Attorney Profile

Daniel R. Villegas

Partner

Mr. Villegas’s practice focuses on defending large entities and corporations in complex product liability, toxic tort, and business litigation matters. He has extensive jury trial experience, including trying many matters for BMW North America, LLC as lead trial counsel. He is a member in the Los Angeles and National Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). This is an invitation only organization of the finest lawyers and judges in America. All attorneys who belong to ABOTA have earned great distinction at trial.

Mr. Villegas has successfully defended major automobile manufacturers in product liability matters of all types and in business litigation matters. He was a member of trial teams that obtained defense verdicts for Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (“TMS”), in high profile catastrophic product liability/personal injury matters where the plaintiffs sought damage recoveries in the high eight figure range. Mr. Villegas was told by TMS’s General Counsel that his deposition of a severely injured plaintiff in one of these cases was one of the best he had ever seen, and it was a key component to TMS’s success at trial.

Mr. Villegas’s trial experience in both Federal and State Courts is extensive. He also has substantial experience taking and defending depositions, including expert witness depositions, and arguing substantive Motions. Deposition testimony he has obtained has led directly to case dismissals, or highly favorable out of court resolutions for the firm’s clients. He also has substantial experience preparing and arguing Motions for Summary Judgment, the great many of which have resulted in the dismissal of clients from complex actions.

  • Sample of Representative Cases:

    Albert Amirian v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2015)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court
    Case No. BC525798
    Judge Suzanne G. Bruguera
    Opposing Counsel: ROBERT F. BRENNAN, A P.C.

    Bagramyan v. BMW of North America, LLC (2016)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC565320
    Judge Robert L. Hess
    Opposing Counsel: LAW OFFICES OF MHER ASATRYAN

    Carlisi v. BMW of North America, Inc., et al. (2017)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC603338
    Judge Gregory W. Alarcon
    Opposing Counsel: Adam M. Zolonz, Esq., Nicholas A. Bravo, Esq.,

    Friel v. Ford Motor Company, et al. (2009)
    Orange County Superior Court
    Case No. 07CC12691
    Judge Geoffrey T. Glass
    Opposing Counsel: AITKEN AITKEN & COHN

    Haroun v. BMW of North America, LLC (2015)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC512877
    Judge Rita J. Miller
    Opposing Counsel: LAW OFFICES OF RENE KORPER

    Ishkhanian v. BMW of North America, LLC (2014)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC529496
    Judge William F. Fahey
    Opposing counsel: LAW OFFICES OF RENE KORPER

    Kim, et al. v. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. (2012)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Southeast District
    Case No. VC059206
    Judge Raul A. Sahagun
    Opposing Counsel: HERZOG, YUHAS, EHRLICH & ARDELL, A.P.C.

    Lizaola v. Ford Motor Company, et al. (2008)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. LC073223
    Judge Robert H. O’Brien
    Opposing Counsel: Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy and Hutchinson & Snider

    Melekyan v. Maserati North America, Inc. (2016)
    San Diego County Superior Court
    Case No. 37-2013-00067083-CU-BC-CTL
    Judge Judith F. Hayes
    Opposing Counsel: THE BICKEL LAW FIRM, INC.

    Perez v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2017)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC608791
    Judge Mark V. Mooney, Jr.
    Opposing Counsel: Natan Davoodi, Esq., Isaac Kohen, Esq.

    Pinal v. BWM of North America, LLC, et al. (2017)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC607638
    Judge Rita J. Miller
    Opposing Counsel: Mark O’Connor, Esq., O’CONNOR LAW GROUP

    Rivard v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2017)
    San Diego County Superior Court
    Case No. 37-2016-00006294-CU-BC-CTL
    Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon
    Opposing Counsel: Erika N. Kavicky, Esq., THE BICKEL LAW FIRM, INC.

    Tommarello v. BMW of North America, LLC (2017)
    Orange County Superior Court
    Case No. 30-2014-00697020-CU-BC-CJC
    Judge Andrew P. Banks
    Opposing Counsel: LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL H. ROSENSTEIN

    Yang v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2017)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC526956
    Judge Elizabeth R. Feffer
    Opposing Counsel: LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL H. ROSENSTEIN

    Marquinez v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. 2017 and 2019
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC617690
    Judge David Cunningham
    Opposing Counsel: MARK O’CONNOR Esq., O’CONNOR LAW GROUP, P.C.

    Paoli v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2018)
    San Diego County Superior Court
    Case No. 37-2016-00036834-CU-BC-CTL
    Judge Gregory W. Pollack
    Opposing Counsel: CHRISTINE HAW, Esq., JAMES L. REYNOLDS, Esq. STRATEGIC LEGAL PRACTICES, APC

    White v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2018)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC638305
    Judge Deirdre H. Hill
    Opposing Counsel: MARK O’CONNOR Esq., O’CONNOR LAW GROUP, P.C.

    Choi v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2018)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District
    Case No. BC638274
    Judge Barbara M. Scheper
    Opposing Counsel: RICHARD WIRTZ Esq. WIRTZ LAW APC

    Madriz v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2018)
    Orange County Superior Court
    Case No. 30-2016-00882645-CU-BC-CJC
    Judge Michael Brenner
    Opposing Counsel: MARK O’CONNOR Esq., O’CONNOR LAW GROUP, P.C.

    Danova v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al. (2018)
    Orange County Superior Court
    Case No. 30-2016-00885403-CU-BC-CJC
    Judge James J. Di Cesare
    Opposing Counsel: MARK O’CONNOR Esq., O’CONNOR LAW GROUP, P.C.

  • Bar Admissions:
    • State Bar of Oregon, 1990
    • State Bar of California, 1992
  • Court Admissions:
    • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • Legal Organization Memberships:
    • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Education
    • B.A. University of Redlands, 1984
    • J.D. Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, 1990