YAO LEGAL GROUP

Yao Legal Group is dedicated to delivering exceptional legal services tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients. Our firm is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and client service. We strive to build lasting relationships with our clients based on trust and outstanding legal representation.

 

​About Daniel Yao:

 

Managing Attorney of this firm, Dan "Daniel" Yao, is an experienced attorney who has handled and litigated hundreds of cases across state and federal courts, including Surrogate’s Courts.  Daniel had a childhood dream of becoming an attorney, and he worked hard to achieve this goal.  Prior to becoming a lawyer, Dan worked as a special investigator for the New York State Attorney General. During his tenure, he investigated white-collar crimes, Medicaid and Medicare fraud, drug diversion, healthcare non-compliance, and money laundering matters. His work on several high-profile cases garnered media attention and was publicly recognized by the then Attorney General through news releases.

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Now, as a private practitioner, Dan enjoys assisting clients in finding innovative solutions, whether it involves a lawsuit or business matters requiring consulting and guidance. In addition to his litigation practice, Dan has gained valuable insight into trust and estate laws. He has had the honor of serving as a court-appointed guardian ad litem and court referee for cases venued in various downstate New York Surrogate’s and Supreme Courts, where he acted as an independent third party or monitor. In these roles, Dan provided legal recommendations to judges on how to proceed with cases, and his reports were adopted by the appointing courts.

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Dan holds a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and information systems from Queens College CUNY. Outside of his legal practice, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others.  Dan serves as a board members, and volunteers his time for various community organizations, including VOCAL, the Voice of Christian American League, a faith-based charitable organization aimed at providing pro bono (free) legal services and educations to the general public.  As VOCAL's President, Dan along with VOCAL has provided hundreds of hours free legal services to low-income and indigent clients, and the local communities, annually.

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Case In Point/Past Matters:

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At our law firm, we let our results speak for themselves. Below are a few past and concluded matters we've handled, all of which resulted in favorable or successful outcomes. Please note that the information shared is publicly available and can be verified through court system websites. Past results are not indicative of future outcomes.

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C. Weng et al. v. C. Xie et al - NYS Supreme Court Queens County 724439/2022

(Defended a commercial client in shareholder/business disputes, client exposure measured by the millions, successfully dismissed all claims after two years of litigation through three rounds of motion practices)

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Lin v. Yuri Sushi Inc. et al - Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) 1:18-cv-00528-GBD-OTW

(As a member of the SDNY's pro bono panel, in this pro bono matter, we assumed representation of an indigent client at the eleventh hour, waiving all legal fees and stepping into a high-stakes jury trial with only limited resources at our disposal. Despite the immense pressure and late entry into the case, we mounted a compelling defense during a three-day trial. Remarkably, our advocacy persuaded the jury to depart from the standard jury charge—an exceptional outcome, given that jurors are typically bound to follow judicial instructions. The jury ultimately awarded only approximately 20% in liquidated damages against our client, a striking deviation from the anticipated 100%, which had been the prevailing consensus. This rare instance of jury nullification underscores the strength of our presentation and the magnitude of our impact.)

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Yang Fei Liu v. Fu Guan Li et al - NYS Supreme Court Queens County 518504/2024

(Defended a commercial client in shareholder/business disputes, where Plaintiff (adversary) claimed damages exceeding $1.00 million. Through investigation and motion practices, we successfully persuaded the Court that the Plaintiff has no standing nor the right to sue our defendant-client, case dismissed and all claims obliterated)

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Asia Plaza Corp. v. Pine Song Inc. - Queens County Civil Court LT-317073-23/QU 

(In this commercial landlord tenant matter, we assisted the tenant client with achieving an orderly retreat from the leased premises, and successfully negotiated over $500,000.00 in arrears/costs waived by the landlord)

 

Suarez v. 4050 LLC et al - Kings County Supreme Court 534280/2023

(Successfully defended construction developer client in this personal injury lawsuit and worked to have the matter dismissed with respect to this law firm’s client)

 

Spence v. Ellis et al - Queens County Supreme Court 711822/2023

(Quick settlement reached after commencing an action against the surviving husband of a decedent concerning a decedent estate matter)

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CTBC BANK CO., LTD., NEW YORK BRANCH v. PONG CHIEN TRADING, INC. et al - New York County Supreme Court - 2020/654390

(Defended client against an international bank and assisted client with restructuring sizable amount of debts post-judgment after we became retained post-judgment; debt measured in the $millions)

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***Attorney Advertising - Past Results Does Not Guarantee Future Outcome***