Daniel Santaniello

Dan Santaniello is a seasoned trial attorney with over 35 years of experience and more than 100 jury verdicts. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, a distinction reserved for experts, and holds the prestigious AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer recognition for skill and ethics. Dan is a member of the invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and, in 2025, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA), where he previously served as President. This honor is presented to just one attorney each year for extraordinary dedication to the defense bar and the legal community. The Defense Research Institute (DRI) has also recognized him with an Exceptional Performance Citation for advancing defense standards and improving the administration of justice. A strong believer in the jury system, Dan is known for his skill in jury selection and for strategies that keep jurors focused on evidence and law. His “reverse reptile” approach has been successfully used to defend some of America’s largest corporations in complex, high-stakes cases. Dan’s practice includes wrongful death, negligent security, commercial trucking and transportation, retail and premises liability, and product liability. He is often retained by excess insurers to oversee litigation and is brought into difficult venues, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas, to try challenging cases. His involvement often shifts dynamics and opens doors to resolution. Beyond trial work, Dan advises on time-limit demands, bad faith, and risk management. He is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Circuit Mediator, a Qualified Florida Arbitrator, and co-founder of ADAAM.org, a diversity supplier initiative connecting clients with top mediators and arbitrators nationwide. He also co-founded TheGavel.net, a national claims defense network. A Boston native, Dan earned his Criminal Justice degree from Northeastern University (1987), then attended Nova Southeastern University Law School on a full scholarship, graduating summa cum laude, third in his class (1990). In 1995, just five years into practice, he founded his firm, now over 200 attorneys in a dozen offices. He still carries a bit of Boston fight—and accent.