Daniel is a leading white-collar and investigations lawyer and head of the firm’s West Coast Regulatory and Investigations practice. A former federal prosecutor and DOJ trial attorney, he guides clients through government investigations, enforcement actions, and high-stakes litigation, with an unyielding focus on results. He is also regularly called upon by companies to conduct sensitive internal investigations, often across borders.
Daniel has deep experience in matters involving trade enforcement, economic sanctions, domestic and foreign corruption, RICO, consumer protection, environmental offenses, civil rights, and financial fraud, including securities fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering. He speaks and writes regularly on a range of white-collar and compliance issues, with major publications, including Bloomberg, Global Investigations Review, and the Wall Street Journal, turning to him for thought leadership.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Representing company in FCPA investigation involving alleged corruption in Latin America.
Defending individual in high-profile federal corruption investigation.
Defending family of companies in large-scale OFAC enforcement action and related investigation.
Anti-corruption and economic sanctions
Representing company in FCPA investigation involving alleged corruption in Latin America.
Defending individual in high-profile federal corruption investigation.
Defending family of companies in large-scale OFAC enforcement action and related investigation.
Advising Korean company with respect to sanctions risk.
Conducted internal investigation for global company involving alleged corruption and other misconduct in China.
Conducted compliance monitorship in connection with one of the largest ever FCPA resolutions.
Advised multinational companies in connection with FCPA investigations in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Provided FCPA and anti-corruption compliance counseling for multinational company, including with respect to due diligence relating to agents, consultants, distributors, and other third parties.
Conducted multiple FCPA trainings for legal, compliance, and business personnel on behalf of multinational company.
Crafted successful motion to dismiss on behalf of executive in SEC action alleging violations of FCPA’s anti-bribery and accounting provisions.
White-collar criminal defense and regulatory compliance
Advising multinational company in connection with congressional criminal referral and high-profile national-security and fraud investigation.
Representing global company in procurement-fraud investigation relating to alleged conduct in China and elsewhere.
Representing national company in connection with federal health-care-fraud investigation.
Defending individual in federal bank-fraud and money-laundering prosecution.
Defending individual in cross-border money-laundering prosecution and extradition proceeding.
Representing individual in Ninth Circuit appeal raising novel cross-border investigation issues.
Convinced federal prosecutors to unwind guilty pleas and move to dismiss all criminal charges against company and its owners in bet-the-company community-safety and false-statements case.
Secured immunity and non-prosecution for individual and his companies in connection with $200 million cross-border fraud investigation, despite federal prosecutors and FBI initially viewing them as aiders and abettors.
Secured declination from U.S. Department of Justice’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in connection with investigation related to high-profile fraud matter.
Obtained declination from a district attorney’s office on behalf of celebrity client in high-profile criminal investigation.
Successfully represented global company in HSI immigration audit and investigation, resulting in no penalties.
Recovered all seized assets from Secret Service and U.S. Department of Justice following submission of petition for remission.
Counseled national company with respect to DEI policies and practices.
Consumer protection
Defending company in investigation by California Attorney General’s Office alleging violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law.
Representing financial institution in investigation by California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
Obtained dismissal from Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in criminal consumer-protection action involving alleged overcharging of customers.
Secured declination from California Attorney General’s Office in connection with complaint-driven consumer-protection and privacy investigation involving auto-renewal and disclosure allegations.
Secured declination from California state agency alleging slack-fill violations.
Obtained highly favorable resolution for multinational company in connection with sweepstakes and false-advertising investigation by multiple California district attorneys’ offices.
Environmental enforcement
Representing energy company in audit and investigation by California Public Utilities Commission.
Representing energy company in audit by DOD.
Secured withdrawal of pleas and dismissal of all criminal charges in case in which U.S. Attorney’s Office and EPA alleged hazardous-waste treatment and disposal in violation of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Clean Water Act.
Securities enforcement
Secured declination from SEC on behalf of compliance officer in connection with high-profile fraud investigation.
Secured declination from FINRA on behalf of global investment bank in connection with sweep focused on disclosure practices in derivative and swap transactions.
Defended individual in parallel SEC and DOJ matter involving offering fraud.
Criminal referrals
Assisting companies and executives with criminal referrals to FBI, including with respect to extortion, threats, and fraud.
Convinced court to issue order referring party to law enforcement for criminal prosecution based on party’s threats to extort company-client.
Convinced federal prosecutors and FBI to bring wire-fraud and money-laundering charges against individual who committed large-scale fraud against company-client, resulting in guilty plea, custodial sentence, and order of restitution.
Convinced federal law enforcement, including FBI and HSI, to commence investigation on behalf of clients relating to counterfeiting, cyber fraud, wire fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Commercial disputes
Representing individual and companies in high-profile federal RICO lawsuit.
Representing individual in investment-fraud lawsuit.
Led sensitive internal investigation on behalf of financial institution that uncovered self-dealing by former director, resulting in monetary demand and full pre-litigation recovery.
Obtained complete victory on behalf of a stock exchange in FINRA arbitration at motion-to-dismiss stage.
Obtained eve-of-trial settlement providing complete relief to judges of a Superior Court in dispute over adequate staffing for court security.
U.S. Department of Justice
Trial conviction of securities broker who brought victims into nationwide investment scheme.
Trial conviction of doctor who was charged in connection with nationwide investigation into $257 million in fraudulent billing.
Conviction of multiple health care executives and corporate defendants arising from one of the largest health care frauds in California history involving nearly $1 billion in fraudulent billing that generated over $50 million in kickback payments.
Trial conviction of company president for committing large-scale tax fraud and making false statements to IRS.
Trial conviction of former public official and attorney for engaging in pay-to-play scheme.
Conviction of former president and CEO of major organization in connection with high-profile corruption investigation.
Recognitions
- 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 Business of Law Visionaries, 2025
Credentials
Education
Education
- University of Southern California, 2004, J.D., Editor-in-Chief, Southern California Law Review; Lawyering Skills Instructor and Legal Writing Fellow; Western Regional Scholar
- Johns Hopkins University, 2000, M.A., Bryce Harlow Fellow; Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Biola University, 1997, B.A., magna cum laude, Epsilon Kappa Epsilon; Young Alumnus of the Year Award
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- California
Court admissions
Court admissions
- 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
Clerkships
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit, Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson
- U.S. District Court - Central District of California, Honorable Gary L. Taylor
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Insights
Blogs
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Events
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