Atty. Daniel A. Berman
Dan Berman co-founded Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman in 1997 with three partners and a conviction that the defense bar was ready for reinvention. As Executive Chairman, Dan has spent nearly three decades driving large-scale strategy and operational growth.
Appellate & More Attorney · Serving Los Angeles, CA · 34+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Daniel A. Berman at a Glance
Daniel A. Berman is a Chairman and Co-Founder based in Los Angeles, California, practicing at Wood Smith Henning Berman Llp. They have 34+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1992. Their practice focuses on personal injury, business, real estate, workers comp, and class action. Admitted to practice in California (1992). Educated at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, (J.D., 1992) and University of California at Santa Cruz (B.A., 1989). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Active member of DRI, (RIMS) •Defense Research Institute. Serves clients in Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Daniel A. Berman
- Dan Berman co-founded Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman in 1997 with three partners and a conviction that the defense bar was ready for reinvention
- As Executive Chairman, Dan has spent nearly three decades driving large-scale strategy and operational growth
- He transformed a two-office California startup into one of the country's leading national litigation defense firms
- Today, the firm has over 550 attorneys and more than 40 offices, coast to coast
- All growth was built organically, without a single merger or acquisition
- Dan brings more than 20 years of experience as a frontline litigator
- He has tried cases of every level of complexity on behalf of Fortune 500 corporations, mid-market businesses, and some of the world's largest domestic and international insurance carriers
- That ground-level experience gave him something no consultant could replicate
- He gained a precise understanding of where law firms waste time, lose money, and leave value on the table for clients
- Drawing on that foundation, he built something the industry had never seen
- He created portfolio-wide analytics that give clients genuine visibility into their litigation programs: cross-matter spend, outlier identification, venue intelligence, and indemnity benchmarking
- The legal industry took notice
- In 2026, Dan was named Legalweek Innovator of the Year
- As Executive Chairman, Dan sets WSHB’s direction and drives growth
- He ensures the firm’s vision stays aligned with client needs
- He also serves as trusted counsel to a select group of companies, advising on high-stakes litigation strategy and program management
- Day-to-day execution belongs to the exceptional lawyers he and his partners have spent 30 years recruiting and developing
- Dan’s role is to make sure the whole system works-and never stops improving
- Beyond the firm, Dan serves on the City of Hope National Insurance Industry Council Board of Directors, the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, and the Palisades YMCA Board of Directors
- He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 Most Influential People list
- He also teaches at the Litigation Management Institute at Columbia University Law School and Loyola (Chicago) Law School - because changing an industry means investing in the leaders who will carry it forward
- Newsroom News •WSHB Executive Chairman & Co-Founder Daniel Berman Named Legalweek Innovator of the Year Firm News, 3.10.26 Community Activities •City of Hope National Insurance Industry Council Board of Directors •Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors •Palisades-Malibu YMCA Board of Directors •YPO Santa Monica Bay Charitable Foundation Board of Directors •CLM Advisory Board •CLM Litigation Management Task Force Steering Committee •California Building Industry Association Legal Action Subcommittee In the News •WSHB Executive Chairman & Co-Founder Daniel Berman Named Legalweek Innovator of the Year Honors & Recognitions •Winner, Innovator of the Year - Law Firm (Individual) at the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards (2026) •AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell •Named a Southern California Super Lawyer (2006 - 2014, 2016 - 2024, 2026) •Los Angeles Business Journal's LA500 Most Influential People List (2018 - 2020, 2025) •Finalist, 'Best Managed National Firm,' Managing Partners' Forum (MPF) Awards (2015) •Finalist, 'Outside Counsel of the Year Award,' Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) (2015) •Senior fellow, Litigation Counsel of America •Barrister, Order of Justitia •Corporate Counsel, Business Litigation (2010 - 2011) •Named a Southern California Rising Star (2004)
Practice Areas Explained
Daniel A. Berman's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Daniel A. Berman handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Los Angeles.
Personal Injury in Los Angeles
Personal injury attorneys help accident victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain & suffering. Most work on contingency — no fee unless you win.
Daniel A. Berman is one of 262,557 personal injury attorneys indexed nationally. Browse personal injury attorneys in California →
Business & Corporate Law in Los Angeles
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Daniel A. Berman is one of 497,491 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in California →
Real Estate Law in Los Angeles
Real estate attorneys handle home purchases, sales, commercial transactions, title disputes, and landlord-tenant matters.
Daniel A. Berman is one of 313,729 real estate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse real estate attorneys in California →
Workers Compensation in Los Angeles
Workers compensation lawyers help injured workers get medical care, lost wages, and disability benefits. Free consult, no fee unless you win.
Daniel A. Berman is one of 54,932 workers comp attorneys indexed nationally. Browse workers comp attorneys in California →
Class Action in Los Angeles
Daniel A. Berman is one of 26,226 class action attorneys indexed nationally. Browse class action attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Los Angeles
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Los Angeles are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Los Angeles Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Los Angeles-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Los Angeles or all attorneys in California.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Los Angeles Choose Daniel A. Berman
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Daniel A. Berman's practice in the field of personal injury, business, real estate, workers comp, and class action.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Daniel A. Berman brings 34+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering personal injury, business, and real estate, Daniel A. Berman can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Los Angeles
A Los Angeles-based practice means Daniel A. Berman attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Daniel A. Berman Handles in Los Angeles
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Daniel A. Berman has experience with under California law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Daniel A. Berman directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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How People Find Daniel A. Berman Online
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