Ryan Baker

Over the course of his career, Ryan has built a reputation the media described as “tenacious,” a “trailblazer” and “visionary.” His court victories have been called a “legal earthquake” and “landmark.” Ryan has argued to judges and juries across the country on a wide variety of issues.

Representing individual investors to multinational corporations as both plaintiffs and defendants, Ryan’s cases have dealt with a broad range of subject matter, including intellectual property (copyright, trademark, trade secret and patent), antitrust, securities and white-collar crime. He has argued and prevailed in precedent-setting appeals, including cases relating to anti-SLAPP law, copyright, insurers’ duties, civil procedure and contract interpretation. He has also handled cases before numerous arbitral organizations, including FINRA.

Ryan leads Waymaker’s Chambers-ranked commercial litigation practice. In 2024, the Daily Journal named Ryan to its list of California’s Top 100 Lawyers and also named him a “Top Intellectual Property Lawyer.” He was again named a “Top Intellectual Property Lawyer” in 2025. He has also been recognized by the National Law Journal as a “Litigation Trailblazer” and an “Elite Boutique Trailblazer,” a “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine, a Benchmark Litigation “Star,” a “Top Lawyer” by Cablefax, and one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Business Journal, which also honored him a “Leader in Law” and a “Leader of Influence.” Most of these recognitions have been repeated.

Ryan publishes articles in academic and legal outlets and has appeared as a legal media expert on NBC News, Sky News and BBC to discuss breaking litigation news. Ryan has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, National Law Journal, Hollywood Reporter and other national and international business and legal publications.

Committed to community service, Ryan is a longstanding member of the California Central District pro bono panel, through which he represents indigent individuals in civil rights and other cases in federal court. Baker has tried several civil rights cases to verdict. He is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and Litigation Counsel of America and has been involved in the Los Angeles Big Brother/Big Sister program for more than 20 years. While at law school, Ryan spent two years working for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Prior to Waymaker (previously Baker Marquart, which he founded in 2006), Ryan practiced at Quinn Emanuel and Cooley.

