Overview
Daniel B. Levin is a trial lawyer who focuses his practice on high-stakes crisis and complex litigation, white collar defense and investigations.
Clients call on Dan to represent them in their most challenging matters. A seasoned litigator, Dan has appeared in courts across the country and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ranked by Chambers USA as one of the nation’s leading attorneys, clients rely on Dan to find creative solutions to their thorniest issues involving high profile government investigations, class action and mass torts litigation and complex multidistrict litigation and appeals with millions if not billions of dollars at stake.
Before entering private practice, Dan served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, where he tried cases ranging from tax fraud to and firearm importation, and argued two dozen appeals. He is former deputy chief of criminal appeals in the U.S. attorney’s office.
In his free time, Dan enjoys practicing Pilates and spending time outdoors skiing and white-water kayaking.
Experience
White Collar, Investigations, False Claims Act
Dan helps companies and law firms navigate the complexities of criminal and civil investigations and litigation brought by various branches of government, including the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. attorney’s offices nationwide. He defends companies accused of alleged violations of the False Claims Act, environmental and government contract violations, and criminal conduct such as fraud. He also maintains an active internal investigations practice, advising clients who are subjects of investigations as well as leading internal investigations on behalf of companies and boards.
City of Los Angeles – represented city in $2 billion False Claims Act suit alleging fraud in relation to federal grants for affordable housing, achieving favorable settlement months before a scheduled trial date.
On behalf of an anonymous tax law firm argued in the U.S. Supreme Court in a closely watched case involving a grand jury subpoena issued to the law firm in connection with a criminal investigation into a client.
Clyde & Co. in extracting the UK law firm from a $330 million 1MDB government forfeiture case involving an arbitral award, which the U.S. Department of Justice alleged was connected to a fraudulent joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi.
Plains All American Pipeline in a four-month criminal trial arising from a 46-count indictment following the Refugio Beach oil release. In 2021, Dan defeated hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal restitution claims lodged against Plains when the trial court awarded claimants a total of $150,000 out of the nearly $700 million claimed.
Bechtel alongside two subcontractors in criminal and civil False Claims Act litigation involving claims of false billings in connection with the clean-up of a nuclear waste project.
Class Actions and Mass Tort Litigation
Dan defends companies facing complex multidistrict litigation, mass torts and class actions across a broad range of industries including technology, energy, pharmaceuticals, health care, and consumer products.
Plains All American Pipeline in multiple civil lawsuits arising from the release of crude oil from a pipeline near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, including two class action lawsuits in the Central District of California and a two-month civil trial, which settled before a verdict.
A tobacco company in multiple lawsuits around the country alleging products liability and false advertising claims relating to its line of nicotine pouches.
Juul in multidistrict litigation involving over 1,000 suits, including consumer class actions, personal injury suits and suits by public entities that allege unfair competition, product defect, public nuisance and claims alleging injuries ranging from addiction to death.
University of Southern California in class action litigation involving claims of unfair business practices at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Intel Corporation, in successfully settling on the eve of trial a consumer class action involving claims of unfair business practices with respect to performance of Pentium 4 processors.
A tobacco company in a consumer class action involving claims of unfair business practices, which resulted in a defense judgment after a three-month trial. Successfully defended the verdict on appeal, winning an affirmance after oral argument in the California Court of Appeal and defeating the plaintiffs’ petition for review to the California Supreme Court.
A social media platform in appeals to the Ninth Circuit that challenged the settlement of a consumer class action and the dismissal of a second purported class action alleging that it violated state privacy laws.
Snap in multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California involving claims of product defect and alleged emotional and physical injuries from the use of social media.
City of Los Angeles as lead counsel in litigation arising from the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Ten schools departing the Pac-12 Conference (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Washington) – represented in litigation with the two remaining members and the Pac-12 related to athletic conference realignment, Pac-12 revenues and Pac-12 governance.
MGM Resorts International in civil litigation arising from the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.
Occidental Chemical Corporation in federal and state court litigation arising out of the Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, Louisiana.
Transocean, a drilling company, in litigation arising from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. After a multi-month trial, the court delivered a defense verdict finding that under the drilling contract, BP bore indemnity obligations for the millions of barrels of oil discharged from the Macondo well. Successfully argued appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from the dismissals of private environmental claims and state-law claims.
Commercial Litigation
Kyocera Corporation in state and federal court in Michigan relating to long-term supply agreements for polysilicon used for solar panel manufacturing. Won on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
An investor in an Internet start-up, as lead counsel, in an arbitration regarding control of the company, which settled on the eve of trial.
The founder of a real estate investment firm in more than a dozen lawsuits involving alleged fraud by investors in the business.
More
- Chambers USA, Litigation: Appellate (California), 2025
- Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (California), 2025
- California Lawyer of the Year Award, 2015
- Member of the board of trustees of the John Thomas Dye School in Los Angeles
- Member of the board of trustees of the John Porter Foundation in New Hampshire
- Member of the board of advisors of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice
- Former member of the Yale Law School Fund board of directors
- Amicus briefs on behalf of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Federal Defenders, and other organizations.
- Past co-chair of the Southern California Regional Subcommittee of the ABA White Collar Crime Committee
- Lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference
- Member of the editorial board for the American Bar Association’s State Antitrust Practice and Statutes treatise (5th edition)
- Former board member of the Federal Bar Association of Los Angeles
- Instructor for advanced appellate advocacy at USC Gould School of Law
Publications
- Quoted, “Lawyers: Second Trump Presidency Wouldn’t Break the Mould for DOJ Corporate Enforcement,” Global Investigations Review, November 5, 2024
- Quoted, “Baltimore Bridge Wreck: 6 Months Later, Claims Mount,” Law360, September 25, 2024
- Quoted, “Supreme Court Bribery Ruling Limits Government’s ‘Arsenal,’” Law360, June 26, 2024
- Co-author, “Attorney-Client Privilege Lessons from In re Grand Jury,” ACC Docket, December 7, 2023
- Quoted, “Ex-Allianz Manager’s Legal Fight Tests DOJ White-Collar Strategy,” Bloomberg Law, February 2, 2023
News & Insights
Awards & Recognitions