Areas of Expertise:

• Employment Litigation and Counseling
• Complex Commercial Litigation
• General Civil Litigation

Education:

• University of California, Davis – School of Law (J.D. 2009)
• Indiana University (B.A. 2001, with distinction)

Ryan is a partner at Scherer Smith & Kenny LLP, where he is active in all aspects of civil litigation, with a focus on employment litigation and counseling.  Ryan’s practice includes work in various forums, including California state court, federal district court, federal bankruptcy court, and administrative bodies such as the California Labor Commissioner’s Office.  During his time with Scherer Smith & Kenny LLP, Ryan has handled a diverse array of matters, including but not limited to complex contractual and licensing disputes, copyright matters, adversary bankruptcy proceedings, real property disputes, probate matters, landlord-tenant disputes, and both plaintiff- and defense-side employment litigation.  Ryan is also a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Legal Ethics Committee.

Prior to joining Scherer Smith & Kenny LLP, Ryan was a Law Clerk for the Honorable Richard M. Clark and the Honorable Gerald M. Etchingham in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.  His work there focused on administrative law; whistleblower proceedings under a variety of federal laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Clean Air Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, and CERCLA; and cases brought under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.

Ryan is a native of Indianapolis but has resided in the Bay Area since 2009.  He attended both Purdue University – where he studied mechanical engineering – and Indiana University – where he studied English and received a bachelor’s degree with distinction in 2001.  Following his graduation from Indiana University, Ryan served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the town of Reni, Ukraine, located in the Danube River Delta on the borders of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine.  He received his law degree from the University of California, Davis, where he was elected and served as Editor in Chief of the UC Davis Law Review.

Ryan enjoys cycling, beer brewing, and home renovation in his free time.