Dan Zohar, Partner    |   Lori Schroeder, Of Counsel

About Dan Zohar

In 1998, Dan Zohar left the comforts of his practice at an internationally-acclaimed law firm, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, to start his own firm. Since then, Dan has achieved exceptional results, registering over $591 million in verdicts, administrative orders, and settlements for his clients and for consumers. Dan now focuses his trial practice in the areas of contingency business litigation/business torts, catastrophic personal injury, and consumer rights.

Recognized by peers

For his efforts, Dan is rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, their highest peer review rating for ethical standards and legal ability. For the last five years, he has been selected by his peers as one of Southern California's "Super Lawyers" featured in Los Angeles Magazine. Only 5% of lawyers in a region earn this designation via independent research and polling of active attorneys. He is also listed in the Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers.

National exposure

Dan Zohar has been involved in state and national legislative issues affecting consumers and small businesses. He has met with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. and numerous California legislators in Sacramento. This includes the ongoing fight against arbitrary caps on damages for victims of medical mistakes, where Dan has been a nationally recognized advocate. Dan has been interviewed for his legal expertise on nationally-broadcast programs and has been quoted in numerous publications across the country.

Broad experience, exceptional results

Over the years, Dan Zohar has litigated a variety of matters involving issues ranging from 1st amendment rights, shareholder disputes, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, copyright infringement, wrongful termination, catastrophic torts, wrongful death, and major league baseball arbitrations for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2008 alone, Dan’s efforts saved nearly 3 million consumers over $500 million per year on their Allstate auto and homeowner’s insurance premiums. Representing the acclaimed consumer group, Consumer Watchdog, Dan cross-examined Allstate executives and expert witnesses at hearings conducted at the CA Department of Insurance, proving that Allstate’s rates were illegal and excessive.

Dan has worked on other high profile cases over the years. For example, he served as Los Angeles counsel for Paula Johnson in the nationally publicized "baby-switching case" which involved the negligence of the University of Virginia hospital. He also successfully pursued claims against Motown legend Don Cornelius, creator of Soul Train, resulting in an out-of-court settlement. While at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Dan helped represent a number of celebrity entertainers, major motion picture studios, record companies and professional sports teams.

In 2003, Dan brought the first-ever regulatory challenge to insurance rate hikes sought by a medical malpractice insurance company. In a landmark decision, formally designated by California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi as establishing legal precedent, Dan achieved a victory that saved over 9,000 California doctors more than $23 million. Dan and Consumer Watchdog then challenged the proposed rate hikes of California's largest medical malpractice carrier, which led to a savings of nearly $12 million for 14,000 California doctors. In 2003 they also saved over $46 million for more than 500,000 homeowners in California.

Dan has also been on the cutting edge of electronic discovery, achieving record results. In a case filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Dan’s efforts led to an award of $1,660,000 in sanctions against the opposing party after electronic discovery produced previously concealed documents, proving the bad faith conduct by the opposition over a two year period. Dan has been a regular lecturer and author regarding the use of technology before trial and in the courtroom.

Prominent positions

Dan was elected to become a member of the Board of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) (CAALA), arguably the nation's most active and influential local bar association. He is a three-time chair of the CAALA annual convention (attended by over 1,500 attorneys) and a regular lecturer. He has also been chosen to serve on the Board of Governors for the Los Angeles chapter of the Association for Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL). Dan also serves with leading attorneys and members of the judiciary on the Los Angeles Superior Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

He is proudly a member of the Corporate Advisory Board of Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization dedicated to building universally-accessible playgrounds for children across the United States.

Personal Background

Before practicing law, Dan worked as a tennis pro in England and Switzerland. An avid world traveler, Dan has visited 18 countries on 5 different continents. He is possibly the first person to ever hit tennis balls against the Great Wall of China.

Dan was born and raised in New York and is a graduate of Duke University (B.A. '90) and UCLA School of Law (J.D. '93). He is a member of both the State Bar of California and the Florida Bar, and has been admitted pro hac vice in New Jersey and Arizona.

Dan is married to Meredith Blankenship Zohar (former Miss Virginia and Miss Winston Cup (NASCAR)). Together they live in Los Angeles with their beautiful daughters.

About Lori Schroeder

Lori brings with her more than nineteen years of experience in both the private and public sectors.

Education

Lori is a 1990 graduate of UCLA School of Law, where she was an editor of the UCLA Law Review and an extern for Judge Dorothy W. Nelson on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Following law school, Lori clerked for Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez, also on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lori earned a B.S. in Telecommunication Production from Syracuse University in 1985, graduating magna cum laude.

Private Sector

Lori has spent a good portion of her legal career at some of the most prominent law firms in Southern California, including two years at Morrison & Foerster and more than four years in the litigation department of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her work at these firms spanned numerous areas, including antitrust, health care, medical malpractice, business fraud, securities fraud, real estate disputes, and labor law. Lori also spent nearly four years as Of Counsel in the law firm of Fairbank and Vincent, working closely with Robert H. Fairbank, co-author of the Rutter Group’s renowned “California Practice Guide—Civil Trials and Evidence.” While at Fairbank & Vincent, Lori worked primarily on a large securities fraud litigation, represented a bank in a massive credit card fraud litigation, and participated in litigation involving the sale of several large Las Vegas casinos.

Public Sector

Most recently, Lori served as a Los Angeles Superior Court Referee in the Juvenile Division, presiding over child abuse and neglect cases at the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court. Before she became a full-time Referee, Lori split her time between private practice and serving as an “As Needed” Referee, for a total of nine years in either full-time or part-time service on the bench. The lead-in to this rewarding part of Lori’s career was a brief stint as a trial attorney in the Office of the County Counsel, Children’s Services Division.

Other

Lori resides locally with her husband and two teenage children. When not practicing law, Lori pursues her love of singing and acting, and most recently performed in the Upland, California and touring companies of Menopause the Musical. During the holidays, Lori can be seen caroling at events throughout California with the Michetti-Knowles Yuletide Carolers.