Daniel A. Saunders is a leading trial and appellate lawyer focusing on a wide variety of complex business litigation, entertainment, employment, and white collar cases. Dan represents corporate and individual clients in a broad range of high-stakes civil and criminal litigation and government, regulatory, and internal investigations. Dan has tried more than 40 jury trials and arbitrations, and has briefed and/or argued more than 50 appeals before various U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Dan is recognized as a top practitioner by Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers and by California Super Lawyers for fifteen consecutive years (2011-2025). He has also been recognized as a Leading Litigator in America by Lawdragon and as a top entertainment litigator in Variety’s “Legal Impact Report,” which spotlights leading attorneys in the entertainment industry.
Dan spent 14 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, serving in a number of positions, including as Deputy Chief of the Violent & Organized Crime Section. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dan prosecuted hundreds of cases covering a broad range of federal criminal offenses, including the highly publicized RICO/wiretapping prosecution of private investigator Anthony Pellicano and his associates and the RICO prosecution of Hollywood nightclub owner Eddie Nash for conspiring to commit the infamous “Wonderland murders.” Dan received the Prosecutor of the Year award from the Los Angeles County Bar Association, as well as the Department of Justice's Director's Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Dan has taught trial advocacy and evidence courses at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, and also served for seven years as a professor of constitutional law and criminal procedure at Glendale University College of Law. He has lectured on the American criminal justice system and prosecution of organized crime, money laundering, and public corruption cases at international conferences in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, the Czech Republic, and the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary.
He clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge Robert Boochever.
Work Highlights
- Actor Scarlett Johansson in a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging that The Walt Disney Company interfered with her contract to receive a box-office bonuses from the Marvel Entertainment film, Black Widow, by forcing its wholly-owned subsidiary Marvel to release Black Widow on its Disney+ streaming service simultaneously with the film’s release in theatres, in violation of Marvel’s commitment to an exclusive theatrical release.
- Actor Leah Remini in a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige, alleging defamation, harassment, stalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other claims arising from Scientology’s alleged “Fair Game” attacks against her in retaliation for publicly exposing Scientology’s practices and advocating for its former members.
- Actors David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel and author-producer Kathy Reichs, the stars and creator of the hit TV series “Bones,” in an arbitration against 21st Century Fox, Fox Broadcasting Company, and other Fox entities alleging self-dealing and fraud. The case resulted in a $179 million award, the largest arbitration award ever issued in a profit participation dispute.
- Nikola Motor Company, a high-profile, publicly traded manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial electric trucks & energy solutions, in an 8-day arbitration which resulted in a $165 million arbitration award, plus interest, against its founder, former CEO and Executive Director, Trevor Milton.
- The Ford Motor Company in a civil RICO lawsuit that Ford filed in Los Angeles federal court against California lawyers and law firms alleging that they fraudulently padded and inflated their bills resulting in at least $100 million in fraudulent fees incurred by Ford and other automakers, and in a related grand jury investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.
- Actor Joseph Gatt in a lawsuit against former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, the City and County of Los Angeles, and others for civil rights violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other claims resulting from an allegedly baseless criminal investigation based on fabricated evidence that resulted in him being falsely arrested and publicly branded a pedophile before the eventual dismissal of all charges.
- Election logistics firm Konnech and its founder, Eugene Yu, in a lawsuit against former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón and Los Angeles County arising out of the false arrest of Mr. Yu and the improper search and seizure of his and Konnech’s computer equipment, all of which were based on false claims by election conspiracy theorists that Konnech had stored sensitive poll worker data on servers in China. Los Angeles County settled the lawsuit for $5 million and a public proclamation of Mr. Yu’s innocence.
- Producers of a hit television series in a confidential arbitration against a producing studio and network alleging breach of contract, self-dealing, and fraud; clients secured substantial damages award.
- Entertainment guild in multiple arbitrations against television studios for underpayment of member residuals in connection with their licensing of television series to affiliated streaming services.
- Genting Malaysia Berhad in a $1 billion lawsuit against 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company over intellectual property licensing for a planned Fox-branded theme park in Malaysia.
- Las Vegas resort and casino in its defense against alleged trade dress and copyright infringement claims relating to a $4 billion construction project; secured stipulated dismissal of complaint.
- Canadian businessman Frank Stronach in a $40 million lawsuit brought by a former partner for share of The Stronach Group’s racing and gaming assets; secured full dismissal of complaint as against client.
- Independent film producer under investigation by the FBI and IRS for conducting an alleged Ponzi scheme; successfully persuaded the government to close its investigation with no filing of charges.
- Operator of Los Angeles charter schools in a multi-agency federal investigation for alleged misuse of educational funds; secured non-prosecution agreement.
- Aspire Music Group in a breach of contract lawsuit against Universal Music Group and Lil Wayne’s record label Young Money Entertainment over unpaid profits and royalties from recording artist Drake’s albums.
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