Daniel J. Dunne joined the firm in 1988 and has a securities, consumer class action and professional liability litigation practice. Mr. Dunne served as chair of the Seattle litigation department until 2007.
Experience
Mr. Dunne’s litigation practice has focused on defense of technology companies, financial institutions, and directors and officers in complex litigation in federal and state courts. He has represented parties in securities, consumer class action, professional liability, corporate governance, patent, and intellectual property cases. He has significant experience over the last ten years litigating a wide variety of disputes involving subprime and non-conforming residential mortgages. Mr. Dunne is a former law clerk to the Honorable John C. Coughenour, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.
In designating Mr. Dunne as a Washington “Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation observed that he “tops the list of the state’s esteemed litigators.” Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business called Mr. Dunne “impressively knowledgeable.” He is also chosen perennially as a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics. Mr. Dunne is frequently asked to lecture and publish on securities litigation, representation of corporate directors and officers, class actions, consumer protection defense, litigation strategy and trial advocacy.
Education
University of Virginia (B.A., with distinction, 1980); Virginia Law School (J.D., 1985). In addition to his membership on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review, Mr. Dunne received the Roger and Madeline Traynor Prize for the best written work by a graduating law student.
Admissions & Courts
Washington; Pennsylvania (inactive), various federal district courts and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Memberships
American Bar Association; Trustee, King County Bar Foundation; Former Chair, Community Legal Services Committee, King County Bar Association.
Representative Engagements
Mr. Dunne has acted as first and second chair in jury and bench trials, including both civil and felony criminal cases. Notable engagements include:
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Complete defense verdicts in complex multi-week trials for Deloitte & Touche LLP (accountants’ liability), Mentor Graphics (federal securities), and Grant Thornton (accountants’ liability). The Deloitte & Touche and Grant Thornton victories enabled each client to recover attorneys’ fees and expenses from plaintiffs.
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A decade of significant litigation and consulting engagements on behalf of companies, officers, directors and auditors engaged in mortgage-related businesses, including significant current engagements for major banks and REITs with substantial subprime-related asset portfolios. In the mortgage industry, Mr. Dunne has defended federal securities claims filed against both subprime mortgage bankers and REITs, successfully defended the accounting for the value of subprime mortgage and servicing assets in a seven-week trial, has prevailed in consumer class actions alleging predatory lending activities, and has been involved in numerous litigation and counseling matters involving the relative rights and duties of issuers, trustees, servicers, and insurers involved in the securitization of non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities, including insurance rescission, loan repurchase, and loan file review disputes.
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Represented companies, officers and directors in successfully defending class actions and shareholder derivative claims alleging violations of federal and state securities laws, or breaches of fiduciary duties, involving financial services, life sciences and technology companies such as Celebrate Express; Loudeye Corp., Cell Therapeutics, Inc.; Vixel; InfoSpace; Luminent Mortgage Capital; BP, p.l.c.; Captaris (fka AVT); Southern Pacific Funding Corporation; Mentor Graphics.; PriceCostco, Inc.; Egghead, Inc.; Geographics, Inc; Aldus Corporation, and Lincoln Savings (American Continental Corp.).
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Represented numerous financial institutions and insurers in defending against consumer class actions, including Household Finance (HSBC), Beneficial Mortgage, Toyota Motor Insurance, Ford Motor Credit, Key Bank, Nationsbanc, Onvia, Four Seasons, and State Farm.
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Represented Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Canada, KPMG and Grant Thornton in securities and professional liability matters.
- Mr. Dunne also has substantial experience in conducting internal investigations for special committees of boards of directors and in representing clients in matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission and other agencies and SROs.
Publications
Speaking Engagements
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Program co-chair “Innovative Strategies for Litigating Class Action Suits,” Law Seminars International Conference, June 2005.
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“Recent Developments in Class Actions in Washington,” 2003 Antitrust, Consumer Protection and Unfair Business Practices Conference, November 2003.
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“Life after Liability: Proving or Defending the Rest of the Case: A Panel of the Annual CLE for the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington,” Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, December 2001.
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“At the 40th Anniversary of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act: A Vision of the Consumer Protection Act’s Next Ten Years,” Antitrust, Consumer Protection and Unfair Business Practices Conference, November 2001.
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“The New Rules of the Game: Reg FD and The SEC’s New Insider Trading Rules,” Heller Ehrman Breakfast Briefing, December 2000.
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“Lessons from the Mentor Graphics Trial,” PricewaterhouseCooper’s General Counsels’ Forum, April 2000.
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“Director and Officer Liability: Liability Limiting Provisions, The Business Judgment Rule and Indemnification,” Washington Law Institute – Advising Washington Business, October 1999.
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“Disclosure Liability: Dealing with Financial Analysts and the Entanglement Theory,” Washington State Bar Association’s 19th Annual N.W. Securities Institute, February 1999.
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“Disclosure Liability: Dealing with Financial Analysts and the Entanglement Theory,” 19th Annual Northwest Securities Institute, February 1999.
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“Consumer Protection Act Class Actions: Practice and Procedure – Practice Tips and Pitfalls to Avoid from the Defendants Position,” 14th Annual Consumer Protection, Antitrust & Unfair Business Practices Conference, November 1997.
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“Effective Discovery Tactics to Debunk Experts,” Second Annual Civil Litigation Institute, April 1996.
