Hon. Daniel S. Pratt (Ret.), a former supervising judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, handled settlement, case management, civil law and motion, and probate calendars in thousands of cases during his 20-year judicial career. Highly regarded for his skill in streamlining the case management process in mass tort litigation, counsel have praised his proficiency and resourcefulness in the resolution of diet-drug product liability cases in California. Having since become a full-time mediator and arbitrator, Judge Pratt is known as a decision maker who is also lauded for his thoroughness and careful reading of all briefs and materials that parties submit for mediations and arbitrations.
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Handled all Fen-Phen diet drug product liability cases in California from 1998 to 2006, of which all 4,700 cases were ultimately settled with only two trials conducted
- One of four judges in Los Angeles County who handled California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) cases from 2006 and 2007
- Since 1993, mediated thousands of cases involving a variety of issues, including complex business and commercial, construction defect, employment, environmental, insurance, mass torts, catastrophic personal injury, professional liability, and real property
- Tried more than 700 court and jury trials in a variety of matters
- Taught judicial education seminars, including “Successful Settlements”
- Fluent in Spanish
Representative Matters
- Aviation
- Resolved multiple claims following death of pilots in private jet airplane crash after cargo door opened on takeoff
- Settled payment dispute between owner of high-end private jet airplane and management company that provided pilots and plane maintenance
- Business/Commercial
- Settled commercial disputes spanning construction, employment insurance, healthcare, real estate, and technology industries
- Class Action/Mass Tort
- Mediation involving alleged violations of California Vehicle Leasing Act
- Reached $5 million settlement as mediator for 49-plaintiff case involving quinine products
- Settled for $25 million invasion of privacy dispute between plaintiff class and financial company over conversations recorded without class members’ knowledge
- Employment
- Mediated and settled disputes involving wage and hour, harassment, discrimination, unlawful termination, whistleblower, failure to accomdate, and workers’ compensation matters, including multi-plaintiff cases
- Environmental
- Healthcare
- Resolved cases including disputes between doctors, insurance coverage, medical malpractice claims, medical device, and healthcare-related employment matters
- Insurance
- Personal Injury
- Settled disputes involving auto, construction site, elder care, premises and product liability, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death matters
- Professional Liability
- Resolved claims against pharmaceutical company and pharmacy that child’s exposure to parent’s prescription product caused adverse effects
- Settled claims of improper elder care causing pressure sores and pulmonary aspiration affecting elderly plaintiff
- Settled dispute involving claims that doctor and nurses ignored standard of care in treating child with meningitis
- Real Estate
- Mediated and settled real estate disputes involving land use, landlord-tenant, profit participation, trusts and estates, and property damage issues
- Special Master/Discovery Referee
- E-discovery referee for unlawful termination case involving age discrimination claims
- E-discovery referee on high-profile pharmaceutical lawsuit
- Mediator and discovery referee in $4 million settlement of dispute involving chief executive officer’s termination from healthcare company
- Neutral evaluator on damages in case involving death of family in house fire