Daniel W. Wolff

Partner

Overview

Dan Wolff represents clients facing enterprise-level risks arising out of government enforcement actions and complex commercial disputes. He is a problem solver who understands how to use litigation, whether as plaintiff or defendant, to achieve exceptional business solutions and outcomes. He counsels clients and litigates on their behalf in federal and state courts around the country in matters arising under the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal statutes, the U.S. Constitution, and commercial contracts. He has deep experience arguing dispositive motions and appeals, in addition to trying jury cases. Notably, The National Law Journal named Dan as one of its 2020 Political Activism and First Amendment Rights Trailblazers.

Beyond the courtroom, clients also seek Dan’s counsel in government investigations of workplace accidents, fatalities, supervisor liability, and requests for company records.

Dan serves on the firm's Public Service Committee and maintains an active pro bono practice. In recent years, he has focused on Civil Rights impact litigation and due process litigation on behalf of special needs students under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.

Immediately following law school, Dan clerked for two years in the Southern District of Ohio for the Honorable Walter H. Rice. He is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Ohio and is also a member of the bars of multiple federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Career & Education

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    • University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1992
    • University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 2001
    • University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1992
    • University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 2001
    • District of Columbia
    • Ohio
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
    • District of Columbia
    • Ohio
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Representative Matters

Administrative Procedure Act / Constitutional Law / Appellate Litigation

  • Dan is a veteran federal district court litigator against the United States. He has brought numerous actions on behalf of clients against Cabinet-level departments or their sub-agencies challenging agency actions and seeking injunctive and declaratory relief under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) or U.S. Constitution.
  • Over the last several years, Dan has secured victories on summary judgment for clients in multiple U.S. District Courts in cases arising under the APA, other federal statutes, or the Constitution, including the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland, the Northern District of California, and the Southern District of Texas.
  • Dan has presented oral argument in cases on appeal before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the D.C., Fourth, Seventh, Tenth, Eleventh, and Federal Circuits. He has co-authored merits briefs in two cases before by the U.S. Supreme Court, both decided in favor of Crowell’s clients, as well as briefs filed in other federal circuit courts of appeals. He has also argued appellate matters in the state/local courts of the District of Columbia and Maryland.
  • As part of his litigation practice, Dan represents clients as intervenors or amici in third-party APA litigation filed by or against federal agencies.
  • Dan advises clients on rights and litigation strategies arising under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

 

Civil Litigation and Trials

  • Dan litigates commercial and other civil cases on both the plaintiff and defense sides. He has represented clients in matters arising under breach of contract, fraud, and civil RICO, as well as matters sounding in tort.
  • In 2022, Dan was part of a federal district court trial team that successfully defended a client that had been sued under federal statutory and state common law tort theories. Dan successfully argued the motion for summary judgment, knocking out the common law claims on federal preemption grounds. Following a week-long trial, the jury returned a verdict for Crowell’s client on the federal statutory claim.
  • Dan has appeared in multiple state-court venues in cases arising under breach of contract and tort theories.

 

Compliance Counseling and Enforcement Defense

  • In addition to his litigation practice, Dan counsels clients on compliance with workplace safety and health standards promulgated by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). He also defends industry clients against citations and penalties issued by those agencies before administrative tribunals.

 

Natural Resources

  • Dan has subject-matter experience in a wide variety of natural resources and public lands disputes, and this aspect of his practice frequently converges with his litigation practice in matters arising under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and federal mineral law and leasing programs.
  • As part of his natural resources litigation practice, Dan has appeared before the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) in multiple public lands disputes, both for petitioning parties as well as intervenors.
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