Elite Mountain Bike Racing gives Partner Ryan Baker an Edge in Court

Co-Founding Partner Ryan Baker and his mountain bike buddy, Tigran Guledjian, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, compete from Colorado to South Africa in some of the world’s toughest mountain biking races. In doing so, they are advocates for what they call the “work hard, play hard” philosophy …

This year, the two friends tackled the Absa Cape Epic in South Africa widely viewed as the “Tour de France of Mountain Biking. While half of the 1,500 participants dropped out, Baker and Guledjian completed the race in 47 hours, an endurance test that covers nearly 50,000 vertical feet over eight-stages.

“You need this outlet because you’re not a lifestyle firm,” Baker told Law.com. “You’re doing intense stuff, and it’s nice to have a break.” When both were young associates at Quinn Emanuel, Baker and Guledjian were inspired to ride by John Quinn, one of the founding partners who road street bikes. Quinn encourage us to have a hobby outside of work, said Baker.

But their passion for mountain biking is not just an escape from a demanding legal practice; it’s become a key piece of how they prepare and think through high-stakes litigation. Baker, for example, sometimes tapes case notes to his handlebars to think through strategy while on long rides.

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