Daniel Leister
Partner
Dan.Leister@lewisbrisbois.com
Daniel Leister is a partner in the Cleveland office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the General Liability Practice. Daniel is an experienced litigator with a proven track record. He provides his clients with a unique blend of superb legal writing, insightful analysis, and passionate advocacy. Over the course of his career, he has handled a diversity of cases primarily in Ohio and Pennsylvania on behalf of manufacturers, retailers, trucking companies, restaurants, hotels, doctors, nurses, police officers, municipalities, and government officials. Handling appeals is also a key aspect of Daniel's practice, who has authored and successfully argued numerous appellate briefs and petitions to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Primary Area(s) of Practice
- General Liability
Additional Experience
Admissions
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio
Eastern District of Michigan
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Associations
- Public Service Liaison, DRI Retail and Hospitality Division
- Member, CLM
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
Awards & Honors
- "Ones to Watch," Appellate Practice, Best Lawyers, 2021-2022
- Ohio Super Lawyers, Rising Star: 2016, 2017, 2018
Education
University of Akron
Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, 2012
Ohio University
Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 2009
Publications
- “Blaming the Employer: Strategies for Reducing Exposure”, Ohio Lawyer Magazine (Nov. 2016).
- “Ohio Civ. R. 41(A) Notice of Voluntary Dismissal: How One Word Can Make All the Difference”, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal (July 2013).
Representative Matters
- Won at both the trial level and appellate level in case involving a catastrophic industrial accident, in which the plaintiff suffered severe third-degree burns.
- Obtained summary judgment in wrongful death products liability lawsuit after successfully excluding the plaintiff’s causation expert.
- Obtained summary judgments in two different products liability suits—one against food manufacturer and one against an auto manufacturer—based upon judicial estoppel and lack of standing.
- Successfully defended an international hotel chain in a slip-and-fall case involving a CEO alleging $2 million in lost wages.
- Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a food manufacturer in a case involving an alleged foreign object.
Pro Bono & Philanthropy
- University of Akron School of Law’s Trial Team has benefited from four years of Daniel’s coaching efforts.
- Daniel also serves as an advisor to the mock trial program at a middle school in East Cleveland, Ohio.