Dana Lynn Craig

Dana Lynn Craig is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Litigation Department. Her practice focuses on leading high-stakes, complex litigation. Dana has established a reputation for her skillful handling of the most consequential e-discovery challenges our clients face. She is considered an authority at successfully guiding clients through their most complex discovery issues, sweeping across jurisdictions both national and international. Clients rely on her to effectively and efficiently navigate them through massive discovery, with Dana leading all stages of the process including setting strategy to drafting discovery motions to argument.

She further represents clients in both federal and state courts and has extensive experience at all stages of litigation, including trial work, senior case management, motion practice, depositions, witness preparation, and working with experts.  In addition, she has published on subjects ranging from arbitration to environmental topics, including cost recovery and Proposition 65.

Her representative matters include:

• Representing leading technology firm in three-week bench trial in federal court in connection with state and federal antitrust claims. Dana led the discovery team, including crafting and implementing the strategy that successfully navigated the case through numerous high-stakes issues. She was a key member of the trial team, including leading and developing trial logistics throughout the high-profile in-person federal trial held during the global pandemic.
• Successfully representing a health insurer and plan administrator in a four-week jury trial in state court. The jury rendered a $37.5 million verdict, ultimately awarding the full amount sought on each cause of action by the client. Dana served as second-chair for Gibson Dunn’s trial team. During that four-week span, as well as throughout trial preparation, she also worked as the managing senior associate of the team.
• Representing major oil production company and others in a challenge to a countywide ballot initiative, in which the first phase of the case went to trial. Dana was a member of the trial team. The initiative sought to prohibit the drilling of new wells and well stimulation. It would have further imposed a sunset date for the injection or impoundment of produced water. The initiative was enjoined and the court held that two of the prongs were pre-empted by federal and state law. The client was victorious in the Court of Appeal.
• Defending major corporation in large environmental cost recovery action in federal court against the United States. Dana was lead associate in the case and served in a senior management role over the course of her engagement on this matter. She participated in numerous depositions of federal employees and employees of government consultants. During her tenure on this matter, Dana also represented the client before the District Court Judge, Magistrate Judge, and Special Master.
• Defending major U.S. accounting firm in state court. Dana was the lead associate for Gibson Dunn’s team on a matter in which she represented the client in state court hearings. During her engagement on the team, which has handled many similar cases for the client, she defended depositions and participated extensively in motion practice and complex e-discovery issues.
• Defending major corporation in highly publicized trial. Dana’s work in this massive representation included preparing witnesses for trial.
• Defending clients in both international and domestic arbitrations. Dana served in senior level roles in these matters. Her arbitration work has included conducting the direct and re-direct examination of an expert witness, motion practice, depositions, leading discovery, and preparing fact and expert witnesses. She has also published on the topic of enforcing arbitration awards in California.

Dana was named to Southern California Rising Stars by Super Lawyers  magazine in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. She was also recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America  for Litigation – Environmental in 2024. She also served on the Executive Committee for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Environmental Law Section. She was selected for membership in the Pacific Council on International Policy, which seeks to strengthen West Coast involvement in global affairs. She is also a member of ChIPs, which aims to further the role of women in technology, law and policy. Dana formerly served on the Young Professionals Board for CollegeSpring and, during part of her tenure, held the leadership positions of chair and co-chair on that Board.

She received her law degree from Stanford Law School in 2007, where she was co-managing editor of the Stanford Law & Policy Review  and graduated with Pro Bono Distinction. Dana earned her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 2004, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with University Distinction and received interdisciplinary honors in International Security Studies. During her undergraduate career, she was The Greg Peterson Fellow and recipient of the Donald B. Marron Prize for the Most Original Historical Analysis Paper from the Center for the Study of the Presidency Fellows Program. She also interned in the offices of two U.S. Senators.

Prior to joining the firm, Dana clerked for the Honorable Barry G. Silverman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

She is a member of the California, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California Bars.

Capabilities

• Litigation
• Antitrust and Competition
• Appellate and Constitutional Law
• Class Actions
• Energy and Infrastructure
• Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort
• Labor and Employment
• Oil and Gas
• Transnational Litigation

Credentials

Education:

• Stanford University - 2007 Juris Doctor
• Stanford University - 2004 Bachelor of Arts

Admissions:

• California Bar

Clerkships:

• US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, Hon. Barry G. Silverman, 2007 - 2008