Gordy Hauptman
Founder
In Memory of Gordy Hauptman (1947 – 2008)
Founder; Hauptman, O’Brien, Wolf & Lathrop
” … if there was ever a guy I met that left this world in better shape than he found it, it was Gordy Hauptman.”
– Matt Butler, chairman, president and CEO, Hunt Transportation
“Gordy was a bigger-than-life individual. His personality, his warmth … he would just brighten up the place.”
– Ken Bird, executive director, Bright Futures Foundation, and former superintendent of Westside Schools where the Hauptman children attended
Gordon R. Hauptman’s long and distinguished law career began in 1974 when he was awarded a Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. But he had been preparing for the job most of his life. His innate respect for the individual, his ability to put people at ease, his love of family, sense of humor and zest for life made personal injury law the perfect choice for Gordy.
He founded Hauptman, O’Brien, Wolf & Lathrop in 1987. A tireless worker on behalf of his clients, Gordy believed passionately in fair compensation for those injured through the carelessness of others. His talent for advocacy made him a force to be reckoned with at the negotiating table and in the courtroom.
Winning a great settlement, however, did not always compensate a client facing a life of pain or incapacitation. Gordy’s compassion for victims of catastrophic accidents led him to establish the Safe Ride Home Program, the first of its kind in the country.
Introduced in 1990, Safe Ride Home encourages holiday partiers to call Happy Cab for a ride home if they’ve had too much alcohol to operate a vehicle safely. The program keeps people from injuring themselves and others, and the law firm pays for the cab rides.
Hauptman, O’Brien, Wolf & Lathrop has proudly sponsored the program ever since, and has expanded it to include the entire Christmas/New Year’s season and St. Patrick’s Day. The firm also partners with the YWCA to offer safe rides to shelters for victims of abuse. The firm pays for more than 1,800 rides each year, as well as the marketing efforts to make the public aware of its existence.
As Butler also stated, “I think there’s a special place in heaven for Gordy, because we will never know the lives that were saved each year. It was one of the single best community service programs I’ve ever seen, and who knew it would have lasted for such a long time.”
Gordy and his wife, Maureen, were the proud parents of six children: four boys (David, Paul, Grant and Erik) and one daughter (Mara). Their son Joel died in infancy. A close-knit family, Gordy supported his children in all their pursuits. But he had an uncanny ability to make even strangers feel like family.
“My dad had a talent. He could speak to people at every level. It was an unbelievable gift. He loved to meet new people and make new friends.”
– Dave Hauptman, oldest son of the Hauptman family
“He was the perfect example of the qualities that make a good lawyer. He set a tone in our office that made it a rare place to practice law. He was a terrific friend and I’ll always remember him for being such a kind-hearted person.”
– Steve Lathrop, Nebraska state senator and partner with Hauptman, O’Brien, Wolf & Lathrop
In 2003, Gordy was told he had prostate cancer. He faced the news with the courage, tenacity and humor that had always characterized him. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008, after five years of keeping the disease at bay, he lost the battle. An outpouring of condolences came from every part of the country, from people in every walk of life, family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues. They expressed sadness, explained how Gordy had touched their lives, and most importantly, made them laugh.
Client Testimonials
Total reviews: 432 |
Average rating: 4.9
H Frazee
Garland Jarmon
David and his team were great to work with. They handled the claim process, all negotiations, and my medical bills due to my car accident. This was a huge support which allowed me to focus on recovering from my injuries. Thank you David and team!
Peggy Spaccarotella
Will recommend to others that need this type of service. Everything was professionally taken care of and I appreciated the manner I was treated as a client.
Jason Herbolsheimer
David O’Neill and the entire team was great. They were honest and upfront and did a fantastic job helping me through my lawsuit. Would definitely recommend to anyone who gets into an accident.
Lindsay Wetzel
David was professional and kept me up to date on my case during the whole process. He handled everything and got me compensation beyond what I had expected!! If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Definitely recommend him and the firm for any personal injuries!!! Thank you so much David!!
meadow Lynn
Great place! everyone was super nice and amazing would recommend this place!
Robin Bartlett
We have nothing but heartfelt praise for Mike Khalili and his team. He sincerely guided us when we didn’t know where to start. What he did to help us was beyond our expectations and we are grateful to Mike and his team for their professionalism and caring throughout what was a difficult time for us. Mike was always informative, reached out regularly to check on Randy’s well-being and kept us posted on all negotiations. Shout out to Kate for her expertise and help regarding the antique car. We will highly recommend the Hauptman O’Brien firm to our family and friends. We truly appreciate everything you did for us.
Pamela Waters
Thankful to have had such a great perfessional team that looked out for my husband in his time of need .
Dallas Hughey
David and the team were amazing. They are most certainly the best in the business, I highly recommend them!
Martha Ocampo
The team at Hauptman, O’Brien were amazing. They helped me with my lawsuit and got it resolved so quickly. They gave good advice and they never seemed like all they wanted was my money, they genuinely cared to help me! Would definitely recommend them to anyone who has had an injury accident!
No Attorney Fees Unless You Win
Jeremy and his team Nicole and Andrea had no doubt they could help with my sons case. They were kind and very helpful and getting some justice for my little boy. After being attacked by a dog with negligent owners we wanted some kind of justice for our son. After reaching out , Jeremy stayed in touch the whole time and kept us updated every step of the way and my son was set up nicely with an education fund through the money he received . If you want a honest, diligent law firm that gets the job done then Hauptman, O’Brien injury lawyers are the best in Nebraska. These people are good at what they do