Daniel A. Sasse is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Orange County office. He is also a member of the firm's Management Board and Executive Committee. His practice focuses on antitrust law, including antitrust litigation, government investigations, defending mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, and antitrust compliance issues. He has extensive experience in regulated industries including health care, telecommunications, and energy.
Dan has devoted a substantial portion of his practice to antitrust cartel litigation. This practice includes defending clients in criminal investigations and civil litigation as well as representing many Fortune 500 companies as plaintiffs in recovery actions when they have been the victim of price-fixing cartels. As a leader in the firm's Plaintiff's Recovery Practice, Dan has helped clients recover more than $2 billion in recent years, and has helped turn legal departments from cost-centers into profit-centers.
Since 2018, Dan was named one of the top lawyers in the antitrust field by Chambers USA. From 2014 to 2017, Dan was recognized as an “Up and Coming California Antitrust Attorney” by Chambers USA, noting that clients appreciate that he is “incredibly responsive” and "cerebral but also understands how businesses work in connection with litigation." He has also been recognized as one of the leading competition attorneys in the U.S. and listed in Global Competition Review's Who's Who Legal: Competition since 2015.
The Daily Journal has recognized Dan as one of "10 Emerging Law Firm Leaders in California." Dan has also been named as a "Rising Star" by the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC-SoCal) and by Competition Law360, who placed him on the nationwide list of 10 competition lawyers under 40 to watch. Additionally, the Daily Journal identified one of Dan’s cases as among the Top 25 California Plaintiff's Verdicts. Dan also has consistently been recognized as a "Southern California Super Lawyer" in Antitrust Litigation.
Dan is a leader in the Orange County Bar and community organizations. He is currently President of the ABTL/OC Board of Governors, is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and serves as lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. He is also a past president of the Federal Bar Association/OC, and he served as a member of the CD Cal Local Rules Committee. Dan is also heavily involved in Crowell & Moring's award winning pro bono program.
Before joining Crowell & Moring, Dan clerked for two years for the Honorable, H. Dean Whipple, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Valparaiso University in 1994 and a law degree with distinction from Emory University School of Law in 1997. At Emory, Dan was a member of the Emory International Law Review and Jessup International Moot Court Team.
Representative Matters
- Representing a major U.S. automobile manufacturer as a plaintiff in the In re Polyurethane Foam Antitrust Litigation.
- Representing a major U.S. automobile manufacturer as a plaintiff in the In re Vehicle Carrier Services Antitrust Litigation.
- Representing a major Computer Manufacture OEM as a plaintiff in the In re Optical Disk Drive Antitrust Litigation.
- Defended a major hotel chain in Section 1 Multidistrict Litigation price-fixing class action, successfully having the client dismissed at the motion to dismiss stage. In re OTC Booking Antitrust Litigation.
- Defended Yamaha Corporation of America in the FTC's investigation into Minimum Advertised Price policies for musical instruments, and follow-on civil litigation, successfully having the case dismissed at the motion to dismiss stage. In Re Musical Instruments In re Musical Instruments Antitrust Litigation.
- Represent corporate clients that purchased Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), in price-fixing litigation to recover overcharges caused by international cartel, In re CRT Antitrust Litigation.
- Represent corporate clients that purchased Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels, in price-fixing litigation to recover overcharges caused by international cartel, In re TFT-LCD Antitrust Litigation.
- Defended a major automobile filter manufacturer in Section 1 Multidistrict Litigation price-fixing class action, successfully having the client dismissed at the motion to dismiss stage. In re Aftermarket Filters Antitrust Litigation.
- Represented corporate clients that purchased DRAM chips, in price-fixing litigation to recover overcharges caused by international cartel, In re DRAM Antitrust Litigation.
- Represented a client group that purchased electrical carbon products (including carbon brushes and carbon current collectors), in price-fixing litigation to recover overcharges caused by an international price-fixing cartel. In re Electrical and Mechanical Carbon Products Antitrust Litigation.
- Represented more than 50 corporate clients as plaintiffs' counsel in complex indirect purchaser suit brought in California state court.
- Represented a large telecommunications firm in a suit alleging violations of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Sherman Act § 2 violations, and violations of state antitrust laws; favorable settlement reached on behalf of client.
- Represented a large telecommunications firm in binding arbitration regarding merger condition compliance and Operational Support System interfaces; obtaining favorable arbitration award.
- Represented clients appearing before federal grand juries.
- Represented AT&T, Cingular Wireless, SBC Communications, Inc. in multiple large acquisitions.
- His counseling practice involves the full range of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, trade association law, cartel enforcement, the Robinson-Patman Act, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and the interaction of the antitrust laws and intellectual property.