Ryan Weinstein is a former federal prosecutor and accomplished trial lawyer with more than 20 years of broad-based experience in complex, high-stakes civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. He represents individuals and corporations in a wide range of criminal, civil, and regulatory matters, including those involving securities fraud, health care fraud, defense contractor fraud, intellectual property disputes, business torts and commercial disputes, shareholder derivative and class actions, and data privacy litigation. He has secured favorable outcomes in a wide variety of high-profile matters for clients in the health care, technology, sports, financial services, and private equity industries, among others.
Ryan served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California from 2012 through 2019. During his seven-year tenure as a federal prosecutor, he conducted dozens of complex grand jury investigations and served as lead or co-lead counsel in multiple trials, achieving a 100% conviction rate. He successfully prosecuted defendants for bank fraud, tax fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, money laundering, among other federal criminal offenses. Ryan also briefed and argued numerous appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In recognition of his achievements, he received commendations and awards from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service. A frequent contributor to the Daily Journal and Law360, Ryan regularly writes and comments on securities litigation, criminal procedure, administrative law, and corporate governance.
Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice that includes advocacy on behalf of student-victims of antisemitism in K-12 schools.
Experience
Ryan has achieved successful results across a broad range of high-stakes matters. Representative engagements include:
- Represented multiple private equity-backed portfolio companies in multimillion-dollar employment matters and commercial disputes
- Achieved complete dismissals or nominal settlements in numerous data privacy litigation matters
- Represented the holding company of China's leading social media platform in litigation arising from a $2.6 billion going-private transaction
- Represented a biotechnology company in a matter brought by the California Board of Pharmacy, securing a complete dismissal that protected the client's licensure across all 50 states
- Served as lead trial counsel for one of the largest health care providers in the United States in an action against a major insurer seeking to recover reimbursement for over $200 million in emergency medical services, securing a highly favorable mid-trial settlement*
- Represented the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee in an action alleging sexual abuse by a member of the USA Weightlifting team, helping secure the plaintiff's voluntary dismissal of all claims*
- Represented a private equity firm in an action brought by shareholders challenging the firm's Series B financing of an energy start-up, helping secure dismissal of all claims against the firm and a former director on favorable terms*
- Defended KPMG in multiple matters, ranging from fraud, negligence, and securities actions, including in connection with civil litigation seeking $100 million in damages relating to tax advice provided by the firm, helping secure complete victories in both state and federal court actions*
- Defended William J. Ruehle, the former CFO of Broadcom Corporation, in the largest stock options backdating case brought by the federal government. After an eight-week trial, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted Mr. Ruehle's motion for judgment of acquittal and motion to dismiss the indictment for prosecutorial misconduct, and dismissed all of the SEC's charges against Mr. Ruehle and his co-defendants in the parallel civil enforcement action*
- Served as a member of the trial team representing MGA Entertainment, Inc. in its highly publicized multibillion-dollar "battle of the dolls" trial against Mattel, Inc. over the rights to the "Bratz" doll franchise. The Daily Journal called the case one of California's "hardest-fought and highest-stakes intellectual property trials in recent memory." The initial jury verdict was less than 1% of the amount demanded by Mattel and was ultimately vacated by the Ninth Circuit*
- Defended Gregory Reyes, the former CEO of Brocade Communications, in the first-ever federal criminal trial charging a corporate executive with securities fraud for improperly backdating stock options*
*Experience prior to joining Ropes & Gray