Debra Kelly Zahalsky
Debra Zahalsky is committed to helping clients defend their rights through thorough research and a deep understanding of the business landscape, leveraging extensive experience and a hands-on approach.
- Licensed in Illinois, Missouri and Texas
- Managed more than 3,500 toxic tort matters
Debra Kelly Zahalsky
Attorney in Edwardsville, IL
Debra Zahalsky is a highly skilled legal professional with over 20 years of experience in various areas of law, including product and premises liability, toxic tort, personal injury, intellectual property, insurance coverage, and class action civil litigation. Her diverse expertise allows her to effectively assist clients in defending their rights through comprehensive research and a deep understanding of the business landscape.
Debra has built a strong reputation throughout her career for her successful representation of national clients in high-stakes class actions and complex cases. Her ability to author briefs for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and to argue before the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, on third-party settlement issues instills confidence in her clients.
Before joining Heyl Royster, Debra gained valuable experience as a Texas Trial Attorney and as a partner at a civil litigation and federal practice firm in Edwardsville, Illinois. She also held clerkships at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in St. Louis and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Debra's professional background also includes serving as vice president of marketing, where she conducted extensive research and acquired land for various development projects in multiple states, providing her with a unique perspective in her legal practice.
Debra is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Missouri, Texas and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States and several U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts. Her expertise in defending toxic tort litigation is underscored by her management of thousands of toxic tort matters for national clients and hundreds of matters for smaller clients. She is known for her comprehensive legal skills, including her ability to formulate aggressive defense strategies, prepare complex motions and memoranda of law from the onset of a lawsuit, and her extensive experience in deposition-taking, settlement negotiations, and client reporting, all while effectively keeping clients away from the courthouse.
Debra is a magna cum laude graduate of Southern Illinois University and holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Her academic achievements include receiving the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Graduate Award and the John W. Calhoun Trial Practice Award.
Practices
Credentials
Education
J.D., Washington University
B.S., Southern Illinois University, magna cum laude
Licensure(s) and Admission(s)
State Courts of Illinois
State Courts of Missouri
State Courts of Texas
United States Supreme Court
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Professional Affiliations
Defense Research Institute
Illinois State Bar Association
Madison County Bar Association
Missouri State Bar
State Bar of Texas
Tarrant County Bar Association
Community Involvement
Carroll Senior High School Choir Boosters
Awards/Recognition
- Top 10 Best Attorneys, Illinois in Client Satisfaction, Personal Injury Law, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2017
- Leading Lawyer by Law Bulletin Media℠ – Personal Injury Law, Product Liability, 2016-2019
- Rising Star, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, Chicago Magazine, 2011
Public Profile
Debra Zahalsky is a highly skilled legal professional with over 20 years of experience in various areas of law, including product and premises liability, toxic tort, personal injury, intellectual property, insurance coverage, and class action civil litigation. Her diverse expertise allows her to effectively assist clients in defending their rights through comprehensive research and a deep understanding of the business landscape.
Debra has built a strong reputation throughout her career for her successful representation of national clients in high-stakes class actions and complex cases. Her ability to author briefs for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and to argue before the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, on third-party settlement issues instills confidence in her clients.
Before joining Heyl Royster, Debra gained valuable experience as a Texas Trial Attorney and as a partner at a civil litigation and federal practice firm in Edwardsville, Illinois. She also held clerkships at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in St. Louis and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Debra's professional background also includes serving as vice president of marketing, where she conducted extensive research and acquired land for various development projects in multiple states, providing her with a unique perspective in her legal practice.
Debra is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Missouri, Texas and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States and several U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts. Her expertise in defending toxic tort litigation is underscored by her management of thousands of toxic tort matters for national clients and hundreds of matters for smaller clients. She is known for her comprehensive legal skills, including her ability to formulate aggressive defense strategies, prepare complex motions and memoranda of law from the onset of a lawsuit, and her extensive experience in deposition-taking, settlement negotiations, and client reporting, all while effectively keeping clients away from the courthouse.
Debra is a magna cum laude graduate of Southern Illinois University and holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Her academic achievements include receiving the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Graduate Award and the John W. Calhoun Trial Practice Award.
