecturer and former Judge Pro Tempore. The secret to success for Marshall P. Whalley has been his widely varied interests and seemingly boundless energy to pursue them. Having immersed himself in such fields as physics, psychology, engineering, consumer protection and medicine, Mr. Whalley has acquired a wealth of knowledge directly applicable to the investigation and litigation of complex personal injury cases. He has over 37 years of experience successfully handling multi-million-dollar litigation in several states. 

Mr. Whalley’s father attended M.I.T., earning two engineering degrees and going on to design tanks for the government. His mother was a nurse educator with a Bachelor of Science, a Masters degree and applied Law School at 78! Growing up near the Motor City, Mr. Whalley spent long hours designing, building, and racing cars and boats, and working in the summer on his grandparents’ farm in North Dakota.

Mr. Whalley attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he studied physics and psychology, earning his B.S. in 1980. His graduate work there in psycho-physics at the Kresge Medical hearing Research Institute involved training rare monitor lizards to respond to acoustic stimuli. His other pursuits included designed and implementing pilot programs at the Milan Federal Correction Institute allowing inmates to obtain GED certificates and at the Maxey Boys Correctional Institute for troubled youth.

During college, Mr. Whalley also working the Consumer Protection Division of the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office, where he mediated consumer complaints, securing the largest consumer settlement to date in the Division’s history. At the same time, he worked for Tenant’s rights group helping educate renters regarding their rights vis a vis large corporate landlords. During the summer months, Mr. Whalley continued to attend class at the University of Michigan while working 40 to 50 hours per week on the assembly line in Detroit, building cars for Chrysler and General Motors. On the line, he ran presses, welded wheels, performed manual assembly, body work, and painted cars.  

Thereafter, Mr. Whalley received a merit scholarship to Valparaiso University School of Law. He continued to work on cars and drag raced to help pay college expenses. He then took a job clerking for a well-respected personal injury firm doing medical research, legal writing, and investigation. He became a lawyer at the firm, then a partner. As an Associate, he used his background in physics in his first year to facilitate settlements of the two largest brain-damaged baby cases in Florida’s history totaling over 20 million dollars. Mr. Whalley’s background in physics allowed him to a waveform analysis of fetal monitor strips to prove when a critical tocolytic drug had been stopped.

Over the past 40 years, Mr. Whalley’s myriad of interests have helped him be an effective advocate for his clients. Designing, building, face and repairing all types of vehicles, Mr. Whalley developed insight into crash dynamics that few layers have. His training in physics, medical research and litigation has provided a unique perspective on the cause s of complicated crashes and ether medical consequences. Marshall P. Whalley has used this unique background to prove-up millions of dollars in valid claims that other lawyers turned down and that might have otherwise been lost. 

When Mr. Whalley is not practicing law or racing a car, he is an avid hunter and fisherman. He also enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Lynette and two daughters. The family enjoys traveling and trying all different cuisines. The four of them share a love of eating and cooking together. Not a weekend passes without a new kind of meat or fish on the smoker.

ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of Indiana
Supreme Court of Illinois
Supreme Court of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

EDUCATION
J.D. Valparaiso University, 1983
B.S. University of Michigan, 1980

ASSOCIATIONS
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Indiana Trial Lawyers
Michigan Association for Justice
American Bar Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum
Lake County Bar Association
American Association for Justice