Ryan C. Duckett

My focus

I help entertainment and media businesses, major corporations and high-net-worth individuals, such as musical artists, producers, cutting-edge creatives, entrepreneurs and technology innovators, with strategic planning, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, innovative growth techniques, risk management and market control. My engineering background helps me understand my clients’ passion for innovation and their commitment to protecting their work.

Commercial Disputes

My practice primarily focuses on complex commercial disputes representing clients across a broad spectrum of industries in all phases of litigation. I am well versed on structuring protective covenants to best protect both the companies’ and the creators’ interests. I litigate a variety of cases from breach of licensing or distribution agreements, to unfair business practices and shareholder derivative suits. I also find myself representing claimants and counter-claimants on a variety of patent, trademark and copyright litigation disputes. I supervise and participate in every phase of a matter from advising, demands and pre-litigation disputes, to law and motion, discovery, trials, arbitrations and mediation, as well as post-trial motions and appeals.

Business Counsel

I wear the hat of an outside general counsel for many clients by working closely with each client to quickly find cost efficient solutions while reducing risks and maximizing results. All business owners, startup founders, and creators need to protect what they have built. For years, I have provided clients with business formation, compliance, litigation, partnership disputes and intellectual property counsel to safeguard their privacy and proprietary information confidential.

In addition to my business practice, I am passionate about the Los Angeles business landscape and the economic development of the City. As a result, in 2019, I was appointed by Mayor Garcetti as a Los Angeles City Commissioner for Restaurants & Beverages and Nightlife & Entertainment and recently elected as Counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District, and serve Chairman of the LA City Commission. In addition to these appointments, I sit on the board for various worldwide virtual reality and augmented reality organizations.

Construction and Real Estate Litigation

I represent clients in the construction and real estate development industry in contract negotiations, project counseling and dispute resolution. I represent owners and contractors from the inception of a project. I help them identify and reduce risk factors and maximize opportunities through contract drafting and negotiation as well as proactive counseling. When disputes arise, I provide counsel to clients, both during and after construction, to address project delays, change orders, differing site conditions and contract disputes.

Looking ahead

A close watch on evolving legal issues and trends affecting the entertainment, aerospace, medical, and educational industries is more important than ever as entities in those industries look to achieve goals and protect work.

Presentations

• “Legal Ethics and the Attorney-Client Privilege,” Nixon Peabody Annual MCLE Seminar, San Francisco, January 2019

Representative experience

• Handled discovery disputes for the estate of a famous rapper and record producer in a copyright infringement action in California federal court.
• Prepared online fashion store for trial against famous rapper. Secured favorable judgment at trial for client.
• Advised a professional basketball team on negotiation of a SaaS agreement and best practices under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
• Advised a professional basketball team in connection with a marketing service agreement with text message company and on official rules for a seasonal ticket giveaway.
• Defense of digitally first portfolio company against a commercial real estate company and operator of shopping centres in a 1.7 million-dollar lawsuit, asserting counter-claims for conversion damages as well as a declaratory judgment in the parties’ commercial lease dispute.