Bergeson LLP

Litigation

When a company or its leaders are at risk, founding partner Daniel J. Bergeson uses his substantial litigation and trial experience to advocate for their rights and reputations in lawsuits involving securities, intellectual property, employment, private equity and venture capital, and commercial law. He focuses on the essential facts to persuade juries, judges, and triers of cases in state and federal courts and arbitration forums in Silicon Valley, Delaware, New York, and other dispute resolution venues nationwide.

Daniel brings more than 40 years of business trial experience to bear in the most contentious and prominent business litigation disputes and investigations. His clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups facing bet-the-company threats. In addition, he has protected the rights of several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and executives in state and federal courts throughout the nation as well as in state and federal regulatory and investigative matters.

Daniel has served as an expert witness in breach of fiduciary duty, employment, and corporate governance matters.
Silicon Valley Trial Lawyer
Daniel is immersed in Silicon Valley’s unique business, venture capital, and tech ecosystem. He represents companies, founders, entrepreneurs, C-level executives, directors, and special committees in high-stakes litigation and investigations. He has achieved favorable settlements and trial outcomes in sophisticated disputes related to a range of claims, including, among others:

• Breach of contract
• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Corporate governance
• Defamation
• Fraud
• Government Investigations
• Mergers + Acquisitions
• Patent infringement
• Shareholder actions
• Trade secrets
• Venture Capital & Private Equity

In 2025, Daniel received national attention by being named by the Daily Journal as one of the nation’s Leading Commercial Litigators for handling “bet the company” cases.  He was named the “2020 San Jose Lawyer of the Year for Litigation – Securities” by Best Lawyers due to his extensive experience defending companies, directors, and officers in securities claims and actions, including SEC investigations, class action lawsuits, and trials and appeals. From 2019 to the present, Daniel has been honored as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation. In 2023, he was named Attorney of the Year in California by the Top 100 Registry and is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America, Northern California Super Lawyers, Elite Lawyer, and America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®. Additionally, Daniel is a Fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America, and in 2023, he was named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

As 2019 President of the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), Northern California Chapter, Daniel helped increase constructive dialogue between the bench and bar and advance the profession. Mr. Bergeson is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF).  The Fellows is a global honorary society of lawyers, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the profession and service to society.

Daniel founded Bergeson, LLP in 1990, following early career experience in large law firms. Daniel also co-founded two venture capital firms, Ascolta Ventures, LLC and Al Shugart International. He also serves on the board of advisors of DOOR, a nonprofit focused on housing affordability, is an active alumnus of the University of Michigan Law School and serves on the Development and Alumni Relations Committee.

Association of Business Trial Lawyers Northern California Chapter – President of Board of Governors, 2019; Co-Chair of 2015 Annual Seminar; Co-Chair of Programs Committee, 2013-14. American Bar Foundation – Fellow. Trial Law Institute – Member. National Institute for Trial Advocacy – Faculty Member for Deposition and Trial Advocacy Programs. U.S. District Court, Northern District of California – Mediation Panel Member, 1998-present. U.S. District Court for the Northern District – Alternative Dispute Resolution Program Member. Northern District Court Historical Society – Board of Directors. Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society – Advisory Counsel. Ascolta Ventures, LLC – Co-Founder. ASI Capital, LLC – Co-Founder. DOOR – Board of Advisors. University of Michigan Law – Development and Alumni Relations Committee Member.

Stanford University Graduate School of Business – EPGC (2012); University of Michigan (J.D., 1982); The Honors College at Michigan State University (B.A., 1978, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)