Dakota Speas

Dakota Speas is an associate in Quinn Emanuel’s Los Angeles office.  He has represented plaintiffs and defendants alike across a broad range of practice areas, including fraud cases, commercial contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, insurance disputes, real estate disputes, regulatory investigations, and criminal investigations.  Dakota is a generalist who has the knowledge necessary to handle virtually any complex litigation matter.  Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Dakota served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ferdinand F. Fernandez on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Dakota has prepared numerous motions, briefs, and pleadings in both state and federal courts, at the trial level and on appeal, often on case-dispositive issues.  He also has presented oral argument at various hearings, including in opposition to a motion for summary judgment after which the court ruled entirely in his client’s favor.  Dakota regularly takes and defends depositions for percipient and corporate witnesses, including key party witnesses.  He has also taken and defended depositions of critical expert witnesses.

In 2025, Dakota was recognized in The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” publication for his work on a landmark victory securing case-terminating sanctions against the CFTC in a high-stakes enforcement action.

In all of his work, Dakota is committed to holding himself to the highest standards of professional, moral, and ethical integrity while zealously advocating for all of his clients.