Ryan D. Saba

Partner

Ryan D. Saba

Partner

OVERVIEW

Ryan Saba is an award winning civil litigation and trial attorney. Ryan’s practice consists of prosecuting and defending individual, class action and mass action claims. On the plaintiff side, Ryan obtains some of the largest settlements and verdicts each year.  On the defense side, Ryan is considered one of the premiere “bet-the-company” trial lawyers in California.  Ryan has extensive experience in a wide range of federal and state matters, including consumer litigation, employment litigation, women’s rights, complex business and entertainment disputes, catastrophic injury claims, professional responsibility, copyright/trademark, civil rights, maritime, and municipal, insurance bad faith, landowner, and product liability.  Ryan has been working with Jim Rosen since 1999 and is a founding partner of Rosen“RosenSaba, LLP.

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • Received numerous awards in 2023 and 2022, including “Top Plaintiffs Attorney” in California by the Daily Journal; and named in the 2024 and 2023 annual ranking of top “500 Leading Litigators in America” by Lawdragon
  • Unanimously won a jury trial in the amount of $62,054,745 for a claim against a former employee who took confidential information in order to start a competing business (This was the largest Business Litigation Jury Verdict in the State of California in 2023)
  • Unanimously won a jury trial by defeating a claim by restaurant operators for lost profits arising out of a breach of contract claim (2023)
  • Obtained $25,656,686 Jury Verdict in 2020 because of a Dangerous Condition of a Roadway (Largest Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California in 2020)
  • Obtained the #1 Jury Verdict in California in 2018 for Tortious Interference
  • Defended an international corporation as lead counsel and defeated a $1.85 billion consumer class action.
  • Successfully prosecuted a $12,000,000 fraud and RICO claim on behalf of a publicly traded company
  • Rosen“RosenSaba, LLP was named as 2016 Top Boutique Law Firm in California by the Daily Journal
  • Established seminal law in the California Court of Appeals in a case called Futrell v. Payday California defining who is liable as the “employer” for purposes of wage/hour claims.
  • Led a team of multiple law firms in one of the largest civil discrimination actions in San Bernardino history

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • Successfully prosecutes and defends class action and mass action matters for unfair competition, false advertising, consumer, CLRA, employment, and wage/hour class and PAGA claims in various industries
  • Strategically prosecutes and defends complex business litigation matters, including interference claims, trade secrets, slander, false advertising, breach of contract, breach of joint venture, and fraud
  • Aggressively prosecutes and defends employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation matters
  • Prosecutes catastrophic personal injury cases on behalf of victims that have been harmed by government design, product liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, or negligence of others
  • Prosecutes and defends legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty claims, professional responsibility, and State Bar Court matters
  • Has appeared in Federal and State court actions throughout the United States, including in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Has also appeared in front of the Federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
  • Lead trial lawyer in numerous forums including State Superior Courts (bench and jury); Federal District Courts (bench and jury); Bankruptcy adversary proceeding; Federal contempt proceeding; State Bar Court; and Arbitrations.
  • Lead counsel in State and Federal Appellate matters

HONORS & AWARDS

  • 2024, 2023 and 2022 Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” in the United States
  • 2024 and 2023 Daily Journal “Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers” in California (only 29 named in 2024)
  • 2024 and 2023 Lawdragon “500 Leading Litigators in America”
  • Largest Business Litigation Verdict in the State of California in 2023 (10th largest verdict in the State of California overall in 2023 by the Daily Journal)
  • 2023 and 2022 Daily Journal “Top Plaintiffs Attorneys” in California (only 40 named in 2023; 41 named in 2022)
  • 2023 “Top Consumer Attorneys of Southern California” (only 67 named) by Los Angeles Times B2B
  • 2023, 2022 and 2021 Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers” in the United States
  • 2022 “Top Southern California Personal Injury Attorneys” (only 70 named) by the Los Angeles Times B2B
  • Largest Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California in 2020 (3rd largest jury verdict overall in California by Daily Journal; 20th largest verdict overall nationwide by National Law Journal)
  • Largest Tortious Interference Jury Verdict in California in 2018 for (#1 in California by Top Verdict)
  • Top 20 Boutique Law Firms in California in 2016 by California’s Legal Newspaper the Daily Journal (only 7 litigation firms listed)
  • 24th Largest Class Action Settlement in California in 2020
  • Had a Top 100 Jury Verdict in California in 2018 (number 72)
  • Had a Top 50 Labor and Employment Settlement in 2018 (number 23)
  • Every year since 2014 named as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine
  • Every year since 2019 named as one of the “Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys” in Southern California by America’s Top 100 
  • Every year since 2019 named as “Top Rated Litigator” by American Lawyer Magazine
  • Every year since 2018, named as a “Best Lawyer” in three areas: commercial litigation, employment law, and personal injury by The Best Lawyers in America Magazine
  • Named as one of “The West Coast’s Top Rated Lawyers” by American Lawyer Magazine
  • Named as one of the “Best Labor and Employment Attorneys” in the nation by American Lawyer Magazine
  • Named as one of the “Top Rated Lawyers in Litigation”  by American Lawyer Magazine
  • Named as one of the “Top Rated Lawyers in Medical Malpractice” by American Lawyer Magazine
  • Every year from 2004-2012 named as a “Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine
  • Rated 10 out of 10 “Superb” by AVVO and rated in the top 1% of all attorneys rated by AVVO. An AVVO rating is calculated by considering an attorney’s professional years in practice, discipline history, professional achievements, and industry recognition.
  • “AV-Preeminent” Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and listed annually every year since 2002 in the publication of Preeminent Lawyers in America. An “AV” rating is the highest rating awarded and indicates an attorney has reached the height of professional skill, excellence and ethics.

