Byron G. Danell has joined the firm in the Labor and Employment Department. Mr. Danell primarily defends constitutional principles and represents public sector employees in criminal defense related matters, including administrative hearings, disciplinary actions, internal affairs investigations, critical incidents, labor arbitration hearings and State or Federal cases. Mr. Danell works extensively with the Peace Officers’ Procedural Bill of Rights Act, the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act and other related California Labor and Penal Codes.

Prior to joining Mastagni Holstedt, A.P.C., Mr. Danell practiced law for over eighteen (18) years in Southern California. Mr. Danell has successfully represented numerous clients, including politicians, doctors, lawyers, fire and police in administrative hearings, peer to peer reviews and full board disciplinary or licensing issues. Mr. Danell has also represented thousands of additional clients whom faced felony or misdemeanor allegations, including but not limited to, capital murder, murder, vehicular manslaughter, rape, robbery, firearms, buy, dui, drugs, domestic violence, sex offenses and white-collar crimes.

Early in his career, Mr. Danell worked on the defense team for a former U.S. Marine Sergeant and Police Officer. In that case, the Marine was accused of killing (or causing others) to kill four unarmed detainees in November 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq. The Battle for Fallujah saw some of the fiercest fighting in the Iraq war. Thirty-three of the Marine’s fellow battalion members were killed in that battle. The case garnered world-wide exposure and was featured by our local and national media. The former Marine Sergeant was eventually acquitted after a Federal jury trial. After working on that case, Mr. Danell developed a willingness to fight against intractable organizational power and has continued to work daily to combat the errors associated with unchallenged organizational incompetence.

Mr. Danell graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication and Political Science and obtained his Law Degree from the University of San Diego. Mr. Danell has completed over fifty trials throughout Southern California and is admitted to practice in all of California and the Southern, Central and Eastern U.S. Federal District Courts.