Daniel P. Cahalan (known as Dan or Danny) grew up on his family's farm in Northern Iowa and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980. After attending the Universitat Munchen (Munich) on a Rotary Fellowship, he received a Masters in International Business from the American Graduate School in International Management (Thunderbird) in 1982. 

Dan worked as a commodities trader for Continental Grain until moving to Missoula in 1988. He started teaching in the Business School at the University of Montana in 1989 and was voted the Most Inspirational Professor on Campus in 1993. While continuing to teach, he attended the University of Montana, School of Law, earning his Juris doctorate in 1996.

After becoming a member of the Montana Bar Association, Dan continued to teach Business Law in the Business School, Insurance Law for Connole-Morton, and various liability and employment law courses as continuing education for CPAs with Western CPE of Bozeman. His entrepreneurial interests led him to start a successful real estate development business and an IT support business. Dan currently specializes in Montana LLC Formation and Motor Vehicle Registrations, with hundreds of clients nationwide.