Deborah J. Daniels

Of Counsel
Office: Indianapolis
ddaniels@kdlegal.com
p: 317-238-6253
f: 317-636-1507

Deborah Daniels is a former U.S. Attorney and U.S. Assistant Attorney General, and has lengthy experience in criminal and civil investigations and public safety. Her work has included responsibilities at the U.S. Department of Justice directly related to the nation’s response to the September 11th attack on the U.S., data and communications interoperability, and the nation's ability to detect, prevent and respond to future terrorist acts. Ms. Daniels provides counsel to the firm’s public and private sector clients in matters affecting public safety, leveraging of federal and state resources, federal and state regulatory compliance and internal investigations. She assists the firm’s clients in interacting with agencies of local, state and federal government, including both the executive and legislative branches at all levels, and advises clients ranging from government agencies to Olympic national governing bodies to other public and private sector entities on compliance and public policy matters.

Ms. Daniels served as the firm's Managing Partner from 2015 - 2018.

Experience

Representative Experience

Conducted landmark internal review of policies and practices of USA Gymnastics, recommending major changes in governance and culture in the wake of massive reporting of athlete sexual abuse
Successfully negotiated favorable outcomes for multiple corporate clients of Krieg DeVault in civil investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice
Conducted internal review of fraudulent investments for major Indiana university
Assisted major safety-net hospitals in obtaining critical funding to assist in providing services to the low-income uninsured population
Directly involved in protecting physicians from the inclusion in federal legislation of language devastating to their enterprise
Directed review and revision of Indiana criminal code
Analyzed 2020 Title IX regulation and advised university clients on Title IX compliance
Reviewed Indianapolis police response to 2020 community unrest at request of Mayor of Indianapolis
Advised the City of Elkhart on police reform

Professional Associations

Member, Indianapolis Bar Association
Former President, National Association of Former United States Attorneys
Former Member, Board of Trustees, Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County
Former Member, Board of Directors, National Center for State Courts
Former President, Sagamore Institute for Policy Research
Former Principal, Council for Excellence in Government
Former Vice Chair, Audit Committee, National District Attorneys Association
U.S. District Court Magistrate Selection Committee
Former Chair of Criminal Justice Panel, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Civic Involvement

Member, Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board (Appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb)
Co-Vice Chair, Commission on Equity and Access in the Indiana Court System
Board Member, Governance Committee Chair, Executive Committee, Eskenazi Health Foundation
Chair, Board of Regents, Indiana Academy
Board Member, Independent Colleges of Indiana
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees; Presidential Search Committee Member, University of Indianapolis
Chair, Board of Directors, United Way of Central Indiana
Board and Executive Committee; Former Board Chair, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee
Board and Executive Committee; Former Board Chair, Economic Club of Indiana, Inc.
Honorary Board of Governors, Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series

Awards & Recognitions

IBJ Media Indiana 250 Influential Business Leaders of Indiana Honoree, 2022
Indiana University Bicentennial Medal, IU McKinney School of Law
Indiana Super Lawyers, 2019-2020
Best Lawyers In America©, 2018-2022
Best Lawyers In America© 2021 Municipal Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Indianapolis
Trailblazer Award, National Association of Women Business Owners, Indianapolis Chapter
Indiana Academy Inductee
Touchstone Award (Girls Inc.) Honoree
U.S. Attorney General's Award for Excellence in Management
U.S. Department of Justice Award for Law Enforcement Coordination
Antoinette Dakin Leach Award, Women and the Law Division, Indianapolis Bar Association
Nancy Maloley Outstanding Public Servant Award, Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series
Indianapolis Business Journal, Influential Women in Indianapolis

Seminars & Presentations

Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Fundraising School Leadership Roundtable, "Board Engagement: Lessons We Can Learn from USA Gymnastics"
The Foundations Seminar, "Is Your Leadership Awake? Governing Well in Today's Complex Environment"
National Conference on Offender Re-Entry, Keynote Speaker
National Conference on Human Trafficking, Keynote Speaker
Indiana Judicial Conference, Keynote Speaker
Purdue University Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) 6th Annual Information Security Symposium, Keynote Speaker
7th Annual Technologies for Critical Incident and Preparedness Conference (Sponsored by U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Defense), Faculty Member
Indianapolis Bar Association Cyber Security Seminar, Faculty Member
Community Bankers of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan Security Conference, "Preparing for the Inevitable Crisis"
Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, "Public Health and the Law" Seminar on Disaster Preparedness, Faculty Member
Indiana State Medical Association, "The State & Future of Independent Medical Practice", Presentation on Federal Health Care Reform Analysis
Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, "Navigate Your Way During Challenging Economic Times", Presentation on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
DePauw University Attorney and Physicians Seminar, Keynote Speaker/Faculty Member
Indianapolis Bench Bar Conference, "Indiana Criminal Code Revision, 2013"
Indiana State Bar Association, "From the ABCs to the 1, 2, 3s: Indiana Criminal Code Revision"
Indiana State Medical Association, "Maximizing the Potential of Women"
BKD Inaugural Women's Summit, "Maximizing the Potential of Women as Leaders"

Publications

Co-Author, "Update: Indiana Court of Appeals Allows COVID-19 Class Action Lawsuits Against IU and Purdue to Proceed," April 6, 2022
Co-Author, "OCR Issues Questions and Answers on the Title IX Regulations on Sexual Harassment," August 4, 2021
Co-Author, "More Change on the Horizon for Title IX?" March 18, 2021
Co-Author, "Educate Your School: K-12 Public School Compliance with Federal Civil Rights Laws In the COVID-19 Environment," October 1, 2020
Report Regarding the Response of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to the Community Protests of May 29-June 1, 2020 in Downtown Indianapolis
Co-Author, "Title IX Regulations Issued By The U.S. Department Of Education: Implications for Educational Institutions," May 7, 2020
Co-Author, "New Threat on the Horizon for Schools, Colleges, and Universities: Class Action Lawsuits for Return of Tuition," April 19, 2020
“Report to USA Gymnastics on Proposed Policy and Procedural Changes for the Protection of Young Athletes” (link to report)
"Striking the Balance on Campus Sexual Harassment", Indianapolis Business Journal
"Minimum Wage-Hike Proposals Aren't So Simple", Indianapolis Business Journal
"Pre-K is an Investment We Can't Afford to Ignore", Indianapolis Business Journal
"Keeping Arrestee DNA on File Would Solve Crimes", Indianapolis Business Journal
"Female Candidates Face Unnecessary Challenges", Indianapolis Business Journal
"With Jobs, it's Mobility, not just 'Equality,' that Matters", Indianapolis Business Journal
“Leading in Health Care Innovation”, Indianapolis Business Journal
"Less Incarceration Could Lead to Less Crime", Washington Post
"To Compete, Indianapolis must be Aggressive", Indianapolis Business Journal
"Sentencing Guidelines and Prosecutorial Discretion", Federal Sentencing Reporter
"Revitalizing Our Communities: Safety First", National Policy Forum
"Strategies That Lead to Safer Communities", Indianapolis Star
"Remembering Victims of Crime", The American Thinker

Credentials

Education

J.D., cum laude, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1977
B.A., with honors, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, 1973

Bar & Court Admissions

Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit

Practices & Industries

Practices

Industries

Insights

Education and School Law