Dean Arnold is a trial attorney with over a decade of experience in complex litigation. He has tried cases in federal and state courts, and has been issued federal security clearances to represent clients in criminal and civil matters governed by the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA).
Before entering the practice of law, Dean was a Special Agent with the United States Department of Justice. As a federal agent, he coordinated criminal investigations with federal prosecutors, testified in grand jury proceedings and at trial, and led investigations as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs.
After graduating from law school, Dean’s initial years in practice were spent with a boutique criminal defense firm where he focused almost exclusively on the wave of “terrorism” litigation that arose after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Dean was part of a trial team that obtained their client’s acquittal against federal charges of providing material support to terrorism after an eight-week jury trial. Dean also entered the civil arena, where he obtained his client’s Rule 12(b) dismissal from the “9/11” multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidated in the Southern District of New York.
Dean subsequently worked for two large national firms where his practice concentrated on complex civil litigation. During that time he obtained affirmative summary judgment and specific performance of commercial contracts, injunctive relief protecting his clients’ proprietary information and trade secrets, and numerous summary dismissals. When litigation could not be resolved through pretrial motions or settlement negotiations Dean took his client’s case to trial, including a matter involving civil fraud where he obtained a judgment for all amounts sought plus interest and attorneys’ fees. His prior experiences also allowed him to join a team of pro bono lawyers organized by the Center for Constitutional Rights that secured their client’s release from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
Dean then opened his own law firm to focus on federal criminal defense, government investigations, and parallel civil proceedings. Since that time, he has defended numerous clients against indictment and the threat of indictment.
Dean has represented clients in grand jury proceedings and other investigations that resulted in no criminal charges being filed. When indictments have been returned, he has aggressively litigated pretrial motions resulting in the suppression of evidence and the dismissal of criminal charges. Dean obtained a Rule 48 dismissal after an evidentiary hearing on Franks issues and a corresponding motion to suppress in a multi-agency drug investigation. He also directed a defense investigation that resulted in his client being dismissed with prejudice from a multi-count federal indictment where the remaining defendants pleaded guilty. Throughout that time Dean maintained an active civil practice, including a successful Rule 12(b) motion to dismiss a shareholder derivative action.
When cases could not be resolved through pretrial motions or settlement negotiations, Dean has continued to defend his clients at trial. In other instances, he has sought relief for clients on direct appeal and through federal habeas proceedings before the United States Court of Appeals.
Dean is licensed to practice law in California and Idaho. He has represented clients in federal and/or state courts in Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Utah, and Wyoming.