About Don
Don Himmelberg began his path in law after completing a Bachelor of Arts at Middle Tennessee State University and earning his J.D. from Nashville School of Law in 1992. Fresh out of law school, he took a clerkship in 1992 for the Honorable Judge Randall Wyatt in Circuit Court Division 2. That year in a courtroom setting offered an early, close-up view of trial procedure and case management.
A couple of years later he moved into the Office of the District Lawyer General as an Assistant District Lawyer in 1994. That role put him on the other side of the courtroom dynamic and provided broader exposure to how public prosecutions are handled at the district level. The experience there shaped how he approached case preparation and advocacy in later practice.
Himmelberg transitioned into private practice and has held leadership roles at two firms. He served as a partner at Higgins, Himmelberg & Piliponis, PLLC, and later established his own practice as principal of M. Don Himmelberg & Associates. In those positions he has handled a range of matters in state and federal venues. Colleagues describe him as methodical in assembling records and persistent in pursuing procedural avenues when a client’s situation requires it.
He is admitted to practice in Tennessee and is authorized to appear before the Sixth Circuit and the Federal Circuit. That federal admission complements his work in state court and allows him to pursue appellate and federal claims on behalf of clients when those avenues are appropriate. Himmelberg maintains memberships in several professional organizations, including the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Those memberships reflect his continuing engagement with peers and professional development opportunities.
Clients and peers find his background rooted in both public service and private practice. He draws on years of courtroom exposure, clerkship insight, and years running a small firm to manage cases that move between trial and appellate settings. He currently practices at M. Don Himmelberg & Associates, handling matters in Tennessee and in federal courts, including the Sixth and Federal Circuits.
