Daniel DeCarlo Named By LABJ As One of Best Litigators in Los Angeles for Second Year in a Row in “Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Attorneys” Feature

July 15, 2021

Los Angeles Partner Daniel C. DeCarlo has been named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s (LABJ) "Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list for the second consecutive year. In receiving this recognition, Mr. DeCarlo joins 88 of the Los Angeles region’s “very best litigators.”

Los Angeles, Calif. (July 15, 2021) - Los Angeles Partner Daniel C. DeCarlo has been named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s (LABJ) "Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list for the second consecutive year. In receiving this recognition, Mr. DeCarlo joins 88 of the Los Angeles region’s “very best litigators.” According to LABJ, the attorneys who receive this recognition “go to the proverbial mat to fight for their clients” and “transcend expert comprehension of the legal system.”

Mr. DeCarlo currently serves as the chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and has nearly three decades of experience in the intellectual property arena. He focuses his practice on complex business litigation matters including the Lanham Act, trademarks, false advertising, copyright, unfair competition matters and other related intellectual property claims. Regularly serving as lead counsel in both bench and jury trials, Mr. DeCarlo has extensive experience in all aspects of federal court litigation.

Mr. DeCarlo is known as a respected and aggressive litigator that quickly sets out a course at the onset of a matter for success. As LABJ describes, “DeCarlo ascribes to a litigation philosophy that stresses comprehensive early analysis and evaluation to plan an aggressive and result-oriented approach.” Never was that more evident than in a recent case in which Mr. DeCarlo was retained to defend a physician who was accused by his adversary of statutory rape as a means of gaining leverage in a trademark, Lanham Act, and franchising dispute. The stakes were exceedingly high as the allegations cut to the core of Mr. DeCarlo’s client’s reputation, along with potentially impacting his license as a physician. With the unwavering commitment of his client, Mr. DeCarlo doggedly pursued every avenue of evidence, eventually leading to a trial that resulted in a complete exoneration of Mr. DeCarlo’s client, a complete victory at trial, and a $1.3 million dollar sanction award against the plaintiff who sought to destroy Mr. DeCarlo’s client’s life and career. The court’s order can be read here.

Other significant recent victories include a successful appeal in the Ninth Circuit in a long-running and hotly-contested trademark infringement dispute. In that case, Mr. DeCarlo’s client had knowingly adopted the trademark of another and the plaintiff sought to force the disgorgement of all of Mr. DeCarlo’s client’s $4.2 million in sales related thereto. After a trial and two trips to the Ninth Circuit, Mr. DeCarlo’s client was ordered to pay nothing for damages, profits or attorneys’ fees. In another significant trial, Mr. DeCarlo obtained a sweeping injunction for his client in a false advertising Lanham Act case. Read the injunction order here.

“It certainly is an honor to be recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the second year in a row as one of Los Angeles’ top trial lawyers,” Mr. DeCarlo said. He added, “I have a lot of people in my corner at Lewis Brisbois and that makes this job not only easier but profoundly worthwhile. After three decades of being in these trenches, I have come to appreciate that successful lawyering is a team sport. I have a great team."

See the full Leaders of Influence list here (subscription may be required).

Please join us in congratulating Mr. DeCarlo on this recognition.