Brian Klein Quoted by Wall Street Journal in Story about Trump’s Multiple Trials
Dr. James Elist and IMD Seek $46M in Damages After Penile Implant Trial Win Reports Law360

Riley Smith
Riley Smith represents clients across business sectors in high-stakes civil, regulatory, and criminal matters and practices in both federal and state court, where he has represented large corporations, start-ups and high-net-worth individuals in various phases of litigation. He has represented clients in matters involving the IRS, Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services and DHS.
Riley was a litigation associate at a Los Angeles-based boutique prior to joining Waymaker. After earning his J.D. at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, he clerked for the Honorable David S. Morales of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. During law school, he spent two years in the Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic advocating for clients at parole board hearings and representing juvenile offenders in wrongful conviction cases.
Riley received a BA in Politics from Occidental College, where he was also the captain of the baseball team. Prior to law school, Riley played two years of professional baseball for the Alpine Cowboys of the Pecos League. He enjoys playing softball, golf, running at the Rose Bowl and camping.
Ryan Baker Interviewed By BBC World Service on Twitter vs. Meta Threads
Strong Courtroom Performances By Partner Ryan Baker and Associate Emily Stierwalt led to Penile IP Trial Victory
Damages in Trade Secrets Misappropriations Case Expected to Reach $10 Million Reports Law.Com
Sweeping Victory for Waymaker In Penile Implant Trade Secrets 8-0 Jury Trial Win
Sweeping Victory for Waymaker As Jury Unanimously Finds Houston Urologist Stole IMD Penile Implant Trade Secrets
Penile Implant Trade Secrets Trial Starts with Ryan Baker and Scott Malzahn as Lead Defense Counsel
Four Associates Named Southern California Rising Stars 2023 – Super Lawyers
Waymaker LLP Earns Chambers 2023 Commercial Litigation Ranking
Ryan Baker Named One of the Top 100 Lawyers in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Business Journal
Partner Ryan Baker And Counsel Ashley Martabano Lead Roundtables at 8th Annual Fullstack GC Conference in San Francisco
Partner Keri Axel Interviewed on LiveNow Fox TV about Rep. George Santos Indictment
Partner Teresa Huggins Quoted by the Daily Journal in a Story about the Commercial Real Estate Market post-COVID
Waymaker Wins Lease Dispute For Client 6759 Hollywood, LLC
Partners Keri Axel and Teresa Huggins Named Women of Influence: Attorneys 2023 By Los Angeles Business Journal
Managing Partner Scott Malzahn Elected President of LGBTQ+ Rights Group Equality California Reports LA Business Journal
Waymaker Pro Bono Case Goes to Trial in Los Angeles
Partner Brian Klein to Speak on Trends In Cyber Enforcement at SoCal’s ABA White Collar Crime Committee, February 21, 2023
Wall Street Journal Reports on Alleged Crypto Market Manipulation Scheme by Partner Brian Klein’s Client
Partner Brian Klein Quoted About Notorious Gambler Suing Casinos From Prison
Waymaker Partner Scott Malzahn Becomes 2023 President of Equality California
Five Partners Named Southern California Super Lawyers 2023
Partner Ryan Baker Named to ADL’s National Commission
Ryan Baker Interviewed by Law.com About Anti-SLAPP Defenses
Partner Ryan Baker Interviewed by CBS News Morning about Social Media Companies Facing Lawsuit From Parents
Partner Keri Axel Interviewed by BBC After Outraged Taylor Swift Fans Bring Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster
Partner Brian Klein Named One of Daily Journal’s Top White Collar Attorneys 2022
Waymaker LLP and Partner Brian Klein Earn Chambers 2023 FinTech Ranking
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by Los Angeles Times on former Dodger star Yasil Puig Withdrawing Guilty Plea for Sports Betting
Partner Ryan Baker Interviewed by BBC on Balenciaga Ad Scandal and Subsequent Lawsuit
Keri Axel Quoted by Yahoo! Finance on Holmes’ 11-Year Prison Sentence
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by Yahoo! Finance on Elizabeth Holmes’ Sentencing
Melissa Meister Interviewed by KNX Radio about LAPD Investigation into Leaked of Recording of Council Members
Partner Brian Klein Speaks About Key Enforcement Actions at the ABA’s Blockchain and Cryptocurrency National Institute
Brian Klein Quoted by the Wall Street Journal on Winning Probation for the Firm’s Client, the Alleged Capital One Hacker, Paige Thompson
Four Partners and Waymaker Recognized in Benchmark Litigation California 2023
Melissa Meister Quoted by Law 360 On Paige Thompson Avoiding Prison Sentence
Waymaker represents an Animal Rights Nonprofit in Lawsuit Alleging American Heart Association’s Claims about Eating Red Meat are Knowingly False
Brian K - Daily Journal Top 100 Lawyer for 2022
Partner Brian Klein Named one of California’s Top 100 Lawyers by the Daily Journal
Melissa Meister Appointed to the National Legal Commission of the American Youth Soccer Organization
Partner Brian Klein Named Fintech/Blockchain/Crypto Trailblazer 2022 by the National Law Journal
Melissa Meister Named to Best Lawyers in America (2023) for Criminal Defense: White Collar
Johnny Depp Fans Rush to Fork Over Cash for Unsealed Court Docs. Did It Backfire?
