Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend


* Daniel Santaniello


Fort Lauderdale
Office Phone: 888.372.8711
Office Fax: 954.761.9940
Cell Phone: 954.298.6691
Email: djs@insurancedefense.net
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Practice Areas

  • Appellate
  • Auto / Fleet
  • Construction Liability
  • Coverage
  • Employer Liability
  • Environmental / Toxic Tort
  • General Liability
  • Other Areas
  • Premises / Dram Shop
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Property
  • Trucking / Transportation
"We know how to try cases and rest assured our opponents know exactly what we bring to the courtroom ... a real battle for the truth."

Dan Santaniello is the Founding and Managing Partner and has 30+ years of trial litigation experience and over 100 published Florida jury verdicts. He is an expert in Civil Trial and Board Certified by The Florida Bar. Martindale-Hubbell and his peers have also rated him AV Preeminent.

Dan formed the firm in 1995 and since that time it has grown into more than 100+ corporate and insurance defense attorneys with more than 200 employees serving clients throughout the entire state of Florida.

Dan served as President of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association from 2013-2014 (FDLA). He has been involved with the FDLA for several years, serving as an officer since 2011 and Board of Director since 2007. He was a recipient of the FDLA's President's Award for outstanding service in 2010, and its Meritorious Service award in 2011 for his contributions in developing the FDLA Medicare White Paper.

Most recently the Defense Research Institute (DRI) selected Dan for its Exceptional Performance Citation 2013-2014 for supporting and improving the standards and education of the defense bar, and contributing to the improvement of the administration of justice in the public interest.

Dan was selected to Florida Super Lawyers in 2012 and 2011. He was also selected by the Daily Business Review as Most Effective Lawyer (Finalist, 2007) for his innovation in handling a multiple Wrongful Death claim that exposed his clients to millions of dollars. Dan is an avid member of the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA) and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).

Dan has full confidence in the Florida jury system and tries large cases regularly. He is adept in jury selection and considers his best asset to be the art of cross examination and presentation of the "big picture" in his quest for justice and the truth. His areas of practice include Wrongful Death, General Liability, Auto and Trucking, Premises Liability and Negligent Security, Product Liability, Toxic Tort and Construction Litigation. Daniel manages the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton offices. He also counsel clients on bad faith and extra contractual liability (First and Third-Party). His knowledge in this area is essential in helping our clients navigate claims with potential excess exposure. He speaks regularly to his clients and other professionals on litigation strategies and emerging laws. Request a copy of his published Florida Jury Verdicts to see some of his trial results.

Daniel was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice (Northeastern University, 1987). He moved to Florida where he attended Nova Southeastern University Law School on a full, academic scholarship and graduated summa cum laude (Class Rank 3rd, 1990).

Martindale Rating

AV Preeiminent

Education

  • Northeastern University, B.S., 1987
  • Nova Southeastern University, J.D., summa cum laude, class rank 3rd, 1990

Bar Admissions

  • 1990, Florida Bar
  • 1991, Massachusetts Bar
  • 1990, U.S. District Court, Southern; 1990, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida including Trial Bar
  • 1991, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Awards And Honors

  • Recipient of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) Exceptional Performance Citation 2013-2014
  • Named South Florida Legal Leaders (ALM) 2013
  • Florida Super Lawyers 2012 and 2011
  • Recipient FDLA 2010 President's Award for outstanding service
  • Selected Most Effective Lawyer (2007 finalist) by the Florida Daily Business Review
  • Named 2012 “Go-To” Law Firm to F500 Companies by ALM.

Accreditations

  • Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by The Florida Bar
  • Approved Instructor - Florida Adjuster Continuing Education and Attorney Continuing Legal Education seminars

Personal/Civil Memberships

  • The Florida Bar
  • Massachusetts and American Bar Associations
  • Board of Directors Florida Defense Lawyers Association
  • Member of the Trucking Industry Defense Association
  • Member of the Council on Litigation Management
  • The Defense Research Institute
  • Miami-Dade County Bar Association
  • Broward County Bar Association

