Prior to joining Judicate West, Dan Grunfeld had a long, multi-faceted and acclaimed legal career. He has served as lead counsel representing both plaintiffs and defendants in nationally noted verdicts, led office and state-wide Litigation Departments for two national law firms, served as an office loss-prevention partner, and led the nation’s largest public interest law firm. Yet, he considers his role as a Judicate West neutral and Director of Commercial Arbitration as the capstone of his career.
The opportunity to serve others by crafting a path forward through difficult disputes, and finding common ground where none seems to exist, has defined Dan’s career, and it is what he loves to do. As a veteran of countless disputes, and as an arbitrator, Dan keenly understands the importance of adjudicating matters that are often of fundamental importance to those involved to a conclusion that is legally sound, fair, and final.
In all of his efforts, Dan offers a sharp intellect, doggedness, patience, sound judgment, creativity, carefully honed listening and people skills, and a unique perspective to the dynamics, challenges, and strategies faced by litigants on all sides of a dispute.
Practice Areas
- Business/Commercial Litigation
- Civil Rights
- Governmental/Public Agency
- Professional Malpractice
- Real Estate
Hobbies & Interests
Dan loves to travel and has visited over 80 countries. With a passion for the outdoors, he has hiked, biked, kayaked, and scuba-dived all over the world. He also enjoys reading both fiction and non, finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and is an avid sports fan and golfer. He has served on a multitude of non-profit boards, and civic and bar committees.
Legal Career
- Director of Commercial Arbitration and Full-time Neutral, Judicate West (2024-Present)
- Consultant, Independent; Specialized in trial, litigation, and mediation strategy (2020-2024)
- Leader of West Coast Litigation Group and Office Loss Prevention Partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius; Specialized in business and IP litigation (2013-2017)
- Co-Managing Partner of LA and Silicon Valley Offices and Co-Head of LA Litigation Group, Kaye Scholer LLP; Specialized in real estate, products liability, entertainment and civil rights litigation (2009-2013)
- Partner, McDermott, Will & Emery; Specialized in business and commercial litigation
- Associate, Sachs & Phelps; Specialized in business, commercial, and real estate litigation
- Associate, Lillick, McHose & Charles; Specialized in business, commercial, and real estate litigation (1986-1988)
Education & Professional Affiliations
- J.D., Cornell University Law School (1984-1986)
- B.A., Drexel University (1977-1982)
- Mediating the Litigated Case, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine (2024)
- Chancery Club, Member (2002-Present)
- Pardee RAND Graduate School, Board of Directors (2009-2017)
- California Lawyer Magazine, Editorial Advisory Board (1999-2015)
- Los Angeles Multicultural Leadership Coalition, Member (2003-2012)
- City of Los Angeles Recreation & Parks Commission, Chairperson (2006-2007)
- Mayor of Los Angeles Homeland Security Committee (2006-2007)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association Elections Committee (2002-2007)
- Public Counsel, President/Chief Executive Officer (1998-2007)
Achievements & Awards
- Beverly Hills Bar Association ‘Excellence in Advocacy’ Award (2018)
- Inner City Law Center ‘Katherin Krause Award’ (2015)
- California Lawyer Magazine ‘California Attorney of the Year’ Award for Public Interest Law/Pro Bono (2007, 2015)
- Lawdragon Magazine ‘Top 500 Leading Lawyers in America’ (2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014- 2016)
- Daily Journal ‘Top 100 Lawyers in California’ (1998-2007, 2014-2016)
- Los Angeles Business Journal ‘In Kind Supporter of the Year’ Award (2014)
- Authored numerous articles; Column ‘Grunfeld at Large’ was published in California Lawyer Magazine and the Daily Journal
- Presented for dozens of legal organizations including LACBA, BHBA, Institute of Corporate Counsel, Bloomberg Law Seminal, Judiciary Committee of the CA State Senate, as well as various law schools and diverse bar associations
Contractual
- Extensive experience in business/commercial disputes in a wide variety of cases, jurisdictions, and industries. Matters include: Breach of contract claims involving supply chain, technology transfer, personal services, government audits, accounting, trade secrets, post-merger & acquisition conduct, and international oil rights; Lead counsel in Intellectual Property litigation resulting in my client being awarded one of the five largest IP jury verdicts in the United States the year it was tried; Partnership disputes; Insurance bad faith; Franchisor-franchisee disputes for major auto manufacturer; Litigation within bankruptcy proceedings; International movie distribution rights.
Wrongful Termination
- Counseled management in an array of employment issues, including: Wrongful discharge/discrimination claims against national restaurant chain; Termination of senior management officer at a health care company; Trade secret misappropriation cases involving client lists and proprietary information; Whistleblower activity claims; Separation of CEO from technology company; Alleged malfeasance by, and subsequent investigation/termination of, CEO; Partner withdrawals from law firms.
