About Daniel Joseph
Daniel Joseph Kessler is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1994. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Kessler is a founding partner and managing partner at Burkhalter Kessler Clement & George LLP, a law firm located in Irvine, California. He has been practicing law for over 30 years, serving clients throughout Southern California.
Mr. Kessler earned his Juris Doctor degree from Whittier College School of Law in Los Angeles, California, graduating magna cum laude in 1994. He ranked fourth in his law school class and was a recipient of numerous honors, including national moot court competition awards. During law school, he also served as an editor of the Whittier College School of Law Review. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1991.
Mr. Kessler concentrates his practice in the areas of business and commercial law, employment litigation defense, trade secret law, real estate law, and land use/zoning. He represents individuals and businesses in matters involving employment terminations, real estate development disputes, fraud, conspiracy, and water rights. His practice encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kessler has handled cases in the Superior Court of California for the County of Orange, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also appeared before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Prior to founding his own firm, he clerked for the Honorable Kenneth R. Harkins of the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. He has been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer for Business Litigation each year since 2011 and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system, the highest ranking in legal ability and ethics.
Mr. Kessler is an active member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only national association of trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He has also served as a past board member for the Robert A. Banyard Inn of Court. Additionally, he has guest lectured on mediation at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law and served as an adjunct professor of law at Whittier Law School, teaching trade secrets. Mr. Kessler is fluent in English and serves the diverse communities of Southern California effectively.
