Daniel K. Cetina

Wheaton, Illinois
Phone: 630-462-1980
Fax: 630-462-1984

Daniel “Danny” Cetina is a Partner at Walsh, Knippen & Cetina, Chartered. He represents persons seriously injured or killed through others’ negligence and fights aggressively to obtain the compensation that they deserve. He handles complex civil litigation, including catastrophic personal injury, animal attack, automobile, commercial trucking, construction, Dram Shop, Federal Employers Liability Act (“FELA”)/railroad, medical malpractice, nursing home, premises liability, product liability, and sports injury cases, among many others. Mr. Cetina has professional working proficiency in Spanish and has helped secure compensation for Spanish-speaking clients.

Mr. Cetina’s many years of experience as a defense lawyer and insight into defendants’ and insurance companies’ mindsets make him uniquely equipped to secure favorable results for his clients.

Previously, Mr. Cetina was an Associate at the Chicago office of one of the largest defense firms in the country where he focused his nationwide practice in complex civil litigation, including employment and labor, class actions, and general liability. He developed expertise in various general liability matters, Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) wage and hour class actions, Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) class actions, and whistleblower litigation. He maintained an employment-adjacent, quasi-commercial practice, including trade secret and non-compete, consumer fraud, breach of contract, qui tam, intellectual property, and Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (“RLTO”) litigation.

Mr. Cetina has also performed pro bono work in disputes involving breach of contract, wage and hour, tenancy, and prisoners’ rights under Section 1983.

Mr. Cetina received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School (now known as University of Illinois Chicago School of Law) where he was published in the Law Review, for which he served as Managing Editor. He also participated in mock trial and Moot Court. During law school, Mr. Cetina assisted on multiple murder and narcotics trials as a 711-licensed Law Clerk at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the Special Prosecutions Bureau – Gang Crimes Unit.

Outside of the office, Mr. Cetina enjoys spending time with his wife, fitness, reading, and supporting Chicago sports.

Areas of Practice:

Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions:

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, 2018
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2016
Illinois, 2015

Education:

Duke University Law School – Bolch Judicial Institute, Mass Tort MDL Certificate, 2025
The John Marshall Law School, J.D. & Certificate of Concentration in Trial Advocacy, 2015
DePauw University, B.A., magna cum laude, Honor Scholar, 2012

Honors and Awards:

DuPage County Bar Association Board of Directors Award, 2023
Emerging Lawyer, 2021-2024
Rising Star, 2021

Professional Associations: