"Skilled at defending hi-tech, life sciences and healthcare companies in securities litigation in the aftermath of an IPO."
Legal 500 US 2025
Profile
Daniel Gherardi represents clients in high-stakes securities and commercial litigation.
Daniel advises public and private companies, global corporations, executives, and boards of directors in highly sensitive matters, including:
Securities class actions
Shareholder derivative litigation
Contract disputes
Other complex, high-stakes litigation
State and federal government investigations and inquiries
Internal investigations
He brings a commercial perspective to critical matters across a range of sectors and technologies, including medical devices, energy and infrastructure, biotechnology, consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, social media, and SaaS.
Daniel also maintains an active pro bono practice, including successfully securing service-related injury benefits and discharge status upgrades for veterans, obtaining asylum for immigrants, and representing an individual in a wrongful conviction case.
Experience
Daniel’s experience includes representing:
Meta Platforms in securing dismissal on behalf of the company and members of its board of directors in a shareholder derivative action asserting claims that the company failed to achieve diversity among its board and senior executive leadership
Atlassian in securing dismissal with prejudice of securities fraud claims that followed a revision of forward-looking guidance
Eargo in securing dismissal with prejudice of a securities lawsuit against the hearing device company that followed a DOJ settlement related to insurance claim submissions, which was then affirmed by the Ninth Circuit
NortonLifeLock in securing dismissal on behalf of the company and members of its board of directors in a shareholder derivative action asserting claims that the company failed to achieve sufficient diversity among the board and senior executive leadership
Peloton Interactive in a shareholder class action and derivative litigation involving claims regarding the company’s Tread+ product
Skillz and its officers and directors in obtaining dismissal (affirmed on appeal) of a deSPAC-related securities class action filed following a deSPAC merger and two short sellers’ reports
Restoration Robotics in successfully defending the company and its directors and officers in a series of securities lawsuits in state and federal court, including the first decision outside Delaware to enforce federal forum-selection provisions in IPO-related securities litigation
A major technology company and its executive officers and directors in successfully obtaining first-round dismissal with prejudice of a federal securities lawsuit related to executive compensation
A major technology company in a derivative lawsuit alleging breach of fiduciary duties by the company’s board of directors and certain officers
Enphase Energy in successfully obtaining first-round dismissal with prejudice for the company and its officers and directors in a securities class action and related derivative actions involving alleged improper accounting practices
PolarityTE, a medical technology company, in obtaining first-round dismissal with prejudice in a securities fraud class action
Extreme Networks and its officers in securing dismissal of a securities fraud class action related to customer demand and forward-looking guidance
Fastly and its officers and directors in a securities class action and derivative lawsuits related to lowered revenue projections
Ardelyx in:
Achieving dismissal with prejudice of all claims in a securities class action related to FDA approval of XPHOZAH, which was then affirmed by the Ninth Circuit
Securities class action related to the transitional drug add-on payment adjustment process for XPHOZAH in the District of Massachusetts
Akero Therapeutics in securing dismissal with prejudice of securities class action related to clinical trials of an investigational drug for treating liver disease
Aimmune Therapeutics in resolving federal securities claims arising out of Aimmune’s merger with Nestlé
Starbucks in federal securities class action and related derivative actions in the Western District of Washington
Expensify in a federal securities class action and related derivative actions in the District of Oregon
Khosla Ventures and affiliated individuals and entities in:
Obtaining dismissal of claims in a federal securities class action related to the acquisition of Nextdoor by Khosla Ventures Acquisition Corp. II
Defending Khosla-related individuals and entities in the Delaware Court of Chancery in deSPAC litigation related to the acquisition of Nextdoor
Neumora Therapeutics in a federal securities class action related to the company’s IPO
e.l.f. Beauty in a federal securities class action and related derivative actions
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
California
Education
JD, University of Southern California Law School, 2017
BS, Political Science, Italian, International Studies, Santa Clara University, 2014 Phi Beta Kappa
A Latham defense team for Apple achieved a decisive first-round victory in a New York federal securities litigation, earning a Shout Out in The American Lawyer’s Litigators of the Week column.
Despite a downward trend in securities case filings over the past three years, Latham & Watkins LLP has remained one of the most active law firms on the defense side, taking over the top spot from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, according to reports released by Lex Machina.
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