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Recognized by Chambers USA as “a strong litigator with excellent experience as a former prosecutor,” Daniel Ahn is a leading white-collar and investigations lawyer and a key member of Reed Smith’s Regulatory and Investigations practice group. A former senior federal prosecutor and DOJ trial attorney, Daniel advises and defends clients through corporate crises, leads sensitive internal and government investigations, and provides proactive compliance counseling. Since joining the firm from the Los Angeles-based U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2022, Daniel has quickly amassed an array of extraordinary victories in some of his clients’ most consequential matters, including:

  • Convincing federal prosecutors to unwind guilty pleas and move to dismiss all criminal charges against a business and its owners in a bet-the-company environmental case – an achievement for which Daniel and his team were recognized in AmLaw Litigation Daily’s Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs.
  • Convincing a city attorney’s office to move to dismiss all criminal charges against a company in a consumer-protection case based on disclosure issues.
  • Securing immunity and non-prosecution for an individual and his companies in connection with a $200 million cross-border fraud investigation, despite federal prosecutors and the FBI initially viewing them as aiders and abettors.
  • Obtaining a declination from the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI in connection with a billion-dollar fraud matter.
  • Securing a declination from a state attorney general’s office following a complaint-driven consumer-protection investigation based on data-privacy issues.
  • Leading a sensitive internal investigation on behalf of a financial institution that uncovered self-dealing by a former director, resulting in a monetary demand and full pre-litigation recovery.
  • Obtaining an eve-of-trial settlement that provided complete relief to judges of a Superior Court in a dispute over adequate staffing for court security.
  • Convincing a court to issue an order referring a party to law enforcement for criminal prosecution, effectively ending long-running litigation.
  • Convincing federal prosecutors and the FBI to bring wire-fraud and money-laundering charges against an individual who committed a large-scale fraud against a victim company-client.

Credentials

  • University of Southern California, 2004, J.D., Editor-in-Chief, Southern California Law ReviewLawyering Skills Instructor and Legal Writing Fellow; Western Regional Scholar
  • Johns Hopkins University, 2000, M.A., Bryce Harlow Fellow, Distinguished Alumnus Award (2021)
  • Biola University, 1997, B.A., magna cum laude, Epsilon Kappa Epsilon, Young Alumnus of the Year Award (2005)

  • California

  • U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of California
  • U.S. Supreme Court

  • Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson, U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit, 22 August 2005 to 25 August 2006
  • Honorable Gary L. Taylor, U.S. District Court - Central District of California, 2 August 2004 to 5 August 2005

  • English

Awards & Recognition

  • AmLaw Litigation Daily, Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs, 2025
  • Ranked in Chambers USA for California Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2025
  • Los Angeles Times 2025 Business of Law Visionaries
  • The Los Angeles Business Journal 2024 Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys
  • Practice recognized in The Legal 500 USA for Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Corporates, 2024-2025
  • Circle of Excellence in Teaching Award, California State University, Fullerton (2023)
  • Special Commendation in recognition of exemplary service, Korean Prosecutors Association (2022)
  • Special Commendation in recognition of exemplary service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (2022)
  • Special Commendation in recognition of exemplary service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (2022)
  • Special Commendation in recognition of exemplary service, U.S. Department of Justice (2022)
  • Special Achievement Award for demonstrated excellence in successfully prosecuting health care fraud, Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General (2022)
  • Special Commendation for demonstrated excellence in successfully prosecuting health care fraud, Federal Bureau of Investigation (2021)
  • Special Commendation for demonstrated excellence in successfully prosecuting public corruption, Federal Bureau of Investigation (2021)
  • Distinguished Alumnus Award, Johns Hopkins University (2021)
  • Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award, California State University, Fullerton (2019)