Throughout his career in private practice, Dan Lawton has specialized in civil appeals, trial work, and complex litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Lawton is principally a trial and appellate lawyer; trial and appeals occupy about 90% of his practice. <p>Mr. Lawton has tried multiple jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations, and litigated many cases to disposition short of trial (by way of dispositive motions). Over the seventeen years he has practiced, his caseload has included cases involving unfair competition, below-cost pricing, federal and state antifraud laws, sex discrimination, shareholder derivative actions, real estate-related litigation, the California Subdivision Map Act, saving and loan-related litigation, insurance bad faith, officer and director liability, RICO, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, anti-SLAPP litigation, trademark infringement, partnership dissolutions, surety and antideficiency law, the UCC, product liability, breach of contract, negligence, slander, First Amendment, governmental liability under the federal Administrative Procedure Act and federal and California Tort Claims Acts and 42 I.S.C. section 1983, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, immigration issues, the U.C. fertility clinic scandal, wrongful termination, stock option disputes, professional fee disputes, professional sports-related matters, the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act, civil contempt, legal and accounting malpractice, and other topics. Mr. Lawton has obtained settlements and judgments in his clients' favor totaling millions of dollars, and recently obtained what is believed to be the third-largest judgment in the legal history of Imperial County (for $12 million, after a nine-week jury trial). Mr. Lawton has handled civil appeals and writs in both the California and federal courts. <p>Mr. Lawton's corporate clients have included employers, manufacturers and distributors of various products, landowners and property developers, large corporations, a local major league baseball franchise, life sciences companies, automobile dealerships, and "mom-and-pop" businesses. His individual clients have included officers, directors, and shareholders (both majority and minority) of corporations, bankers, elected officials, politicians, professional athletes and coaches, athlete agents, attorneys, accountants, land owners, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and other individuals. <p>Mr. Lawton and his staff have devoted their practice to clients that demand the highest level of skill, expertise, and use of technical practice tools which enable them to take on large firms and complex litigation while at the same time providing personalized and responsive service. |
