Daniel Velladao is an associate in the San Diego office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Appellate Practice. His practice focuses on civil appeals, writ petitions, and administrative mandamus matters. Mr. Velladao is admitted to practice before all the courts in California and Tennessee. Mr. Velladao's appellate cases include general liability, professional liability, medical malpractice, qualified immunity, class actions, business law, and contracts. Additionally, Mr. Velladao aids in preparing significant and complex trial court motions, such as summary judgment and attorney fee motions. 

Mr. Velladao has prevailed on a number of appellate matters throughout California and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Velladao has also appeared before multiple districts of the appellate court for oral argument. 

Mr. Velladao also cohosts the Appellate Spotlight podcast with appellate partner Tracy Forbath. 

Previously, Mr. Velladao was a summer associate in the San Francisco office of Lewis Brisbois for the Class Action & Mass Tort Practice and before that, he worked in the compliance department of an appraisal management company.

While attending law school at Pepperdine University, Mr. Velladao was a member of the dispute resolution journal and was a research assistant in the sports law department for Professor Weston. Mr. Velladao also earned a certificate in entertainment, media, and sports and a certificate in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University. 

In his free time, Mr. Velladao enjoys playing sports and attending concerts.

Appellate Spotlight Podcasts

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Tennessee
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
• United States Courts of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Admissions

California

U.S. District Court for the Central District of CA

Associations

• San Diego Appellate Inn of Court
• San Diego Bar Association, Appellate Group

Education

Pepperdine University School of Law

Juris Doctor, 2018

• Certificate in Entertainment, Media, and Sports, 2018
• Certificate in Dispute Resolution, 2018
• Former Executive Editor for the Dispute Resolution Journal

Santa Clara University

Bachelor of Science in Management, magna cum laude, 2015

Representative Matters

Appellate Victories

• Rodriguez v. Lawrence Equipment, Inc. (2024) 106 Cal.App.5th 645 (PAGA Class Action/Arbitration: Court affirmed a judgment on the pleadings because the plaintiff lacked standing to pursue a PAGA action in trial court after an arbitrator dismissed his individual causes of action that were based on the same statutes as his PAGA action.) 
• AGK Sierra De Montserrat, L.P. v. Comerica Bank, 109 F.4th 1132 (9th Cir. 2024) (Contract Law: Court reversed an order awarding attorney fees because first-party attorney fees are not recoverable pursuant to an indemnity provision under California law.)
• Salcedo v. County of Riverside (July 3, 2024, G062403) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court affirmed a judgment after a jury verdict because plaintiff did not present substantial evidence that the jury verdict was incorrect.) 
• Ash v. Grace Greens #1 Homeowners Association et al. (Jan. 30, 2024, B321980) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court dismissed an appeal because plaintiff could not demonstrate how her motion for reconsideration was appealable.)
• Morgenthaler et al. v. Haromartinez (Jan. 30, 2024, B321975) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court affirmed a summary judgment and held that the defendant was not liable to plaintiff involved in a trucking accident if the truck was merely carrying goods owned by defendant)
• Smith v. Entrepreneur Media, Inc. (Dec. 19, 2023, G060839) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court affirmed an attorney fee order following a successful anti-SLAPP motion.)
• Affiliated Temporary Help v. CTK North American, LLC et al. (Aug. 16, 2022, B308558) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability and Business Law: Court affirmed a judgment following a demurrer to plaintiff’s elder abuse and Unfair Competition Act complaint.)
• Harsini v. Lamm et al. (May 12, 2022, B313547) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court affirmed a wrongful death summary judgment in favor of defendant.)
• Mansour v. Farmers Ins. Exchange (Nov. 16, 2021, B298538) [nonpub. opn.] (Contract: Court affirmed order denying motion to compel satisfaction of judgment despite ambiguous underlying forms and contracts because judgment debtor failed to carry burden of proof that judgment was satisfied in full.)
• Lozano v. Palm Communities (Dec. 17, 2020, E073245) [nonpub. opn.] (General Liability: Court affirmed the judgments of dismissal in favor of defendants where plaintiff’s claims for premises liability and negligence were barred by the doctrine of claim preclusion.)
• Strojnik v. Pasadena Robles Acquisition, LLC (9th Cir. 2020) 801 Fed.Appx. 569 (General Liability: Court affirmed the trial court’s order dismissing plaintiff’s ADA claim for lack of standing.)