Daniel J. Callahan

Daniel J. Callahan

Founding Partner
Location:
Santa Ana, California
Phone:
714-241-4444
888-284-0809 (Toll Free)
Fax:
714-241-4445
Email:

Daniel Callahan has distinguished himself as one of the top trial attorneys in California, and has repeatedly been recognized by his peers for his incredible accomplishments.  Mr. Callahan was the winner of the prestigious OCTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award three times, in 2000, 2004, and 2012.  He has been named one of the Top 10 Attorneys in the United States by the National Law Journal.  He was voted California Business Trial Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer Magazine.  In addition, Mr. Callahan has been named one of the Top 100 trial lawyers by the American Trial Association, featured in the Best Lawyers in America for fourteen years straight, 2005 through 2020 and listed by Super Lawyers as one of The Top 10 Lawyers in Southern California for 2013.

The reason for the accolades is simple: preparation and results. Since founding Callahan & Blaine, Mr. Callahan has won many jury trials and obtained scores of seven and eight figure settlements on behalf of his clients.

Notable verdicts include a $934,000,000 jury verdict obtained in 2003, after a three month jury trial in a complex business dispute entitled Beckman Coulter vs. Flextronics. This unanimous verdict was the largest in California in 2003 and remains the largest in Orange County history. Mr. Callahan went on to obtain a $50,000,000 settlement in a road design case against the City of Dana Point. Exclusive of large class actions, this is one of the largest personal injury settlement in United States history. Most recently, after a two month jury trial, Mr. Callahan obtained a $38 Million settlement on behalf of a class of newspaper delivery drivers against The Orange County Register. This is the highest employment settlement in Orange County's history. Mr. Callahan is equally skilled in representing defendants.  He has secured many total defense verdicts against some of the most respected plaintiff attorneys in the county.

Mr. Callahan grew up in Chicago, Illinois where he went on to receive his BA, magna cum laude, from Western Illinois University in 1976, and graduated with honors from the University of California School of Law at Davis in 1979, while serving as Editor of the Law Review. He began his career in Hawaii before relocating to Southern California and starting his own firm by opening the doors on St. Patrick's Day, 1984.

Mr. Callahan has given nationwide seminars on litigation and published multiple articles on litigation strategy and practice. He has been a speaker at multiple continuing education seminars and regularly speaks at the State Bar of California's annual convention on topics ranging from advanced trial skills to the use of technology in the courtroom. For the past several years, he also has given seminars on jury selection and opening statement at local, state and national conferences.

Additional Information

     Won the Largest Jury Verdict in Orange County History - $934 Million

     Obtained one of the Highest Personal Injury Settlement in United States History - $50 Million

     Obtained the highest Insurance Bad Faith Judgment in Orange County History - $58
     Million 

     Obtained the Largest Employment Settlement in Orange County History - $38 Million

     Named One of the Top 10 Attorneys in the United States by National Law Journal

     Won the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association "Trial Lawyer of the Year" - Three Times

     Voted California Business Trial Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer Magazine

     Named One of Top 10 Lawyers in Southern California by Super Lawyers

     Featured in Best Lawyers in America in two separate categories, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, for Fourteen Consecutive Years (2005 through 2020)

Areas of Practice

     Complex Civil and Business Litigation

     Traumatic Brain and Spine Injury

     Personal Injury Litigation

     Insurance Coverage and Insurance Bad Faith

Litigation Percentage

     100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Education

     University of California at Davis School of Law, Davis, California

          J.D. - 1979

          Honors: With Honors

          Law Review: University of California Law Review, Editor

     Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois

          B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) - 1976

Representative Cases

     Beckman Coulter vs. Flextronics ($934 Million); Neria v. City of Dana Point ($50 Million);
     Surgin Surgical v. Farmers ($57 Million); Gonzalez v. Freedom Communications ($38
     Million)

Classes/Seminars

     Frequent Speaker, Trial Skills

Honors and Awards

     Member of the Board of Directors for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (March 22, 2018)

     Member of the Board of the New Majority for Orange County (2017 to present)

     Received Commendation Resolution from California State Senate, 2000, 2004 and 2014

     Received Commendation Resolution from California Legislature Assembly, 2013  

     Presented Angelo Palmeri Award by the Robert A. Banyard Inns of Court, 2010

     2010 Visionary Award presented by Orange Coast College

     Winner of the Prestigious OCTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award - 2000, 2004 and 2012

     Voted California Business Trial Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer Magazine

     One of the Top 10 Attorneys in the United States by the National Law Journal

     California Business Trial Lawyer of the Year, California Lawyer Magazine

     Best Lawyers in America, 2005 - 2019

     Super Lawyers, Named One of The Top 10 Lawyers in Southern California - 2013

     Super Lawyers, Named One of The Top 100 Lawyers in Southern California - 2011, 2012,
     2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018

     Super Lawyers, Named One of The Top 50 Lawyers in Orange County - Since inception

     10 Best Attorneys for Exceptional and Outstanding Client Service in California by the
     American Institute of Personal injury Attorneys (AIOPIA)

     Outstanding Lawyers of America

     Million Dollar Club

Professional Associations and Memberships

     Orange County Bar Association

     Orange County Bar Association, Business Litigation Section, Chair, 1996

     Orange County Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section, Chair, 1993 - 1995

     Consumer Attorneys of California

     Orange County Trial Lawyers

     Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Founding Member

     Celtic Bar Association

     Robert A. Banyard Inns of Court

     Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a Trial Lawyer Honorary Society

Fraternities/Sororities

     Phi Kappa Phi

     Pi Sigma Alpha