Ryan J. Krueger

Ryan Krueger is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles office.

Areas of Practice

Ryan leverages his significant trial experience and thought leadership to help California employers with all types of employment litigation and advice issues. He specializes in labor and employment matters on behalf of employers, including defending wage and hour class actions and PAGA matters, defending employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and sexual harassment claims, and counseling employers regarding California and federal employment law issues. He has experience in all aspects of employment litigation, including brief writing and oral argument, taking and defending depositions, and negotiating settlements. He has also handled multiple trials and arbitrations (including 6 jury trials), and argued before the California Court of Appeal. 

Ryan also provides advice and counsel to clients regarding a wide variety of employment issues, including wage and hour issues, terminations, employee handbooks and other policies, employment agreements, and separation agreements.

Ryan has also authored several articles and publications, including a book recently cited by the California Supreme Court.

Experience

Select Cases - Jury and Bench Trials, and Arbitrations 

• January 2016 – Jury Trial (12 days)
  Court: Los Angeles (Hon. Michael Johnson)
  Case: Sexual Harassment, Retaliation and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
  Role: Second Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Plaintiff
• September 2017 – Arbitration (5 days)
  Arbitration: (Hon. James L. Warren, Ret., Hon. Haley J. Fromholz, Ret., Hon. Charles S. Vogel, Ret.)
  Case: Legal malpractice
  Role: Second Chair Attorney
  Verdict: Defense
• September 2017 – Arbitration (2 days)
  Arbitration: (Hon. James Adler, Ret.)
  Case: Disability Discrimination, Failure to Accommodate, Failure to Engage in Interactive Process, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination
  Role: Second Chair Attorney
  Verdict: Defense
• November 2017 – Jury Trial (12 days)
  Court: Orange County Superior Court (Hon. Derek Hunt)
  Case: Gender Discrimination, Retaliation, Failure to Accommodate, Failure to Engage in Interactive Process and Disability Discrimination
  Role: Third Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Defense
• March 2021 – Bench Trial (4 days)
  Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court (Hon. Yolanda Orozco)
  Case: Sexual Harassment
  Role: Second Chair Trial Attorney 
  Verdict: Defense
• August 2021 – Jury Trial (9 days)
  Court: Riverside Superior Court (Hon. Carol A. Greene)
  Case: Pregnancy Harassment/Discrimination, Retaliation, Failure to Accommodate, Failure to Prevent, Defamation, Wrongful Termination
  Role: Third Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Plaintiff-Defamation only
• August 2022 - Jury Trial (27 days)
  Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court (Hon. Stephen Czuleger) 
  Case: Sexual Harassment/Assault, Retaliation in Employment and Education
  Role: Second Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Defense 

• September 2022 - Jury Trial (7 days)
  Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court (Hon. Daniel Murphy)
  Case: Sexual Harassment, Retaliation
  Role: Second Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Defense 
• October 2022 - Arbitration (3 days)
  Arbitration: (Hon. John Adler, Ret.)
  Case: Retaliation (FEHA & 1102.5), Disability Discrimination, Interactive Process, Reasonable Accommodation, Gender Discrimination, Waiting Time Penalties
  Role: Second Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Plaintiff - Retaliation (FEHA & 1102.5) and Waiting Time Penalties only
• February 2024 - Jury Trial (5 days)
  Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court (Hon. Daniel Crowley)
  Case: Unruh Civil Rights Act, Bane Act, Negligence, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
  Role: Co-First Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Defense 
• November 2024 – Judicial Reference Trial (8 days)
  Court: Contra Costa County Superior Court (Hon. Elizabeth D. Laporte (Ret.))
  Case: Retaliation (1278.5 & 1102.5)
  Role: Co-Second Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Defense 
• May 2025 – Arbitration (3 days)
  Arbitration: (Hon. Michael Latin (Ret.))
  Case: Age Discrimination, Unpaid Wages
  Role: First Chair Trial Attorney
  Verdict: Pending 

Articles

Labor & Employment Law Blog Posts

• "2021 California Legislative Update: California’s New Employment Laws," October 6, 2021
• "California Department of Public Health Issues COVID-19 'Employer Playbook,' " August 5, 2020
• "PAGA Claim Defeated Based on Insufficient Notice to the LWDA," February 28, 2018 
• "New Year, New Minimum Wage Rates in California," December 21, 2017 
• "Sixth Circuit Provides Clarification On Legality Of Draw-On-Commission Policy," November 21, 2017 
• "California’s Equal Pay Law To Become More Stringent Effective January 1, 2016," October 26, 2015

• "Arbitration Agreement With PAGA Waiver And Opt Out Provision Deemed Unenforceable," March 26, 2015

Books

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

• "The Nuts & Bolts of Trial Preparation: Practical Tools and Tactics for Getting Trial-Ready," Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), June 2025
• "2024 California Employment Law Update," myLawCLE, September 2024
• "The Rising Stakes of Workers' Misclassification Under California Law," Continuing Education of the Bar - California, November 2021

Events