Skip to Content
Menu

Daniel J. Kaiser

Shareholder

P: 212-338-9100
F: 646-607-9371
kaiser@ksmlaw.com

Daniel J. Kaiser

Overview

For thirty years, Daniel Kaiser has dedicated his career to representing clients almost exclusively in the areas of labor and employment law.  During that time, he has represented employees and executives in employment disputes with some of the world’s largest corporations.  Dan’s clients include senior executives and officers of Fortune 500 companies, financial and sales professionals, attorneys, physicians and other professionals employed at some of the nation’s premiere public and private firms and governmental organizations.

Dan regularly handles cases in state and federal courts and before arbitration panels involving breach of contract, nonpayment of wages, bonus and commission compensation, employment discrimination and unlawful retaliation and whistleblowing.  He has successfully obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements for his clients.  In addition, Dan has frequently obtained published court decisions breaking new ground in various aspects of employment law, most recently in the areas of retaliation and whistleblowing, including under Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, ERISA and the False Claims Act.

Dan has extensive experience representing victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault and currently represents multiple women with legal claims against the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein.

Dan regularly appears on media broadcasts, including MSNBC and Fox News, and has been quoted in various newspaper articles and publications concerning his cases.  He has also been a speaker on employment and litigation-related topics, including the Workshop on Employment Law for Federal Judges conducted jointly by NYU Law School’s Institute of Judicial Administration and NYU Law School’s Institute for Labor and Employment Law and programs on Ethics and Tactics in Mediation and Settlement Negotiations sponsored by the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Professional Responsibility Committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Experience

Dan’s recent client engagements include:

  • Successfully resolved a claim of discrimination brought by a disabled medical professional seeking reinstatement after termination for alleged performance deficiencies.
  • Successfully tried and obtained a substantial verdict in favor of a senior medical professional who suffered whistleblower retaliation by hospital administrators after opposing substandard patient care as a member of multiple medical care quality control review committees.
  • Successfully tried and obtained a multi-million dollar arbitral award in favor of the founder of a media publication firm for unpaid profits and understated equity valuation against a corporate partner based on breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Successfully tried and obtained an arbitral award in favor of a financial services professional who was terminated and denied severance compensation earned over decades of service after being falsely accused of violating company policy.

Recognition

  • Selected by Peer Review for Inclusion in Super Lawyers Directory, New York Metro, 2011-2020

Testimonials

“Having worked with Dan Kaiser for more than two years as a plaintiff with complex litigation against 19 defendants, where all entities have been represented by one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world, Mr. Kaiser has skillfully taken us through nearly 100 hours of deposition testimony all conducted by him, and more than 70,000 documents put forth by our opponents, successfully obtaining every admission and document proving our case and preparing us to go to court, despite our opposition at times having as many as five lawyers against us. Dan Kaiser has caused us to be able to stand tall through his agility and knowledge of the case. He has demonstrated an almost uncanny ability to ferret out the truth during the deposition process and presented passionate arguments in the courtroom.  If I had to go through the selection process again to find a lawyer to represent me, I would, without a doubt, select Dan Kaiser.  Having worked with dozens of attorneys as a Chief Executive for the last 16 years, he is the best lawyer I’ve ever engaged.”   – Founder and CEO of global logistics companies

“Dan Kaiser is the consummate professional and an expert in employment law.  I have worked with him on a couple of occasions and I have always appreciated his ability to assess a situation in a timely manner, give straightforward, unvarnished advice and clearly lay out options.  He is a great advocate for his clients and I would definitely use him again if the need arises.”  — Senior Data Executive in financial services

“At a moment of significant moral and professional distress, Dan Kaiser and Henry Saurborn provided expert legal services and support leading to a successful outcome. Thanks to their careful guidance and meticulous dissection of some very complex issues, my professional life was repaired and institutional perspectives changed in ways that will likely benefit many people. In short, Dan and Henry understand how conflict affects their clients and others — which is exactly what we seek from those who represent us.”  – Leading neurosurgeon at academic medical center