PUBLICATIONS

  • SCOTUS Decision on Mandatory Employment Arbitration Agreements will have Far-Reaching Implications (Employment Law Strategist 2017)
  • Hostile Work Environment Race Based Harassment in California (Practical Law 2014)
  • Third Party Beneficiary’s Right to Sue (Practical Law 2014)
  • To establish a prima facie case of wrongful discharge under the ADEA, a covered employee must show that the employee was qualified but replaced by someone of comparable qualifications who was substantially younger (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • To recover for breach of contract, claimant must prove the existence of the contract, claimant’s performance thereunder, the other party’s breach, and damages (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • Proving a contract is unconscionable requires the claimant to demonstrate procedural and substantive unconscionability (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • To have standing to sue for breach of contract as a third party beneficiary, the contract must express intent to benefit the third party (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • A choice-of-law provision in a contract is generally enforceable (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • Paternity leave is covered by the FMLA (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • Impossibility is a valid defense to a breach of contract claim (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • Many common day-to-day activities and major bodily functions are considered “Major Life Activities” for purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Practitioner Insights 2013)
  • California Insights: Tortious Interference with Contracts (Practical Law 2013)
  • Party is liable for breach of contract due to failure of consideration when the party withholds performance of the contract terms (Practitioner Insights 2012)
  • Employer is liable for an employee’s intentional or criminal act where the act was within the scope of the employee’s employment. (Practitioner Insights 2012)
  • Employers are liable for a hostile work environment based on race under Title VII (Practitioner Insights 2012)
  • Tortious interference with contract occurs where one has knowledge of the contract and intentionally procures a breach thereof (Practitioner Insights 2012)
  • Social Media as Evidence in Legal Malpractice Actions (Advocate Magazine 2012)
  • In the Wake of Saelzler: Surviving Summary Judgment in a Premises Liability Action for Third Party Criminal Acts (Advocate Magazine 2002)

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • Trial Lawyers University Live Las Vegas Conference: Picking a Jury/Voir Dire (October 2021)
  • Trial Lawyers University webinar: A Dangerous Condition worth $25.6 million (July 2021)
  • Great Trials Podcast: Episode 124: Tusant v. Hemet (July 20, 2021)
  • Brain Society of California webinar “How to Deal with Common Defenses and Bad Facts at Trial” (2020)
  • Orange County Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Symposium on the topic of “Yours, Mine or Ours? Recent Updates on Joint Employment and Independent Contractor Misclassification Issues in California.” (2016)
  • Orange County Bar Association seminar “Who’s the Boss? Navigating Joint Employer and Independent Contractor Issues.” (2015)
  • “Modern Ethical Problems: An Examination of Current Technology and Ethical Issues.” (LAPA 2014)
  • “Ethical Responsibilities to Preserve and Produce Social Media Content as Evidence.” (LAPA 2013)
  • Continuing Legal Education class for the Beverly Hills Bar Association named “What’s New in Employment Law: A Review of New 2012 Discrimination and Wage/Hour Laws.” (2012)
  • U.C.L.A. Extension Legal Assistant Program seminar called “Look Before You Leap: Life as a Lawyer.”
  • Professor at U.C.L.A. Extension Legal Assistant Program for “Jurisdiction and Venue.” (2009)

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENTS

  • Honorary Board of Governors for the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities (2015-2020)
  • Board of Directors for the University of San Diego School of Law Alumni Board (2009-2012)
  • Education Committee for the Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles (2011-2012)
  • Board of Directors for United States Youth Volleyball League (2006-2009)
  • Los Angeles County Superior Court CRASH Settlement Program volunteer (2011-2014)

AFFILIATIONS

  • American Board of Trial Advocates – Associate Level (for career achievements)
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow (by invitation only)
  • American Bar Association
  • American Association of Justice
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • South Bay Bar Association

ADMISSIONS

  • All California State Courts
  • United States Supreme Court
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Second Circuit Court of Appeals
  • United States District Court, Central District of California
  • United States District Court, Northern District of California
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court, Southern District of California

EDUCATION

  • University of San Diego, School of Law, Juris Doctorate (1997)
  • University of California, San Diego, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology (1994)
  • Loyola High School, Los Angeles (1990)

In addition to vigorously representing the Firm’s clients, Mr. Saba is devoted to his wife, daughter and two sons.