Environmental Issues
- Experience involving litigation of significant regulatory and environmental disputes, including: CERCLA and RCRA litigation as a result of alleged water contamination in the California Central Valley; Representation of entity involving claims in the Stringfellow site; Counseled regarding environmental justice aspects of City of Los Angeles Clean Trucks Program; Railroad diesel/discharge environmental standards.
Civil Rights
- Experience in representing both plaintiffs and defendants, including arbitrations and mediations, in civil rights cases, including: Represented a class of over 100,000 individual General Welfare recipients in Los Angeles County, leading to recovery of millions of dollars being paid and systematic reform of the General Relief Program; At the request of a federal court judge, represented a group of inmates in prosecuting their Section 1983 claims; the vast majority of the cases were successfully mediated; Defended election voting rights case on behalf of a California county; Housing discrimination case; Census undercount case.
Government Liability
- Extensive experience in both pursuing significant claims against governmental entities and, as a government official, overseeing strategy and response to claims; matters include: Cases involving federal Departments of Housing, Education, Labor, and Health & Human Services; Los Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Agency, Children and Family Services, and Youth Development Agency; and L.A. City Department of Building and Safety, Housing Authority, and Port of Los Angeles; Helped craft and oversee legal defense of the Clean Truck Program in Los Angeles Port; case eventually argued before the U.S. Supreme Court; Lead counsel to a class of over 100,000 individual General Welfare recipients in Los Angeles County, leading to recovery of millions of dollars being paid and systematic reform of the General Relief Program; Investigation by governmental entities of Medicare/Medicaid billing practices; Coordination with L.A. City Attorney’s Office regarding claims brought against the Department of Recreation and Parks; Anti-SLAPP practice when member of the board of a government agency was sued by an employee of the agency.
Professional Malpractice Legal
- Both litigation and counseling experience in handling professional malpractice claims, including: Office Loss Prevention Partner for a Top-10 (by size) law firm; Lead counsel (with the firm’s General Counsel) in a variety of disputes with clients and former clients, both pre- and post-litigation, including mediations; Extensive analysis of underlying legal representation with respect to allegations involving real estate, IP, health care, and case management issues; Extensive consultation with outside malpractice attorneys and insurance professionals; Defended an accounting firm against allegations of professional malpractice.
Real Property
- Extensive experience with real estate disputes, including mediations and arbitrations involving: Commercial landlord-tenant disputes, including breach of contract claims and unlawful detainer; a large habitability case; an expansion of office premises; a commercial construction case; a dispute regarding basis for calculating rent by retail tenant of shopping mall.
Premises Liability
- Experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in wide array of personal injury cases, including premises liability, food and beverage, and auto accident defense, including: Resolution of dozens of personal injury cases resulting from asbestos exposure; Restaurant chain response to a string of cases in a high-profile outbreak of e. coli; Habitability/premises conditions cases involving over 40 individuals; Resolution of serious altercation between patrons at client restaurant chain; Personal injury cases at national storage company and restaurant chain.
Dan is smart, diligent and thoughtful. He has a background in economics and understands transactions very well. He also skillfully reads people and their motivations. Finally, he gives everyone a fair hearing.
- Highly Experienced Legal Counsel Overseeing Corporate Strategy
In all my interactions with Dan, he has been consistently engaged, industrious and thoughtful in the resolution of the various matters that he handled. He is adept at seeing both sides of difficult issues, and I have no doubt that he will bring that expertise to facilitate the effective resolution of disputes between parties.
- Attorney with Four Decades of Legal Experience
Dan is a great team leader, a brilliant strategist, and a great communicator; most importantly, he has good instincts and sound judgment about how to maneuver to a satisfactory result. He understands the differences between litigation and mediation/arbitration. These skills and attributes will translate well to make him an effective neutral in an ADR setting.
- Former CEO of a Large Corporation
Dan brings deep experience in a broad range of litigation areas, both on the plaintiffs and defendants side, to his work as a neutral. That perspective is unique and qualifies him to tackle difficult cases and complex issues and, at the same time, he has a keen sense of people, motivations and values that permit him to find creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
- National Trial Chair at Leading Civil Litigation Firm
As General Counsel, when faced with the company’s most complex and challenging issues, I turn to Dan. His ability to meld a very strong technical skill set (smarts, good judgment and legal acumen) with his impressive “soft” skills (emotional intelligence and people skills, an innate understanding of what motivates individuals and institutions, and the ability to listen carefully and bring groups to common ground) is, in my experience, remarkable and highly effective.
- General Counsel for a Healthcare Company
