Danny Howell has been representing attorneys in professional liability suits, bar investigations and complaints, and disbarment actions before the federal courts and the United States Patent & Trademark Office, for over 25 years.  Danny has an extensive insurance coverage practice in the professional liability and commercial general liability policies.  He represents insurers in coverage cases, insurers and adjusters in bad faith actions, and corporate officers and directors in a variety of wrongful act claims.  Danny also represents accreditation and certification agencies in litigation arising out of accreditation decisions.  He lectures and publishes extensively on legal ethics and insurance coverage topics.

 

Danny is admitted to practice in the Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia state and federal courts, as well as the Fourth, Sixth, and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.  From 2003 through 2016, Danny was a partner with the McLean, Virginia office of Richmond-based Sands Anderson, P.C. He joined Sands as part of its 2003 merger with Schraub Howell & Company, Chartered, where he served as managing partner.  Danny now is the owner of the Law Offices of Danny M. Howell, PLLC, a litigation boutique in McLean, Virginia.

 

Danny carries an AV® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.  He was a 2007 Fellow of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism, has served as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Richmond’s Public Safety Program, is a member of the Claims Committee of Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, and is a 2020-21 Pro Bono Service Honor Roll Member (awarded by the Virginia Access to Justice Commission).  Originally from Southern Indiana, Danny resides in McLean, Virginia, with his wife Connie and their two children, Daniel and Catherine.  He is active as a Deacon and Stephen Minister in his church, and in his spare time enjoys playing guitar and saxophone and writing screenplays.

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Publications and Presentations 

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Author/Presenter, Strategies for Combatting Systemic Bias in the Legal Profession, National Business Institute, November 29, 2023 (On Demand Video CLE).

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Author/Presenter, 2022 Update: Eliminating Bias and Discrimination in the Legal Profession, National Business Institute, June 21, 2022 (On Demand Video CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Employment Discrimination and Caregivers: Interpreting New EEOC Guidance, National Business Institute, May 25, 2022 (On Demand Video CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias: What Attorneys Need to Know, National Business Institute, May 11, 2022 (On Demand Video CLE).

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Author/Presenter, How to Run a Thriving Small Firm, National Business Institute,  October 21, 2021, July 22, 2022 (On Demand Video CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Elimination of Bias and the Anti-Discrimination Rule, National Business Institute, December 18, 2020 (On Demand Video CLE).
 

Author/Presenter, Top Ethical Dangers for Small Firm Attorneys, National Business Institute, September 18, 2018 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Legal Ethics of Online Attorney Advertising, Federal Bar Association, August 21, 2017 (video on-demand CLE).

 

Author/Presenter, Elimination of Bias in Legal Practice, National Business Institute, December 12, 2016 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Legal Ethics: New Challenges and Emerging Threats, National Business Institute, October 31, 2016 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Everyday Ethics for Small Firm Attorneys, National Business Institute, May 23, 2016 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Legal Ethics: Duty of Competence in Everyday Practice, National Business Institute, January 2016 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author, Defending Lawsuits Arising Out of Accreditation Decisions, Professional Liability Defense Federation Journal, 2015.

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Author/Presenter, Attorney Professionalism: From Aspirational Ideas to Practice, National Business Institute, December 2015 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Legal Ethics: Preventing Administrative Errors, National Business Institute, August 2015 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Ethics for Commercial Litigators, National Business Institute, February 2015 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Author/Presenter, Professionalism: Attorney's Obligations to the Client, the Court, and Other Parties, National Business Institute, December 2014 (National Teleconference CLE).

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Speaker, Indemnification and Insurance, Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, Fall Conference, September 8, 2014.

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Speaker, Insurance Coverage and Conflicts: Duties of Insurer, Insured and Counsel in the Tripartite Relationship, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, June 10, 2014

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Speaker, Applying the Rules of Evidence (presentation on scientific evidence and legal ethics), National Business Institute, 2013.

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Author, Ethical Responsibilities When Attorneys Learn They Have Committed Professional Errors While the Representation Is Ongoing, VBA News Journal, Winter 2010/2011.

 

Author, Reporting Potential Claims to Your Legal Malpractice Carrier, The View (newsletter of Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), October 28, 2010.

 

Speaker, Mitigating Damage Exposure, Professional Liability Section, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, October 14, 2010 (Warm Springs, Virginia).

 

Speaker, Issues Arising from the Tripartite Relationship, Philadelphia Defense Institute, June 23, 2010 (Harrisburg), August 5, 2010 (Philadelphia); Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel, June 8, 2010 (Philadelphia).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2009 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), April 15, 2010 (Manassas).

