D. Jason Lyon

D. Jason Lyon

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Jason Lyon provides skilled strategy and advocacy to clients in commercial and general civil litigation matters, both in the trial court and on appeal. His practice emphasizes high stakes business disputes, often centered on complex financial transactions and intricate fact patterns. Jason leverages his professional experience in complex commercial and securities litigation at an Am Law 100 firm and, prior to becoming a lawyer, as a documentary film producer to achieve successful results for his clients. His unique skillset of legal excellence and fact-based storytelling is a formidable combination in the courtroom.

In addition to practicing law, Jason is a lifelong community volunteer. He has served on numerous non-profit boards and public commissions, often in leadership positions. In 2022, Jason was elected to the Pasadena City Council, representing Pasadena’s District 7, home to the Pasadena Playhouse, Caltech, and Pasadena Community College, among other iconic Pasadena institutions. He is Pasadena’s first openly LGBTQ+ elected official. Jason is also actively engaged within Hahn & Hahn, where he has led a number of key initiatives to diversify and modernize the firm.

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Representative Cases

Secured, confirmed, and collected $21 million award as arbitration counsel in limited partnership dispute involving commercial and residential real estate holdings

Obtained judgment of over $1,000,000 plus $1,000,000 in attorneys’ fees after 10-day trial in matter involving hidden assets in real estate industry

Prevailed in five-day trial defending a substantial family trust against malfeasance claims

Won confession of judgment in multimillion-dollar breach of contract, conversion, and fraud matter involving theft by collection agency, resulting in complete restitution 

Successfully prosecuted trade secret claims for client in the medical billing industry

Guided years-long, multimillion-dollar derivative shareholder dispute against majority owners of closely held meat wholesaler to a satisfactory conclusion

Defeated multiple defendants’ anti-SLAPP motions in superior and appellate courts, resulting in client’s recovery of substantial attorneys’ fees and ultimate victory in the matter

Successfully defended fraud and breach claims against client in the medical billing industry and recovered damages on crossclaims

Satisfactorily resolved competing fraud, conspiracy, and breach claims in highly contentious dispute involving family-owned REIT

Conclusively reconciled intergenerational family dispute over title to real property

Negotiated complete restitution of client’s losses with interest in fraud matter involving sham tax debt advocacy service

Secured dismissals of various untimely appeals

Brokered non-litigation resolution of three-way partnership dispute in the retail industry

Defended and resolved breach of contract and fraud claim against client in the online auction industry

Defended and resolved breach of contract claim involving fees allegedly owed to client’s former counsel

Represented various professionals in resolving whistleblower discrimination claims

Represented multiple faculty and senior administrators in bringing age, disability, and gender discrimination claims against various academic institutions 

Assisted numerous Marvin claim plaintiffs in recovering contract damages after years of domestic support of wealthy life partners

Served as outside general counsel to various long-standing corporations and not-for-profit institutions

Current Matters Include

Lead trial counsel in business litigation matter involving professional negligence and constructive fraud in the sale of clients’ wholesale tile business

Lead appellate counsel defending multimillion-dollar arbitration award in the real estate industry

Local counsel defending breach of contract and fraud claims in the residential mortgage industry

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Admissions

California

California State Courts

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

U.S. District Court, Central District of California

U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Education

University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, J.D. (UCLA Law Review; Michael T. Masin Scholar; Order of the Coif)

University North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A.

Publications

Author, "Revolution in Progress: Third-Party Funding of American Litigation," 58 UCLA L. REV. 571 (2010)

Honors & Awards

Selected to "Top Attorneys," Pasadena Magazine, 2021–2025

Awarded as "Diversity, Inclusion + Equity Community Impact Award" Honoree, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2024

Featured as “Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility Visionary,” L.A. Times B2B Publishing, 2023–2024

Selected to “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 2021, 2024

Recognized in “Business of Law: Legal Visionaries,” L.A. Times B2B Publishing, 2022

Selected to “Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 2020, 2022

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“We tend to think of legal practice as an intellectual exercise, but great trial lawyers really thrive on emotional intelligence. My approach to litigation is equal parts strategy, psychology, and storytelling.”

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D. Jason Lyon
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Partner
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Professional Organizations

American Bar Association
Member, 2011–present

Los Angeles County Bar Association
Member, 2011–present
Access to Justice Committee, 2016–2017

Pasadena Bar Association
Member, 2017–present

LGBT Bar Association
Member, 2011–present

Public Service

City of Pasadena
City Councilmember, 2022–present
Planning Commissioner, 2019–2022 (Chair, 2021-2022)
Board of Zoning Appeals Member, 2019–2022
Historic Preservation Commissioner, 2018–2019

Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority
Commissioner, 2025–present

City of Los Angeles
Neighborhood Council Review Commission Vice Chair, 2006–2008
East Los Angeles Area Planning Commissioner, 2004–2005
Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Governing Board Member, 2003–2007 (Co-Chair, 2003–2005)

Charitable Organizations

Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley
Boardmember, 2019–2022

San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
Boardmember, 2018–2020

Western Justice Center
General Counsel, 2018–2019

All Saints Pasadena
Vestry Member, 2013–2017 (Senior Warden, 2016–2017; Junior Warden, 2015–2016)

Young & Healthy
Boardmember, 2014-2019 (President, 2017–2019; Vice President, 2016–2017)

Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy
Boardmember, 2007–2008