Dan Slaughter practices in the area of commercial litigation.

Before joining Stein & Lubin in 2008, Mr. Slaughter practiced for 18 years at Heller Ehrman LLP, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he represented clients in a broad range of complex commercial disputes. Beginning in 1996, he developed a specialty in class action litigation, defending product liability and consumer disclosure matters for clients in the computer products, insurance, automobile finance and rental, banking and credit, retail services, telecommunications, food supplements, building supply and hospitality industries.

Mr. Slaughter is a recognized expert in California's Unfair Competition Law, Bus. & Prof. Code §17200; he authored the section on that law for the ABA's Consumer Protection Law Developments treatise and has published several articles on the subject. Mr. Slaughter's experience also includes litigation in a wide range of other areas including trade secrets, partition, eminent domain, antitrust, hotel management, financial privacy, securities, corporate governance and accountants' liability.

Mr. Slaughter graduated from Cornell University in 1983 with a B.A. in the dual majors of History and Russian Studies. He earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1988.


Representative Matters/Published Cases:

• Represented internet marketing company in trade secret breach of fiduciary duty matter against competitor.
  
  
• Represented auto parts manufacturer in Lanham Act and unfair competition action by competitor.
  
  
• Represented Creative Labs, Inc. in multiple consumer class actions alleging violations of Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, breach of warranty and related claims concerning MP3 player storage capacity, alleged screen "defect," and sound card audio quality.
  
  
• Represented PDA manufacturer in multiple consumer class actions under UCL, CLRA and warranty theories, concerning shutdown of wireless service, electro-static discharge damage. Obtained denial of class certification, upheld on appeal. Eichorn v. Palm, Inc., 2008 WESTLAW 102222 (January 10, 2008).
  
  
• Authored amicus brief in first California Supreme Court cases concerning Proposition 64 amendments to Unfair Competition Law. See Californians for Disability Rights v. Mervyn's, LLC, 39 Cal. 4th 223 (2006); Branick v. Downey Savings & Loan Assoc., 39 Cal.4th 235 (2006).
  
  
• Represented top rental car company in multiple consumer class actions in California and Nevada challenging airport fees, insurance sales practices, fuel service charges. See Schnall v. Hertz Co., 78 Cal. App. 4th 1144 (2000).
  
  
• Represented national insurance company in consumer class actions in California and New Mexico challenging monthly service fees.
  
  
• Represented multinational bank in consumer class action alleging breach of privacy re credit card third-party marketing, and in TILA class action relating to credit disclosures.
  
  
• Represented vitamin manufacturer in consumer class action concerning nutrient levels, testing regimen.
  
  
• Represented luxury hotel management company in consumer class action relating to gift certificate expiration dates, and in arbitration of management contract dispute.
  
  
• Represented cigarette company, hotel franchiser, hair salon franchiser in class actions concerning gift certificates.
  
  
• Represented Japanese auto manufacturer's finance and sales company in fraud, UCL and Vehicle Leasing Act class actions concerning leasing practices and disclosures. Case dismissed on summary judgment.
  
  
• Represented HIV-positive woman in 6-week trial involving medical workers' unprecedented suit for emotional distress damages from fear of contracting HIV during out-patient medical procedure.
  
  
• Pro bono representation of citizens group opposing anti-gay initiative. Successfully defended city council's refusal to place initiative on the ballot; upheld on appeal, first published opinion in the United States on this issue. Citizens for Responsible Behavior v. Superior Court, 1 Cal. App. 4th 1013 (1991).