Overview
Daniel Laguardia is co-chair of Paul Hastings’ Securities Litigation practice and is based in the firm’s San Francisco and New York offices. Daniel is a leading practitioner addressing shareholder disputes and crisis management, and he has represented individuals, corporations and various financial institutions in securities litigation, internal investigations, regulatory matters and complex commercial litigation. He has extensive litigation experience across a broad spectrum of substantive areas, including securities and complex financial products, financial markets, mergers and acquisitions disputes, shareholder actions, distressed debt and bankruptcy issues, and commercial contracts, and he has achieved a strong record of success for clients in trial and appellate courts.
In addition to representing clients in all aspects of strategic litigation planning and practice, Daniel regularly counsels clients on pre-dispute situation management, risk control, high-exposure transactions, compliance and board governance issues. He conducts internal investigations for clients and board committees and reviews and advises on corporate compliance provisions, governance structures and controls.
Daniel was a law clerk to Judge Anthony J. Scirica of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 1999 to 2000 and to Judge David G. Trager of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 1998 to 1999.
Accolades
- Litigation Star: New York, Benchmark Litigation
- Litigation: Securities – Nationwide, Chambers USA
- Recognized: Securities Litigation, Legal 500
- Top 50 Lawyers in San Francisco, Attorney Intel
- Litigation Star: Bankruptcy, Commercial Litigation and Securities Litigation, Benchmark Litigation
Education
- New York University School of Law, J.D. (cum laude) (Managing Editor, Annual Survey of American Law)
- University of Chicago, B.A. (with honors) (Public Policy)
Representations
- A technology platform company in securities class actions asserting misrepresentations and omissions in connection with its initial public offering and subsequent offerings.
- Underwriters of an initial public offering of an electrical car company in a purported securities class action asserting misrepresentations and omissions in connection with its initial public offering and subsequent offerings.
- A Canadian bank in connection with litigation involving allegations of manipulation of benchmark rates.
- A Canadian bank in a securities fraud suit involving the sale of a foreign subsidiary.
- A publicly owned restaurant chain and its executives in a securities fraud class action alleging accounting-based claims under Rule 10b-5.
- Underwriters of equity offerings by a life science company in a securities fraud class action arising out of alleged nondisclosure of clinical trial results.
- A U.K. bank in actions involving mortgage-backed securities.
- A U.S. bank employee sued by the Department of Justice for alleged violation of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act in connection with foreign-exchange transactions for custodial clients.
- A U.S. bank in connection with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
- A U.S. bank in connection with litigation over derivative close-out valuations.
- A technology company and its directors in breach of fiduciary duty litigation related to an acquisition.
- A software company and its officers in a breach of fiduciary duty litigation related to its sale.
- A software-as-a-service company in connection with a breach of implementation agreement.
- A technology company in connection with theft of trade secrets.
- A renewable energy company in connection with disputes with a prior owner.
- A medical device manufacturer in connection with litigation arising out of the alleged breach of a merger agreement.
- A biotechnology company in international arbitration, investor relations and situation management in connection with breach of contract disputes and initial public offering.
- A broker-dealer in connection with claims arising out of acquisition of trading entity.
- A steel manufacturer in connection with claims arising out of acquisition.
- A bank in connection with its acquisition by a private equity fund.
- A broker-dealer in connection with employee disputes.
- Leading internal investigations for a special committee of a ride-sharing service company in connection with an investigation into business practices.
- A peer-to-peer lending company in connection with investor issues.
- A special committee of board of directors of a U.S. bank in connection with an investigation of retail sales practice issues and representation of the committee in connection with ensuing regulatory inquiries.
- A board of directors with an independent investigation of corporate governance issues and allegations relating to FX and LIBOR manipulation.
- A private equity fund on an internal investigation, litigation and situation management in connection with potential fraud involving projects across Asia and the Middle East.
- An audit committee of a multinational corporation to lead an internal investigation into accounting and related issues arising out of operations in the U.S., U.K. and Europe and advise on securities regulation and reporting issues.
- A special committee of board of directors of a U.S. bank in connection with an investigation of unexpected derivatives-based trading losses and representation of a committee in connection with ensuing litigation and regulatory inquiries.
- A car manufacturer and its officers and directors in connection with a purported securities class action alleging misrepresentations and omissions in its public statements.
- A crypto foundation in connection with alleged irregularities in trading a token.
- A technology manufacturing company in connection with various internal investigations.
- A technology company in connection with allegations of insider trading.
Pro Bono
- Leading a long-standing class action lawsuit against the Suffolk County Correctional Facilities in New York seeking injunctive relief and damages for unconstitutionally inhumane housing conditions.
Matters may have been handled prior to joining Paul Hastings.
Engagement & Publications
Speaking Engagements
- “Securities Litigation Symposium,” San Francisco Bar Association, Speaker (2024)
- “Accounting Issues for Lawyers,” PLI, Speaker (2020–25)
- “Federal Forum Selection Clauses in Charters,” Securities Litigation Forum, Speaker (2020)
- “Securities Issues Relating to Cryptocurrency,” Securities Litigation Institute, Speaker (2019)
- “Internal Investigations,” San Francisco Bar Association, Speaker (2019)
Publications
- “Close-out Under the 1992 and 2002 ISDA Master Agreements,” Derivatives Laws and Regulations, ICLG, Co-Author (2025)
- “Class Certification in Securities Cases,” Securities Litigation: A Practitioner's Guide, PLI Press, Co-Author (2024)
- “The Best-Laid Plans: Preventing Rule 10b5-1 Plans from Going Awry,” The Hedge Fund Law Report, Author (2014)
- “Report on the Possible Impact of Halliburton II on Securities Class Action Litigation,” New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Securities Litigation’s Fraud-on-the-Market Subcommittee, Former Subcommittee Chair and Co-Author (2014)
Involvement
- Securities Litigation Section Chair, Bar Association of San Francisco (2024-26)
- Securities Litigation Committee Section Past Chair, New York City Bar (2016-20)