Mr. Callahan has repeatedly been recognized by his peers for his incredible accomplishments. He was the winner of the prestigious OCTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award twice in 2000 and 2004. Daniel Callahan has distinguished himself as one of the top trial attorneys in California. 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, he was also named one the Top 500 Lawyers in America by LAWDRAGON, featured in the Best Lawyers in America for five years straight, 2005 through 2009 and listed by Super Lawyers as One of The Top 50 Lawyers in Orange County from the inception of the publication to the present.
The reason for the accolades is simple: results. Since founding Callahan & Blaine, Mr. Callahan has won dozens of jury trials and obtained scores of seven, eight and nine figure settlements on behalf of his clients.
Notable verdicts include a $934 Million 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 the largest in Orange County history. Mr. Callahan went on to obtain a $50 Million settlement in a road design case against the City of Dana Point on behalf of two women who were rendered quadriplegic when they were struck by a motorist while jogging in a bike lane. Exclusive of large class actions, this is the largest personal injury settlement in United States history. Most recently, Mr. Callahan obtained a $42 Million settlement on behalf of a class of delivery drivers against The Orange County Register. This is the highest employment settlement in Orange County's history.
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.
