Business Litigation; Class Actions; Insurance Litigation

Mr. Daniels has handled numerous class actions in federal and state courts across the United States, and has coordinated the defense of class actions pending in multiple jurisdictions. Mr. Daniels’ familiarity with how the variations in the rules and procedures of different jurisdictions apply to class actions allows him to tailor the overall strategy to obtain the best results for his clients in these cases.

Mr. Daniels has also managed a range of life, health, and annuity matters for a variety of insurance clients. He has substantial experience in insurance matters involving complex issues and, quite often, unusual or novel fact situations. For example, he has handled several cases involving rate setting, and in particular validating the actuarial process used in justifying the rates. He also defended many claims under the prompt pay laws when there was no judicial guidance on the appropriate interpretation of the laws. Mr. Daniels’ experience also extends to all aspects of HIPAA and ERISA litigation.

Mr. Daniels has prosecuted and defended lawsuits involving various legal disputes for clients involved in diverse industries and businesses, including breach of warranty for a major automobile manufacturer, securities fraud involving technology companies, a landowner claim against an oil and gas driller, and lease disputes involving commercial landlords and tenants. His client service philosophy emphasizes responsiveness and a high degree of communication.

• In a class action involving the automotive industry, the San Antonio Court of Appeals reversed an order granting class certification, in one of the first appellate cases to address certification of an automotive class in which the alleged defect had actually manifested in some class members’ vehicles.
• Mr. Daniels argued a case of first impression in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the applicability of the Americans with Disabilities Act to health insurance coverage, which resulted in a ruling that the ADA did not require coverage of disabilities to the same extent as every other condition.
• Mr. Daniels successfully defended a commercial lender against a novel claim that interest on a commercial loan was improperly calculated. The plaintiff supported the claim with testimony from a Professor of Mathematics from a major university, but the jury was persuaded the lender acted properly.

JD, University of Texas, with honors, 1989

• Order of the Coif

BA, Colorado College, 1985

• State Bar of Texas
• Dallas Bar Association
• American Bar Association