 

Speaker, Issues Arising in A Professional Liability Practice, Virginia Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, October 29, 2009 (Chantilly).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2009 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), March 25, 2009 (Manassas).

 

Speaker, Insurance Law from A to Z (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), June 3, 2008 (Fairfax).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2008 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), April 17, 2008 (Manassas).

 

Speaker, Insurance Coverage Litigation (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), February 22, 2008 (Fairfax), February 28, 2008 (Richmond).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2007 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), March 23, 2007 (Manassas).

 

Speaker, Ethics Complaints That Translate into Malpractice Claims (2006 Spring Section Series sponsored by the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys), May 12, 2006 (Charlottesville).

 

Speaker, Ethics and the Management of Professional Liability Risk (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by the D.C. Bar), April 6, 2006 (Washington, D.C.).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2006 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), March 23, 2006 (Annandale).

 

Speaker, Avoiding Malpractice and Legal Ethics & Evidence (Telephone Seminar sponsored by Virginia Continuing Legal Education), November 18, 2005.

 

Speaker, Legal Ethics in Virginia: Solutions to the Most Common Ethical Challenges (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), September 26, 2005 (Fairfax).

 

Speaker, Reporting Potential Claims to Your Legal Malpractice Carrier (2005 Spring Section Series sponsored by the Insurance Coverage Section of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys), May 13, 2005 (Charlottesville).

 

Author, Getting The Right Malpractice Insurance, Atlantic Coast In-House (published by Lawyers Weekly, Inc.), April 2005.

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2005 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), April 11, 2005 (Annandale).

 

Author, Surviving Allegations of Professional Misconduct (with Stephen M. Goldman), Washington Lawyer, Oct. 2004.

 

Speaker, Practical Legal Ethics in Virginia: Issues & Answers (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), October 15, 2004 (Fairfax).

 

Speaker, Ethics and the Management of Professional Liability Risk (Continuing Legal Education Course cosponsored by the D.C. Bar’s Law Practice Management Section, Litigation Section and Tort Law Section), June 10, 2004 (Washington, D.C.).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), April 14, 2004 (Annandale), September 30, 2004 (Leesburg), October 19, 2004 (Alexandria).

 

Author, Defense Counsel and Coverage Implications of the Tripartite Relationship, (publication of the Committee on Insurance Coverage Litigation of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation), November/December 2003.

 

Speaker, Third Party Insurance Coverage (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), October 23, 2003 (Fairfax).

 

Speaker, Practical Legal Ethics in Virginia: Issues & Answers (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), May 6, 2003 (Arlington).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2003 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company), April 9, 2003 (Annandale), October 2, 2003 (Warrenton), and October 2, 2003 (Leesburg).

 

Speaker, Third Party Insurance Coverage (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), October 31, 2002 (Arlington).

 

Speaker, Challenges in Virginia Insurance Coverage Litigation (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), April 5, 2002 (Arlington).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2002 (Continuing Legal Education Courses sponsored by American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal), March 13-14, 2002 (Annandale, Manassas).

 

Speaker, Insurance Coverage Law in Virginia (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by National Business Institute), September 28, 2001 (Arlington).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2001 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal), April 2001 (Annandale).

 

Speaker, Preventing Legal Malpractice 2000 (Continuing Legal Education Course sponsored by American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal), April 2000 (Annandale).

 

Co-Author, Bad Faith Litigation in Virginia (CLE Course Materials published by National Business Institute), August 1999.

 

Author, Ghostwriting (Ethical Issues Pertaining to Attorneys Who Ghostwrite Pleadings for Others), Litigation News, Virginia State Bar Litigation Section, Fall 1998.

 

Author, Procedural Issues Under Va. Code § 8.01-272.1, Litigation News, Virginia State Bar Litigation Section, Fall 1997.

 

Co-Author, Wealth before Liability: "Deep Pocket" Subpoenas and Proposed Restrictions on the Rights of Witnesses Testifying before the RTC, 1993 (with J. Jonathan Schraub).

 

Co-Author, The Anatomy of an S&L Lawsuit, Washington Legal Foundation, January 8, 1993, Vol. 8, No. 2 (with J. Jonathan Schraub) (available on LEXIS, LEGNEW Library, WLF File).

 

Co-Author, Failure to Be Watchdog Claim Carries One Year Statute, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, June 29,1992 (with J. Jonathan Schraub).

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