Dan Robinson

Dan Robinson Law provides Fortune 500 - level legal services to small businesses and those with disabilities.

After serving as a clerk for the current Chief Judge of the Central District of California, Dan spent twelve years practicing commercial litigation at large international law firms in San Francisco and a commercial litigation boutique firm in Los Angeles. He represented companies including some of the world’s largest corporations in Federal Court in jurisdictions around the United States, as well as in international arbitrations and the Federal Trade Commission. He litigated cases for Samsung, Microsoft, Huawei, Ariba, MySpace, and others, arguing in courts in North Carolina, Illinois, California, Texas, and Washington D.C. A list of some of his cases can be found here. At the same time, he maintained a robust pro bono practice focused on disability, special education, civil rights, and healthcare-related matters.

In 2019, Dan left the world of corporate litigation to pursue his passion for representing individuals. His new practice focuses on small business and disability rights law. He takes the litigation skills he honed representing international corporations and puts them to use helping small businesses and individuals who need them the most.

Dan Robinson Law, P.C. is based in Ventura County, California.

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California

Since 2007

9th Circuit

Since 2008

Federal Circuit

Since 2010

Attorney

Dan Robinson, Attorney at Law

2019 - Current

Dan spent twelve years practicing commercial litigation at large international law firms. He represented companies including some of the world’s largest corporations in Federal Court in jurisdictions around the United States, as well as in international arbitrations and the Federal Trade Commission. For example, he litigated cases for Samsung, Microsoft, Huawei, Ariba, MySpace, and others, arguing in courts in North Carolina, Illinois, California, Texas, and Washington D.C. At the same time, he maintained a robust pro bono practice focused on disability, special education, civil rights, and healthcare-related matters. Recently, Dan left the world of corporate litigation to pursue his passion for representing individuals who have been victimized by the government, companies and scam artists. His new practice focuses on disputes confronting those with special needs (special education, disability rights, benefits, discrimination) and those victimized by fraud or faulty services including construction defects and investment scams. Dan hopes to take the litigation skills he honed while representing international corporations and put them to use helping individuals who need them the most. His new firm, Dan Robinson Law, is based in Ventura County, California.

Attorney

Lombardi & Donohue

2017 - 2019

Represents clients in commercial litigation involving real estate, transactions, partnerships and intellectual property. Dan works with clients to find creative and cost-effective resolutions to business disputes in and out of the courtroom.

Attorney

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

2015 - 2017

Represented clients including small businesses and major corporations in patent and trade secret litigation, international arbitration, and general commercial litigation. Among other achievements: o Achieved a major victory in an international trade secret arbitration, later confirmed in federal court, including an award for damages and a nationwide injunction prohibiting the respondent’s products from sale in the United States. Drafted the arbitration brief and examined and cross-examined fact and expert witnesses at the week-long arbitration hearing.

Associate Attorney

Covington & Burling LLP

2008 - 2015

Represented companies in intellectual property litigation in federal court, the International Trade Commission, and the Federal Circuit. Among other achievements: o Represented a major telecommunications company in international arbitration to establish a royalty rate for a major portfolio of wireless patents, including examining and cross-examining key expert witnesses during the hearing. o Represented a leading smartphone maker in a patent infringement dispute in the Northern District of Illinois, briefing the motions that led to Judge Posner’s groundbreaking decision on patent damages. o Represented Samsung in multiple patent litigations involving wireless communication devices. Drafted winning summary judgment motions in resulting in dismissal of claims in favor of Samsung in two cases. o Represented pro bono clients in disability, civil rights and healthcare-related matters in federal court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and state court, including a 4-day jury trial in federal district court culminating in a winning settlement at the eve of closing statements.

