Dana has practiced real estate and land use law, focusing on litigation and land use development for nearly two decades. She has worked throughout Northern California on matters that involve sustained, long range advocacy efforts, detailed analyses, and extensive communications with governing entities, interested community groups, developers, and property owners.

With an emphasis on commercial and industrial development, Dana represents landowners, project developers, and community groups alike at city and county levels during all stages of development permitting, with a focus on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process. She also frequently appears before state agencies, such as BAAQMD, BCDC, CalRecycle, DTSC, DOGGR, and State Lands Commission, and represents clients in interactions with federal agencies, such as U.S. EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Her extensive land use experience includes traditional development projects, as well as cutting-edge developments in areas of alternative energy, carbon sequestration, resource recovery, and water-related land planning.

In addition, Dana represents companies and individuals in litigation involving boundary and easement disputes, purchase and sale disputes, and other traditional real estate claims.

She is known as a passionate advocate and skilled strategist. With her substantial experience in representing all types of parties in real estate and land use disputes, Ms. Dean brings an experienced, unique perspective to resolving real estate and community land use disputes with empathy and efficiency.

Dana also has a long history of community involvement, with particular focus on children’s health, well-being, and education. Having previously served five years on the Benicia Unified School District Governing Board, Dana has now served for 9 years on the Solano County Board of Education. She is Past President of California County Boards of Education (CCBE). She has served on the Board of Directors of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) and the CSBA Legislative Committee, which reviews and determines positions on education related legislation. She currently serves on the CCBE Board of Directors. She also sits on the CSBA Education Legal Alliance Steering Committee, which is responsible for reviewing litigation of state-level importance to the education community. She serves as a conference presenter on issues of public process and governance and as an expert witness in litigation related to governance.

Before joining Hanson Bridgett, Dana founded and managed The Law Offices of Dana Dean from 2003-2022. She previously externed with the California Attorney General, DOJ, in the Land and Natural Resource Sections and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Counsel.

Bar Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Education
J.D., magna cum laude,
John F. Kennedy University (2002)

• State Bar of California, Real Estate Property; Litigation Sections
• Solano County Bar Association
• Contra Costa County Bar Association, Real Estate Section
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• American Bar Association, Environmental; Energy; Resources; Real Property; Litigation Sections
• Solano County Board of Education, Trustee Area 3 (2013- Present)
• Regional Director, California County Boards of Education (2021-Present)
• Director, California School Boards Association (2019)
• President, California County Boards of Education (2018-2019)
• Commissioner, First Five Solano Children and Families Commission (2009-2017) of Education (2018-2019)
• Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees, Trustee (2008-2013)

• Recipient, Witkin Award for Academic Excellence (Am Jur), Real Property, Evidence, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Remedies, Business Associations