Industries

  • Insurance Companies and Insureds
  • Architects and Engineers
  • Attorneys, Accountants and Professionals
  • Property Managers
  • Commercial and Residential Landlords
  • Public and Governmental Entities
  • State Bureaus & Agencies
  • Adult Living Facilities and Nursing Homes
  • Solid Waste Management Services
  • Gas and Convenience Stores
  • Retail Chains
  • Supermarket Chains
  • Construction Companies
  • Roadway Contractors and Engineers
  • Contractors, Sub-contractors and Suppliers
  • HOA and Condominium Associations
  • Trucking, Motor Carriers, Brokers and Owner/Operators
  • Fleet Operators
  • Rental Car Companies
  • Shopping Malls and Shopping Centers
  • Hotels and Resorts
  • Restaurants and Bars (Dramshop)
  • Domestic and Foreign Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors and Retailers
  • Public and Private Schools and Universities
  • Transportation Businesses
  • Amusement Parks
  • Motorcycle and Component Part Manufacturers
  • Security Companies
  • Internet Companies
  • Computer Programmers
  • Drug Manufacturers
  • Health Insurance Companies
  • Tobacco and related Companies
  • Pesticide Manufacturers and Companies
  • Construction Suppliers

Presentations And Publications

  • Mediating High Severity Claims and Auto/GL Training Topics- Southfield MI - 08/11/2016
  • 2016 CLM Annual Conference Orlando: Litigation Management: Claims Inroads in Managing Litigation
  • Spend. - 04/06/2016
  • Recent Changes Affecting Automobile and General Liability Claims and Damages - Florida Law Update -
  • 11/14/2014
  • Client Seminar: Defending Cases That Involve Letters of Protection - Tampa - 05/08/2014
  • NAMSAP Conference: Medicare Compliance Trends in the Trenches - Miami - 01/10/2014
  • Florida Liability Claims Conference: Aggressive Pretrial Strategies - 06/07/2013
  • Client Seminar: Neuropsychological Claims, Evaluating and Defending Closed Head Injuries - 05/23/2013
  • Client Seminar: Bad Faith - PA - 05/02/2013
  • Client Seminar: The Legal Landscape of Social Media - PA - 05/02/2013
  • Client Seminar: Defending Cases that Involve Letters of Protection - PA - 01/25/2013
  • Client CEU Seminar: Litigation Success - Coral Springs - 05/08/2012
  • FDLA 2012 Winter Conference - 01/12/2012
  • American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians Conference - 01/05/2012
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, PA - 12/02/2011
  • Florida Claims - Bad Faith, Client Seminar, Miami - 10/21/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, Orlando, Florida - 10/14/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, St. Paul, MN - 09/23/2011
  • Medicare Compliance and Best Practices, Client Seminar, Coconut Creek, Florida - 09/09/2011
  • Defending Cases that Involve Letters of Protection, Client Seminar, Coconut Creek, Florida - 09/09/2011
  • A.M. Best Insurance Law Podcast - 08/26/2011
  • Florida Claims, Client Seminar, Richmond, VA - 08/11/2011
  • December 8: Claims Negotiation Skills - Client Seminar - Wayne, PA - 12/08/2010
  • TBD: Claims Negotiations Skills - Client Seminar - Atlanta, GA - 11/09/2010
  • September 23: RIMKUS - Sunrise, FL - 09/23/2010
  • Discovery - Client Seminar - Coconut Creek, Florida - 08/31/2010
  • Claims Negotiation Skills - Client Seminar - Gainesville, Florida - 08/19/2010
  • Tort Reform - 03/10/2010
  • Florida Auto Claims - 03/10/2010
  • Medicare Secondary Payer Statute - 12/08/2009
  • Evaluating and Defending Automobile Soft Tissue Claims - 07/24/2009
  • Litigation Success: From the Accident, Investigation, Discovery & Trial - 05/07/2009
  • Florida Legal & Ethical Claims Update - 04/03/2009
  • Florida Insurance Adjuster Code of Ethics - 11/14/2008
  • Condo Association Claims - 09/19/2009
  • 2015 CLM Conference Palm Dessert: The Millennials in Action: Trial Strategies for a Challenging
  • Generation. - 04/06/2016
  • Florida Claims - 11/14/2014
  • CLM Boca Raton 2014: Mediating High Severity Claims - Creative Approaches and Tactics for Successful
  • Outcomes - 04/10/2014
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