Law Clerk to Hon. Virginia A. Phillips, U.S. District Court Judge

U.S. District Court, Central District of California

2007 - 2008

University of Minnesota Law School

J.D. (2007) | Law

2004 - 2007

Honors: summa cum laude Order of the Coif • Minnesota Law Review Vol. 35 & 36 Memorial Award for Outstanding Staff Writing • Minnesota Law Review Vol. 90 Award for Outstanding Performance in Managing Duties • 2006-2007 Sidney J. Kaplan Legal Scholarship Award for Outstanding Third Year Performance • Book Awards (highest grade): Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Evidence • Best Oral Argument, First Year Legal Writing Section • Dean’s List with an A, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 • Dean's Elite Scholar

Activities: Minnesota Law Review, Managing Editor.

Rice University

B.A. | Music, Electrical Engineering

1986 - 1992

Activities: Sprawl

Selected for "Lawyers on the Fast Track"

The Recorder

2013

Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing

The Burton Awards

2007

Jerome H. Berenson Inn of the American Inns of Court

Member

2018 - Current

Ventura County Bar Association

Member

2017 - Current

Los Angeles County Bar Association

2017 - Current

Bar Association of San Francisco

2008 - 2018

Thomas Lombardi and Dan Robinson, Intellectual Property Rights in Real Property: How to Avoid Paying Millions to Graffiti Artists

Real Prop. L. J. (Vol. 37, Issue 2, 2019).

Court of Appeal Further Limits Landlords' Defenses Against Fraud in Leasing

Cal. Lawyers' Association Real Prop. L. News

July, 2019

Fighting for My Son

California Lawyer Magazine

August, 2013

Case Study: CLS Bank V. Alice Corp. (July 25, 2012)

Law360

July 25, 2012

Embracing Equity: A New Remedy for Wrongful Health Insurance Denials

Minnesota Law Review

2006

Intellectual Property Rights in Real Property: How to Avoid Paying Millions to Graffiti Artists, Continuing Legal Education course offered by the California Lawyer's Association

March 21, 2019

California Lawyer's Association

Q. Somebody is selling goods using my mark. They claim to have been using it before I filled. What can I do?

July 13, 2020

A: If your mark is registered, and assuming that they are telling the truth about using the mark first, you can sue to have their mark limited to a certain geographic area or a certain type of product/service. In a case I dealt with like this, a lawsuit was filed but the parties came to an agreement to split the mark geographically and settled the case -- I think that's what a smart businessperson would end up doing. But as a first step, I'd do some research to see if they are telling the truth about using the mark before you. If they are not telling the truth then I'd get a lawyer to send a cease and desist, which sometimes works better than one coming from a non-lawyer. And if that doesn't work, and if it is worth the money, you can sue. ... Read More

Q. Hi, Can I sue someone who took my company van picture at gas station and posted 1 star review on Yelp?

July 13, 2020

A: As Maurice said, you can sue anybody for anything. The question is whether you have a chance of winning. Here, the question is whether the reviewer said or implied anything false. If so, then depending on the specific circumstances, you may be able to sue for a court order forcing him to take down or change the posting, especially if he or she is a competitor.

It would be a lot harder to sue for money damages, which would require proof of financial harm. That's not impossible, but it's more expensive because you have to hire an expert witness to testify about the harm to your business. For most companies, it will be especially difficult to show that a downturn in business was related to a Yelp review if the downturn also happened during COVID.

Ultimately the question will be (as usual) whether the cost of a lawsuit is worth the benefit of getting the review taken down. Lawsuits are expensive. As Maurice said, asking Yelp to take the review down would be a much less expensive first step. ... Read More

Q. Should respondeat superior apply to a principal’s liability for torts committed by independent contractors?

June 12, 2020

A: It depends. I have sued a property owner for damage caused by its contractor. But it's unlikely that respondeat superior will apply. A principal can instead be held liable based on its own negligence in hiring, instructing, equipping, or directing the contractor.

But there's a twist: as you may know, California recently tightened the definition of who can be considered an independent contractor as opposed to an employee in AB5. So the first question is: is the contractor really a contractor? Or is he or she an employee? Employers can generally be sued on a respondeat superior theory.

The other key thing to look at is the contract between the principal and the contractor. It will often spell out specifically who is liable for what types of damage. It may also require one party to indemnify the other party for certain types of lawsuits. ... Read More