Daniel J. Callahan
888-284-0809 (Toll Free)
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