Daniel J. Kessler

Practice areas

Business Litigation, Employment Litigation: Defense

Focus areas

Employment Discrimination, Employment Law – Employer, Non-Compete Agreements, Retaliation, Trade Secret, Wrongful Termination

Daniel J. Kessler, a partner at Burkhalter Kessler Clement & George LLP, is deeply committed to delivering legal representation to clients across various regions, including Irvine, Westlake Village, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Southern California, and statewide. His primary legal focus revolves around business, commercial, real estate, labor, and employment law. He adeptly handles a range of cases, such as employment litigation defense, pre-litigation investigations, counsel on employment matters, employee terminations, protection of trade secrets, business fraud, commercial real estate, development, land use, and zoning issues.

In 1991, Mr. Kessler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. He subsequently achieved a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Whittier Law School in 1994.

With a career spanning over two decades, Mr. Kessler has vigorously championed the rights of his clients. While he remains dedicated to upholding their rights through legal proceedings, he encourages them to explore alternative dispute resolution methods when feasible.

Throughout his professional journey, Mr. Kessler has garnered notable success, frequently securing multimillion-dollar verdicts for his clients. Noteworthy achievements include a $70 million judgment against Universal Studios on behalf of the creators of the TV series “Columbo” – Foxcroft Productions, Inc., and Fairmount Productions, Inc. Additionally, he obtained a $2.9 million fraud verdict with punitive damages and successfully defended a client facing a $30.4 million claim in a commercial real estate case. Mr. Kessler’s unwavering commitment to maintaining elevated standards of legal ethics while delivering top-tier representation has led to his recognition with the prestigious AV Preeminent* rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Beyond his courtroom endeavors, Mr. Kessler actively engages in the legal community, generously sharing his legal expertise through presentations and lectures. Apart from conducting regular employment training seminars, he has also served as an adjunct professor at Whittier Law School, teaching courses on trade secrets. Furthermore, he has functioned as a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution.

*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., employed in line with Martindale-Hubbell’s certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell administers a peer review rating process, with ratings reflecting the confidential opinions of legal professionals and the judiciary. These ratings encompass two aspects: legal ability and general ethical standards.