Attorneys

Ryan represents clients in areas of litigation with a focus on insurance coverage, corporate and commercial litigation, and appellate representation.  He is experienced in all aspects of business and civil litigation, contract disputes, unfair business practices, employment matters, and complex litigation. He has represented clients in partnership disputes, corporate governance disputes, insurance/bad faith matters, and trade secret matters.

Ryan is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Ryan also serves as the Pro Bono Coordinator for Procopio and is a member of Procopio’s COVID-19 Legal Resources Team.

• Successfully briefed and argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, obtaining a reversal on the issues of whether California Insurance Code section 533 applied to an insurer's duty to defend and whether an underlying claim was excluded from coverage under a policy exclusion.
• Obtained partial summary judgment on the issue of a client's entitlement to independent insurance-funded defense counsel.
• Obtained total summary judgment on entitlement to nearly $2 million in interpleaded insurance proceeds on behalf of a municipality.
• Obtained a preliminary injunction on behalf of a media company against a former vendor who had attempted a hostile takeover.
• Co-represented a municipality in the prosecution of a significant insurance coverage and bad faith litigation against a national insurer, resulting in a substantial settlement in favor of the municipality mid-trial.
• Successfully briefed and argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, obtaining a reversal on the issue of the insurability of damages under the Lanham Act.
• Successfully argued multiple appeals before the California Courts of Appeal.
• Successfully obtained preliminary and permanent injunctive relief in trade secret litigation.
• Represented employers and former employees in trade secret misappropriation litigation.
• Represented policy holders in insurance coverage/bad faith litigation.

• San Diego Super Lawyers® Rising Star - 2015-2017 (Business Litigation)

• Association of Business Trial Lawyers – Board of Governors
• American Inns of Court, William B. Enright Chapter – Barrister; Executive Board Member
• Legal Aid Society of San Diego – Board Member
• San Diego County Bar Association – Appellate Court Section, Civil Litigation Section, Insurance/Bad Faith Law Section
• Federal Bar Association
• American Bar Association

• JD, University of San Diego School of Law (Appellate Moot Court Executive Board Member)
• BA, University of California, San Diego

• Sistrunk, Jeff.  “Lender Tells 9th Circ. Hartford Must Cover $1.5M Deal,” Law360, June 16, 2020.
• Sistrunk, Jeff. “3 Important Insurance Appeals To Watch In December,” Law 360, November 27, 2018.

• Panelist. “Insurance for COVID-19 Losses—Part Two: You’ve Submitted Your Claim—Now What? Strategies for Maximizing Insurance Coverage,” May 21, 2020.
• Panelist. "Insurance Coverage for COVID-19 Losses—Is There Insurance Coverage Hidden in Your Insurance Portfolio?," March 25, 2020.

• Co-Author. "Insurance For Covid-19 Losses: Could There Be Coverage Hidden In Your Insurance Policy?," March 17, 2020.
• Author. “California Supreme Court Paves Way to Challenge Out-of-State Choice-of-Law Provisions in Insurance Policies,” Association of Business Trial Lawyers, November 2019