Daniel J. Santaniello
"We know how to try cases and rest assured our opponent knows exactly what we bring to the courtroom ... a real battle for the truth."

Daniel J. Santaniello Daniel J. Santaniello

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Daniel J. Santaniello
CEO / Managing Partner—Fort Lauderdale

Daniel Santaniello is a founding partner of the firm, which he started in 1995 with Jack Luks. Since that time, he has helped grow the firm into 40 plus strong insurance defense trial attorneys with upwards of 100 employees in seven Florida offices (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and Tallahassee).

Daniel is the firm's CEO and Managing Partner and he brings more than 20 years of trial experience. Martindale-Hubbell and his peers have rated him AV® Preeminent™. He has also been Board Certified in Civil Trial by The Florida Bar.

Daniel was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice (Northeastern University, 1987). He moved to Florida where he attended Nova Southeastern University Law School on a full, academic scholarship and graduated summa cum laude (Class Rank 3rd, 1990). In 2007 he was selected by the Daily Business Review as Most Effective Lawyer (Finalist). Currently he serves on the Board of Directors to the Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA). He was the recipient of the FDLA's 2010 President's Award for outstanding service. Dan is also a member of the Council on Litigation Management.

Over the last 20 years, Daniel has led the firm's litigation practice and tried numerous high exposure cases to verdict. He is adept in jury selection and trial and considers his best asset to be the art of cross examination and presentation of the "big picture" in his quest for justice and the truth. Daniel handles highly publicized cases in the areas of Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Toxic Tort, Construction and Auto/Trucking Liability. Daniel manages both the Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton/West Palm Beach offices. In addition to trying several cases per year in several venues, he presents and speaks regularly to his clients and professionals on insurance defense and coverage topics. Request a copy of his published Florida Jury Verdicts to see some of his trial results. Daniel resides in South Florida with his wife and three children.

Martindale Rating

  • AV® PreeminentTM

Awards & Honors

  • Recipient FDLA 2010 President's Award for outstanding service.
  • Selected Most Effective Lawyer (2007 finalist) by the Florida Daily Business Review.
  • Named 2012 “Go-To” Law Firm to F500 Companies by ALM.

Accreditations

  • Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by The Florida Bar.
  • Approved Instructor - Florida Adjuster Continuing Education and Attorney Continuing Legal Education seminars

Verdicts

Practice Areas

  • General Liability
  • Vehicular Liability
  • Trucking Liability
  • Premise Liability
  • Negligent Security
  • Wrongful Death
  • Construction Litigation
  • Chinese Drywall and Mass Tort Defense
  • Product Liability
  • Boating Liability and Maritime
  • Insurance Law and Coverage
  • Harassment/Discrimination
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Collection & Creditor's Rights
  • Health, Life & Disability Law
  • Federal Practice
  • EPL Labor and Employment Law
  • E&O Professional Liability
  • Environmental Law, Mold and Toxic Tort
  • Appellate Practice

Industries Represented

  • Insurance Companies
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts
  • Financial Services Companies
  • Global Investment Banking Companies
  • Third-Party Administrators for Claims Management and Risk Control
  • Architects and Engineers
  • Attorneys, Accountants and Other Professionals
  • Property Managers
  • Commercial and Residential Landlords
  • Public and Governmental Entities
  • State Bureaus & Agencies
  • Adult Living Facilities
  • Nursing Homes
  • Non Profit Organizations
  • Media & Electronic Commerce Businesses
  • Solid Waste Management Services
  • Gas Convenience Stores
  • Office Product Retail Stores
  • Home Improvement Retailers
  • Retail
  • Supermarket Chains
  • Construction Companies
  • Contractors and Sub-contractors
  • Suppliers
  • Homeowner and Condominium Associations
  • Car Rental Companies
  • Hotels
  • Shopping Malls and Centers
  • Restaurants
  • Manufacturers
  • Product Distributors

Bar/Court Admission

  • 1990, Florida Bar; 1991, Massachusetts Bar
  • U.S. District Court, Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida including Trial Bar
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Education

  • Northeastern University, B.S., 1987
  • Nova Southeastern University, J.D., summa cum laude, class rank 3rd, 1990,

Professional/Civil Memberships

  • The Florida Bar
  • Massachusetts and American Bar Associations
  • Board of Directors Florida Defense Lawyers Association
  • Member of the Council on Litigation Management
  • The Defense Research Institute
  • Miami-Dade County Bar Association
  • Broward County Bar Association

Presentations and Speaking Engagements

  • Client CEU Seminar: Litigation Success - Coral Springs - 05/08/2012
  • FDLA 2012 Winter Conference - 01/12/2012
  • American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians Conference - 01/05/2012
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, PA - 12/02/2011
  • Florida Claims - Bad Faith, Client Seminar, Miami - 10/21/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, Orlando, Florida - 10/14/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, St. Paul, MN - 09/23/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, Coconut Creek, Florida - 09/09/2011
  • Defending Cases that Involve Letters of Protection, Client Seminar, Coconut Creek, Florida - 09/09/2011
  • A.M. Best Insurance Law Podcast - 08/26/2011
  • Florida Claims, Client Seminar, Richmond, VA - 08/11/2011
  • December 8: Claims Negotiation Skills - Client Seminar - Wayne, PA - 12/08/2010
  • TBD: Claims Negotiations Skills - Client Seminar - Atlanta, GA - 11/09/2010
  • September 23: RIMKUS - Sunrise, FL - 09/23/2010
  • Discovery - Client Seminar - Coconut Creek, Florida - 08/31/2010
  • Claims Negotiation Skills - Client Seminar - Gainesville, Florida - 08/19/2010
  • Tort Reform - 03/10/2010
  • Florida Auto Claims - 03/10/2010
  • Medicare Secondary Payer Statute - 12/08/2009
  • Evaluating and Defending Automobile Soft Tissue Claims - 07/24/2009
  • Litigation Success: From the Accident, Investigation, Discovery & Trial - 05/07/2009
  • Florida Legal & Ethical Claims Update - 04/03/2009
  • Florida Insurance Adjuster Code of Ethics - 11/14/2008
  • Condo Association Claims - 09/19/2009

Articles

Medicare White Paper. Medicare Reporting, Resolving Conditional Payments and Taking, Medicare’s Interest Into Account For Future Payments by Daniel J. Santaniello, Director Florida Defense Lawyer's Association (FDLA) and Reinaldo Alvarez, Member

Legal Update 10.1 (January - March, 2011)

Legal Update 9.4 (October - December, 2010)

Law Alert - May 4, 2010: Section 744.301, Florida Statutes. The Enforceability of Pre-Injury Releases Executed by Parents on Behalf of Minors by Daniel Santaniello, Managing Partner and Doreen Lasch, Esq.

Legal Update 9.2 (April - June, 2010)

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Statute Compliance: Primary Payers Current Obligations & Potential Future Obligations in Settling Large Liability Claims.

Author, Santaniello, Daniel J. "In Addition to Spoliation Evidence, Courts will Allow Adverse Evidentiary Inference and Adverse Presumptions Against Party with Duty to Preserve Evidence." Luks, Santaniello Legal Update, 5.3 (2006).