Partner Brian Klein Quoted By Law360 about Cybersecurity Bill Authored by Sens. Lummis and Gillibrand
Co-Managing Partner Ryan Baker Named 2022 Leader of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys by Los Angeles Business Journal
Melissa Meister Quoted by NewsNation Rush Hour about Amazon Criticized for Sharing Doorbell Video with Police
Melissa Meister Quoted by Law360 on DOJ’s Listening Problem in Trials
Partners Keri Curtis Axel, Ryan Baker and Brian Klein Named Elite Boutique Trailblazers 2022 by the National Law Journal
Partners Ryan Baker and Scott Malzahn Honored as Legal Visionaries 2022 in the Business of Law by Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing
Ryan Baker Quoted by Los Angeles Times on Amber Heard Speaking to NBC Dateline about Johnny Depp, Again
The Trial of Paige Thompson, the Alleged Capital One Hacker, is Underway with Brian Klein, Melissa Meister, and Emily Stierwalt Acting as Defense Counsel
Ryan Baker Interviewed on Sky News immediately following Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Verdict
Judge Gives Preliminary Approval to $20 Million-Plus Settlement in Prius Stalling Defect Class Action Lawsuit Against Toyota
Ryan Baker Quoted by BBC.com on Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Verdict
Co-Founders Ryan Baker and Jaime Marquart Quoted in Reuters Story about Law Firm Names
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by Law360 about Trial of Lawyer Accused of Lying to FBI
Partner Brian Klein Quoted By Law360 about the Ninth Circuit’s Recent Landmark Cybercrime Decision and Firm Client Paige Thompson
Co-Managing Partner Ryan Baker Named one of the Top 100 Lawyers by Los Angeles Business Journal
Ryan Baker Quoted by Newsweek on Johnny Depp v. Amanda Heard Trial Break
Ryan Baker Discusses Privacy Issues Related to Racy Rep. Madison Cawthorn video on NBC NOW Tonight with Joshua Johnson
Ryan Baker Quoted by BBC on Depp v. Heard One Month into Trial
Partners Teresa Huggins and Brian Klein Speak at 2022 TechGC’s Invitation Only Fullstack Conference
Melissa Meister Quoted by Law360 on DOJ’s Antitrust Leniency Overhaul
BBC’s ‘Good Morning Britain’ Asks Partner Ryan Baker About Ongoing High-Profile Litigation Between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
Partners Keri Axel and Teresa Huggins Named Women of Influence: Attorneys 2022 By Los Angeles Business Journal
Ryan Baker Quoted by BBC on Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Trial and SLAPP
Ryan Baker Quoted by Vulture on Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Trial and anti-SLAPP
Waymaker Client Dismissed in NFT Case Also Involving Sotheby’s and Artist Kevin McCoy
Three Waymaker Lawyers Lead Pro Bono Win for Foreign Client in Trademark Infringement Case
Ryan Baker Quoted by Business Insider on Hollywood M&A Frenzy
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by Law360 on Second Circuit Libor Reversal
Five Partners Named Southern California Super Lawyers 2022
Partner Brian Klein Quoted By WSJ about a Federal Lawsuit involving a DeFi Protocol
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by Law360 on Holmes’ Trial Lessons
Partner Donald Pepperman Quoted by Law360 on California Antitrust Cases to Watch in 2022
Partner Brian Klein Quoted By Law360 about Cybersecurity Developments to Watch in 2022
Partner Keri Axel Quoted by AP as Elizabeth Holmes Jury Reaches Guilty Verdict
Partner Brian Klein Quoted on NPR about Jury in US v. Elizabeth Holmes
Co-Founder Jaime Marquart Named 2021 “Leader of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s” by Los Angeles Business Journal
Partner Brian Klein Ranked By Chambers in Fintech for 2022

Jared Sohn
Jared Sohn’s diversified experience enables him to represent a wide range of clients. He works closely with founders, early-stage companies, and high-net-worth individuals, as well as multinational corporations. Representing both plaintiffs and defendants, Jared litigates cutting-edge, complex commercial matters in both state and federal courts. He handles contractual disputes spanning the industrial spectrum, serves clients in blockchain and FinTech spaces, and litigates entertainment law and intellectual property infringement cases. He also defends clients in connection with government investigations brought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Prior to joining Waymaker, Jared gained experience at a business and employment law firm where, among other high-stakes civil cases, he aggressively litigated against a Fortune 100 company and represented a public figure in a defamation lawsuit. He also interned with the New York City Law Department, one of the nation’s premier NFL player agencies, and was a founding team member at a cryptocurrency startup.
Jared received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and his B.B.A. in Business Law from the University of Miami. He was a member of UNC School of Law’s Student Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Association, and Sports and Entertainment Law Association. He has also performed pro bono work for legal organizations such as Rising for Justice and Community Veteran Justice Project. Jared enjoys volunteering at food banks throughout Los Angeles.