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Dana Berkowitz represents healthcare providers in a variety of high-stakes matters, including reimbursement disputes, regulatory proceedings, and commercial litigation and arbitration.  She also provides strategic advice to healthcare and life sciences startups and handles bet-the-company litigation on their behalf.  Dana has deep expertise in ERISA and behavioral healthcare.  Chambers USA describes her as “the full package” and “a gifted litigator and strategist” who is “knowledgeable and solutions-based.”  Legal500 calls Dana “a superlative advocate and tactician.”

Dana has a long track record of achieving favorable outcomes for healthcare providers in a wide variety of payor disputes.  Her practice focuses on managed care litigation and arbitration.  Dana also helps providers navigate audits, rate disputes, recoupment demands, and other high-risk aspects of their payor relationships. Dana leverages her ERISA expertise to help her clients take advantage of opportunities, such as by using the Parity Act to improve reimbursement for mental health services.  Dana also advises providers on best practices, often in anticipation of sale.

Dana has achieved success in several bet-the-company litigations and appeals for providers and other business clients.  For example, in 2019, she secured a complete defense verdict for a behavioral healthcare provider in a $195 million false advertising case.  In 2020, she successfully defended another provider in a four-week administrative trial against the State of California.  And in 2022, Dana led a large theft of trade secrets case to a favorable resolution for her biotech startup client.  Dana has also briefed and argued high-profile appeals in federal and state courts across the nation.

Since 2022, Chambers USA has recognized Dana as one of the top ERISA litigators in the nation.  Legal500 says that she is “unmatched in her ability to quickly ingest, organize, and master an enormous amount of factual information and synthesize it into a winning narrative.”  Dana has also been listed as a leading lawyer under 40 in Benchmark Litigation and New York Law Journal

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

A.B., Princeton University, Phi Beta Kappa

California

Central District of California

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

American Bar Association, Employee Benefits Committee

French

Japanese

Mandarin Chinese

Spanish

"She is a superlative advocate and tactician."


Legal 500, 2025

"She's the full package: smart, good on her feet, dogged and fierce in all the right ways."


Chambers USA, 2025

Ranked in "ERISA Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs (Nationwide)"


Chambers USA, 2022-25

Future Star


Benchmark Litigation, 2023

40 and Under Hot List


Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2022, 2024

Rising Star


New York Law Journal, 2018

Close

Recognition

"She is a superlative advocate and tactician."


Legal 500, 2025

"She's the full package: smart, good on her feet, dogged and fierce in all the right ways."


Chambers USA, 2025

Ranked in "ERISA Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs (Nationwide)"


Chambers USA, 2022-25

Future Star


Benchmark Litigation, 2023

40 and Under Hot List


Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2022, 2024

Rising Star


New York Law Journal, 2018

Matters

Hammell v. Pilot Products, Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Lead trial counsel for Plaintiff in ERISA pension dispute that resulted in a nearly $3.3M victory, including over $1M in attorneys’ fees. The trial court described this four-year-long action as “no run-of-the-mill ERISA case,” noting that it “involved thorny questions of ERISA law” and “required extensive discovery and extra-judicial factfinding.”

Lead trial counsel to American biotech startup in nine-figure federal trade secrets litigation and international arbitration relating to next-generation COVID-19 vaccine. Matter resolved on favorable terms.

Grasshopper House LLC v. Clean & Sober Media LLC. First-chaired bench trial on equitable relief after adverse jury verdict in Lanham Act case against well-known treatment facility. Court found unclean hands and awarded $0 to plaintiff. Result named by Daily Journal a top defense verdict in California in 2021.

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Matters

Hammell v. Pilot Products, Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Lead trial counsel for Plaintiff in ERISA pension dispute that resulted in a nearly $3.3M victory, including over $1M in attorneys’ fees. The trial court described this four-year-long action as “no run-of-the-mill ERISA case,” noting that it “involved thorny questions of ERISA law” and “required extensive discovery and extra-judicial factfinding.”

