Danielle Tarin
Biography
Overview
Danielle Tarin has more than 20 years of appellate experience in federal and military courts of appeals, with 15 of those years specializing in national-security matters. She has argued and briefed many cases, both in private practice and in government. Danielle also develops trial-court strategy and advises on complex global disputes.
Before re-joining White & Case as counsel, Danielle served as the Appellate Chief at the US Department of Defense Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Military Commissions. There, she prosecuted (among others) the alleged mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks and his co-conspirators, the alleged bomber of the USS Cole in Yemen, and the alleged bombers of tourist venues in Indonesia. For her service, Danielle was awarded the Medal for Exceptional Public Service and the Chief Prosecutor's Award for Excellence, the highest award given by the Secretary of Defense and the Chief Prosecutor, respectively, for career civilian employees.
Danielle then served as one of only five appellate attorneys in the US Department of Justice, National Security Division Office of Law and Policy. There, she defended numerous convictions in the US Supreme Court and in the federal courts of appeals for export-control, espionage, domestic- and international-terrorism, and law-of-war offenses. Among other cases, Danielle successfully defended a life sentence imposed against Usama bin Laden's public-relations secretary for conspiring to commit the September 11 terrorist attacks. For her service, Danielle was awarded five times with the Assistant Attorney General Award for Excellence.
Before serving in these roles, Danielle was an associate at White & Case, where she represented foreign sovereign clients in commercial litigation before federal district courts, the federal courts of appeals, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. She also represented multinational corporate clients in federal and state courts of appeals and advised a corporate client in a criminal antitrust inquiry conducted in over 10 countries. Danielle was also an appellate associate at an elite boutique law firm in Houston, Texas.
Danielle clerked for the Honorable Judge Deborah Cook of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and was a US Fulbright Scholar to Egypt.
Experience
Successfully defeated a challenge in the US Supreme Court to the simultaneous service of military officers on both the criminal courts of appeals for the armed forces and the court of appeals that reviews military commission convictions. Ortiz v. United States, 585 US 427 (2018).*
Successfully defended in the Fourth Circuit a 45-year sentence of imprisonment for a defendant convicted of a terrorism conspiracy to kill US servicemembers and others abroad. United States v. Sherifi, 107 F.4th 309 (4th Cir. 2024) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defended conviction and sentence for export-control offenses in the Eleventh Circuit, in a case where the defendant attempted to export dual-use rebreathers to Libya without the required export license. United States v. Sotis, 89 F.4th 862 (11th Cir. 2023) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defended conviction and sentence for espionage offenses in the Fourth Circuit, in a case where the defendant attempted to sell classified information regarding nuclear submarines to a foreign country. United States v. Toebbe, 85 F.4th 190 (4th Cir. 2023) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defended life sentence for terrorism offenses in the DC Circuit, in a case where the defendant was convicted of conspiracy for the September 11 terrorist attacks. Bahlul v. United States, 77 F.4th 918 (DC Cir. 2023) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully appealed sentence as procedurally and substantively unreasonable in the Fifth Circuit, in a case where the defendant was convicted of terrorism offenses for traveling abroad to fight for ISIS. United States v. Khan, 997 F.3d 242 (5th Cir. 2021) (Oral Argument); United States v. Khan, 938 F.3d 713 (5th Cir. 2019) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defended against attempt in the DC Circuit by an alleged September 11 conspirator to require the United States to indefinitely preserve an overseas detention facility as evidence in a criminal trial. In re Al-Baluchi, 952 F.3d 363 (DC Cir. 2020) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defended conviction and sentence in the DC Circuit of a defendant convicted of committing war crimes in Afghanistan. Khadr v. United States, 67 F.4th 413 (DC Cir. 2023) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully defeated a defendant's attempt on appeal to dismiss the charges against him for allegedly conspiring with Usama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders to conduct terrorist attacks abroad. In re al Tamir, 993 F.3d 906 (DC Cir. 2021) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully obtained order by the DC Circuit dismissing an appeal by the alleged bomber of the USS. Cole that sought to vacate orders by the trial court. In re Al-Nashiri, 921 F.3d 224 (DC Cir. 2019) (Oral Argument).*
Successfully prosecuted, with the US Attorney's Office, defendants for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy to interfere with civil rights, arising out of a plot to attack Muslims in Garden City, Kansas. United States v. Allen, 364 F. Supp. 3d 1234 (D. Kan. 2019) (Oral Argument on Terrorism Enhancement).*
Successfully appealed military court's decisions dismissing charges and suppressing evidence in a case against a defendant accused of bombing the USS. Cole in Yemen. United States v. Al-Nashiri, 222 F. Supp. 3d 1093 (USCMCR 2016).*
Part of a team prosecuting Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and four others for their alleged leadership role in planning the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. United States v. Mohammad (Mil. Comm. filed 2011) (Oral Argument on Dispositive Motions).*
Successfully defended conviction and sentence for terrorism offenses in the DC Circuit and in a military appeals court, in a case where the defendant, as a member of al Qaeda, fought against Afghan forces and then fled with Usama bin Laden to Tora Bora. United States v. Al Qosi, 28 F. Supp. 3d 1198 (USCMCR 2014).*
Represented two Canadian corporations before the Illinois Court of Appeals, obtaining reversal of the circuit court's decision to assert general personal jurisdiction over the two corporations. Curley v. Gateway Concrete Forming Sys., Inc., No. 1-09-2386, 2010 WL 4608754 (Ill. App. Ct. Nov. 5, 2010).
Represented Indonesian state-owned social security insurer before the Second Circuit, which affirmed the dismissal of claims against the foreign sovereign and its social insurance organization under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Anglo-Iberia Underwriting Mgmt. Co. v. PT Jamsostek, 600 F.3d 171 (2d Cir. 2010).
Represented Romania in a successful arbitration before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, obtaining a sizable cost award for Romania. EDF v. Romania.
Advised a multinational corporate client in a criminal antitrust inquiry conducted in over 10 countries.
*Experience prior to joining White & Case.