Won summary judgment for international private equity fund in breach of contract matter. Client obtained seven-figure judgment, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. Baker had elicited admissions from the defendant in deposition that defendant had failed to perform the subject agreement without any justification. Defendant argued that the agreement was unenforceable under California’s usury laws, but Baker established that the contract was in fact governed by Kentucky law, which did not support any usury defense.
Won unanimous jury verdict for plaintiff client in trade secret, trademark, copyright and contract dispute. After two weeks of trial, the jury deliberated for less than 3 hours to find in favor of firm’s client on 48 of 52 liability issues, including the invalidation of two patents obtained by defendants based on plaintiffs’ alleged trade secrets. Prior to the victory at trial, the firm had won every single major motion, including a preliminary injunction, summary adjudication and winning almost $100,000 in sanctions.
When a private equity founding partner’s surviving spouse was sued by her deceased husband’s business partner, Baker was asked to intervene. After first successfully moving to compel arbitration, Baker filed counterclaims on his client’s behalf. The parties engaged in discovery. The parties then mediated but did not reach agreement. Baker continued the settlement dialogue and eventually an agreement was reached that allows Baker’s client to control and benefit from critical components of the private equity business her deceased husband had built.
Obtained summary adjudication for international restaurant group related to commercial lease that was never performed, in part, due to the COVID pandemic; following summary adjudication ruling, negotiated favorable settlement, which included client’s attorneys’ fees.
Obtained a preliminary injunction in the California Central District for manufacturer of cosmetic implant against defendants alleged to have stolen trade secrets used to design a competing implant product.
Argued and obtained reversal of trial court’s determination that client’s arbitration agreement was unconscionable. After Ryan’s argument, the California Court of Appeal found the trial court’s refusal to permit an evidentiary hearing prior to finding unconscionability was reversible error.
In the Ninth Circuit, argued and won affirmance of district court’s determination that civil RICO’s predicate act requirement was not satisfied by an allegation that certain intangible property was taken, where such property was not actually transferred.
Argued in California’s Supreme Court to overturn broad anti-SLAPP ruling. Obtained unanimous ruling reversing trial court, which had granted an anti-SLAPP motion based on a confidential and allegedly defamatory report. The Court concluded the confidential report was not protected. Accordingly, the trial court overextended California’s anti-SLAPP law beyond the legislative intent. Opinion is published here. Oral argument video can be viewed here.
Obtained vacatur of seven-figure judgment for client, a real estate holding and management company. Case subsequently settled for approximately 2 percent of the prior judgment amount.
Obtained reversal of a Florida cyberstalking injunction in the Florida District Court of Appeals. After oral argument, the Florida appellate court agreed the issued injunction was an improper prior restraint of First Amendment free speech and that no cyberstalking had been established. The Appellate Court directed dismissal of the case in its entirety.
Obtained “landmark” copyright ruling, in which the Central District of California court found, for the first time, that an Internet retransmitter of television programming could be entitled to a compulsory copyright license under Section 111 of the Copyright Act.
Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of client in patent infringement case against Cirque de Soleil related to Michael Jackson One show.
Argued and won Ninth Circuit appeal against insurance companies on behalf of Mattel in the Barbie-Bratz litigation.
Successfully defended multimillion dollar arbitration brought by international investment bank against client; after five days of arbitration, client prevailed on all claims and recovered attorneys’ fees and costs.
Prevailed in two separate but related California appeals to protect client’s right to jury trial.
Obtained a favorable settlement for The Carlyle Group in a dispute against the defendant seller of a building that contained asbestos.
Defended manufacturer of revolutionary lightweight sport aircraft against engineering company. Obtained a walk-away settlement following the articulation of potential crossclaims.
Pursued breach of contract claims on behalf of client DIRECTV against a former dealer. Prevailed in arbitration, obtaining an award of all damages sought, in addition to attorneys’ fees.
Represented a major retailer and independent studio in a dispute related to the motion picture Monster. After a week of jury trial in Texas state court, obtained a favorable settlement.
Filed action for breach of a loan agreement on behalf of his client, a real estate developer, in Maine federal court. Obtained summary judgment on all claims; also obtained sanctions against the defendants based on defendants’ discovery misconduct.
Represented a software company seeking to prevent competitor from infringement. Obtained an unprecedented preliminary injunction for client, which enabled that client to protect its intellectual property while pursuing claims against a competitor.
Defended Rolls-Royce in a dispute related to the construction of an oil platform. Obtained summary judgment of all claims.

Archie Comic Publications
Avery Dennison Corporation
Bank of the West
ByteDance
The Carlyle Group
DIRECTV
FilmOn Networks
Funtastic Limited (Australia)
ICON Aircraft
International Medical Devices
Kurvana
Mattel
Rolls-Royce Energy Systems
Sumifru Corporation (Philippines)
Sunnova Solar Energy
University of Southern California
Zions Bankcorporation

Chambers & Partners, USA, Litigation: General Commercial (2024-2025)
Daily Journal, California’s Top 100 Lawyers (2024)
Daily Journal, Top Intellectual Property Lawyers (2024-2025)
Benchmark Litigation, “Star” (2020-2025)
Los Angeles Business Journal, Top 100 Lawyers in Los Angeles (2022-2024)
Los Angeles Business Journal, Leader of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys (2022 and 2024)
Los Angeles Times, Business of Law magazine, Legal Visionary (2022-2025)
National Law Journal, Elite Boutique Trailblazer (2022)
Los Angeles Business Journal, Leader in Law (2022)
National Law Journal, Litigation Trailblazer (2019)
Cablefax, Top Lawyer (2017)
Thompson Reuters, Southern California Super Lawyer (2014-2025)

Fellow, American Bar Association, Litigation Section
Member, Central District Pro Bono Panel
Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Barrister, Order of Veritas
- Advocate, Order of Certus
Member, Trial Law Institute
Member, Diversity Law Institute
Former Member, Anti-Defamation League, National Commission
Ambassador, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Big Brother, Los Angeles Big Brother/Big Sister program

2024 Annual Central District Pro Bono Luncheon – speaker on the nature of pro bono work in the Central District.
2023 presented CLE course on Developments in Anti-SLAPP.