Lead trial counsel to American biotech startup in nine-figure federal trade secrets litigation and international arbitration relating to next-generation COVID-19 vaccine. Matter resolved on favorable terms.

Grasshopper House LLC v. Clean & Sober Media LLC. First-chaired bench trial on equitable relief after adverse jury verdict in Lanham Act case against well-known treatment facility. Court found unclean hands and awarded $0 to plaintiff. Result named by Daily Journal a top defense verdict in California in 2021.

In re Creative Care. First-chaired four-week administrative trial against California state agency in license revocation action. Secured complete defense victory for substance abuse treatment facility client.

Lead counsel to franchisees in AAA arbitration against international coffeehouse chain. Awarded full amount of claimed loss.

Bechard v. Brody. Successfully briefed and argued California appeal of order denying motion to compel arbitration in high-profile dispute involving Michael Avenatti and Republican fundraiser Elliott Brody.

Matters

Hammell v. Pilot Products, Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Lead trial counsel for Plaintiff in ERISA pension dispute that resulted in a nearly $3.3M victory, including over $1M in attorneys’ fees. The trial court described this four-year-long action as “no run-of-the-mill ERISA case,” noting that it “involved thorny questions of ERISA law” and “required extensive discovery and extra-judicial factfinding.”

Lead trial counsel to American biotech startup in nine-figure federal trade secrets litigation and international arbitration relating to next-generation COVID-19 vaccine. Matter resolved on favorable terms.

Grasshopper House LLC v. Clean & Sober Media LLC. First-chaired bench trial on equitable relief after adverse jury verdict in Lanham Act case against well-known treatment facility. Court found unclean hands and awarded $0 to plaintiff. Result named by Daily Journal a top defense verdict in California in 2021.

See more

Close

Matters

Hammell v. Pilot Products, Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Lead trial counsel for Plaintiff in ERISA pension dispute that resulted in a nearly $3.3M victory, including over $1M in attorneys’ fees. The trial court described this four-year-long action as “no run-of-the-mill ERISA case,” noting that it “involved thorny questions of ERISA law” and “required extensive discovery and extra-judicial factfinding.”

Lead trial counsel to American biotech startup in nine-figure federal trade secrets litigation and international arbitration relating to next-generation COVID-19 vaccine. Matter resolved on favorable terms.

Grasshopper House LLC v. Clean & Sober Media LLC. First-chaired bench trial on equitable relief after adverse jury verdict in Lanham Act case against well-known treatment facility. Court found unclean hands and awarded $0 to plaintiff. Result named by Daily Journal a top defense verdict in California in 2021.

In re Creative Care. First-chaired four-week administrative trial against California state agency in license revocation action. Secured complete defense victory for substance abuse treatment facility client.

Lead counsel to franchisees in AAA arbitration against international coffeehouse chain. Awarded full amount of claimed loss.

Bechard v. Brody. Successfully briefed and argued California appeal of order denying motion to compel arbitration in high-profile dispute involving Michael Avenatti and Republican fundraiser Elliott Brody.

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

A.B., Princeton University, Phi Beta Kappa

California

Central District of California

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

American Bar Association, Employee Benefits Committee

French

Japanese

Mandarin Chinese

Spanish

"She is a superlative advocate and tactician."


Legal 500, 2025

"She's the full package: smart, good on her feet, dogged and fierce in all the right ways."


Chambers USA, 2025

Ranked in "ERISA Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs (Nationwide)"


Chambers USA, 2022-25

Future Star


Benchmark Litigation, 2023

40 and Under Hot List


Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2022, 2024

Rising Star


New York Law Journal, 2018

Close

Recognition

"She is a superlative advocate and tactician."


Legal 500, 2025

"She's the full package: smart, good on her feet, dogged and fierce in all the right ways."


Chambers USA, 2025

Ranked in "ERISA Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs (Nationwide)"


Chambers USA, 2022-25

Future Star


Benchmark Litigation, 2023

40 and Under Hot List


Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2022, 2024

Rising Star


New York Law Journal, 2018