Ryan T. Chuman, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice Group, focuses his practice on professional liability, public entity liability, employment law, business litigation, cyber litigation, and general liability in all phases of litigation, from prelitigation counseling through trial and appeal, in both state and federal courts. Ryan represents employers in a variety of employment litigation matters, including contractual issues involving non-solicitation provisions, as well as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims based on race, age, gender, and disability status. His experience also includes defending public entities against excessive force allegations and civil rights violations.

Ryan’s background in the construction industry includes consolidated, multi-party, and complex litigation in matters involving defects, delay, and landslide and slope failures. In addition, he has extensive experience representing design professionals in professional liability matters.

Ryan was previously a law clerk for the Honorable Barry Russell of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, where he assisted in the research and preparation of the 2012 update of the Bankruptcy Evidence Manual. He received his bachelor’s in history from the University of California, Los Angeles before going on to earn his juris doctor at Southwestern Law School, where he was a moot court intramural brief writer finalist as well as the recipient of the Cali-Award for Academic Excellence in international law and development.

Representative Matters

• Obtained favorable verdict as second-chair for an employer in a 7-day disability discrimination jury trial wherein the plaintiff sought over $4 million in damages
• Prevailed on summary judgment and recovered award of attorneys’ fees and costs for employer in a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit
• Prevailed on summary judgment in a wrongful termination, disability discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour lawsuit brought by a former employee of the County of Los Angeles
• Obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial for an engineering firm in an action alleging professional negligence and intentional torts related to a new residential development of luxury homes
• Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of the County of Los Angeles in a lawsuit involving First and Fourth Amendment rights wherein plaintiffs sought millions at mediation
• Obtained a dismissal with prejudice for an engineering firm in a wrongful death suit
• Obtained a dismissal with prejudice for the County of Los Angeles in a premises liability, personal injury suit involving a plaintiff who was struck by an oncoming train
• Obtained a nuisance value settlement in a prospective wage and hour lawsuit
• Obtained a nuisance value settlement for a law enforcement agency in a personal injury, lights, and sirens lawsuit

Honors

• Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of California
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

Admitted to Practice

• California
• U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California

Education

• Southwestern Law School, J.D., 2014
• University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 2010