“I had the great fortune of finding Dan Kaiser and Henry Saurborn when I was in need of a top law firm to handle my case which had many levels of discovery that were needed in order to win in my favor.   Working together was like watching a ‘well-oiled machine’ in action. They weeded through the lies and corruption and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were telling the truth and we won the case.  I would personally use them again in a heartbeat, if I ever needed a law firm and would recommend them unconditionally to anyone who needs/wants a competent, caring team that makes things happen.” – Managing Partner of media company

“I suffered injustice in my employment that affected my compensation, benefits, and ownership of personal contacts. I enlisted Dan upon recommendation of an attorney friend in an affiliated field. Dan is an incisive sharpshooter, able to recognize and anticipate what is legally actionable. Of great import, he directs your focus to substantiation of legal merit, objectively assessing your prior formulations. He thus dismisses addressing the frivolous, biased, and emotionally driven aspects inherent in entanglements. He is a formidable advocate in arbitration and in Court, as adept one-on-one with an adversary as he is comfortable single-handedly standing down an atrium full of attorneys and CEOs. – Gastroenterologist

“Dan Kaiser represented me in a very difficult and unusually long employment case. The defendant tried everything to drag out the discovery process and the judge even granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss initially.  However, through powerful and persuasive legal arguments, Dan was able to get the appeal court overturn the lower court’s decision and take my case to a very successful ending.  Dan is extremely knowledgeable in employment law. His analysis is clear, thought process well organized, and his writing is succinct to the point. Besides being a great attorney, Dan has a big heart. He’d go above and beyond to help out. I’d recommend Dan to anyone who needs legal representation in employment case without reservation.”  – Chief Risk Officer of global insurance company

“Dan Kaiser accepted my case when other firms wouldn’t. He always made himself available to me promptly when I had questions, and handled my case with care and urgency. He resolved it quickly and I am incredibly happy and grateful for the representation I received.”  – Director of Education for private preschool education provider

“Dan Kaiser was great to work with. He responded to all my questions very quickly and got me the results I was looking for in a timely matter. I highly recommend him and have referred him to everyone I know already. You are in good hands with him.”  – Client with sexual harassment case against boutique investment bank

“Dan and Bill Kaiser have not only been my lawyers through this whole process but been my support system. I never feel alone. They are there for me every step of the way to explain the process and fight with all their knowledge and power to help bring me closure. I cannot thank them enough.” – Survivor of sexual assault

“Dan and Bill Kaiser are the ultimate professionals and I would recommend them to anyone who needs representation and seeks justice.. From my first meeting with them they have provided me with clarity and sound advice. Their communication is exceptional and they are always available to answer any questions and respond to voicemails/e-mails/texts very quickly. They are both very personable and always make me feel at ease. They also don’t hide behind layers of staff so you always deal with them personally. Their experience, knowledge, qualifications and results speak for themselves.” – Senior Executive at Major League Soccer

“Dan and Bill Kaiser have not only been my lawyers through the entire litigation process but have also been my support system. I never feel alone and they have been there for me every step of the way to explain the process and fight with all their knowledge and power to help bring me closure. I cannot thank them enough.” – Survivor of sexual assault

“Dan and Bill Kaiser supported me at a time when I really needed help. They seemed as emotionally invested in the success of my case as I was. They made the entire process less arduous that I would have imagined.” – Investment banker at leading global bank

“Dan and Bill Kaiser set the bar in terms of employment litigation attorneys for both their professionalism and expertise. I had an incredibly complex and high-profile case that lasted almost 3 years. Dan and Bill worked overtime to bring it to a resolution. I have never had faith in the integrity of attorneys and the legal system until I met Dan and Bill. They are not only compassionate and courteous but exceptionally smart and tactful. In a world where corruption and politics plague justice, Dan and Bill work overtime for their clients. It is very clear that money is not the motivation for KSM – time and time again they have proven that they are committed to justice and transparency for their clients and will go above and beyond to ensure they have done everything to reach a positive outcome in their cases. When looking for attorneys for both high profile, and complicated cases it is important to find a firm with a track record of experience and KSM certainly delivers on that. I do not have enough gratitude and positive words for KSM and would recommend them for anyone looking for an employment and litigation attorney.” – Project Manager, cannabis industry

Education

  • J.D., New York University Law School, 1989
  • B.S., Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, 1986
    Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admissions

  • New York, 1990

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • New York City Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section