Ryan Fischbach

He | Him | His

Partner

Los Angeles
T +1.310.442.8898
F +1.310.820.8859

Overview

Ryan Fischbach has more than 20 years of litigation experience representing clients in a wide range of commercial and environmental disputes. He prosecutes and defends private party claims throughout the country under federal and state environmental statutes, including Comprehensive Environmental Response, the Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and state Superfund statutes, as well as related contractual indemnity and common law claims. He also represents clients in a wide range of commercial disputes, from breach of contract to trade secret misappropriation to franchise disputes, and defends clients against a range of statutory claims, including those under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, California Unruh Civil Rights Act and California Proposition 65, in both state and federal courts.

Ryan tailors his approach to the needs of the client and the nature of the case, efficiently and effectively advocating for them.

Select Experience

  • Represents clients in significant cost recovery and contribution actions and in environmental litigation throughout the country, including actions in Arizona, California, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Washington. Prosecutes and defends private party claims under federal and state environmental statutes, including CERCLA, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state Superfund statutes, including, for example, California’s Hazardous Substance Account Act, New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act and the Washington Model Toxics Control Act, as well as related contractual indemnity and common law claims.
  • Represents party in CERCLA allocation disputes involving past and future costs potentially exceeding $1 billion, including successfully obtaining dismissal of plaintiff’s claims through appeal to the Sixth Circuit on matter of first impression statute of limitations defense. 
  • Represents a wide range of clients, from national mall operators, hotels and retailers to family-run businesses, against Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or California Unruh Civil Rights Act claims in both state and federal courts relating to alleged physical barriers and website accessibility.
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Experience

  • Represents clients in significant cost recovery and contribution actions and in environmental litigation throughout the country, including actions in Arizona, California, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Washington. Prosecutes and defends private party claims under federal and state environmental statutes, including CERCLA, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state Superfund statutes, including, for example, California’s Hazardous Substance Account Act, New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act and the Washington Model Toxics Control Act, as well as related contractual indemnity and common law claims.
  • Represents party in CERCLA allocation disputes involving past and future costs potentially exceeding $1 billion, including successfully obtaining dismissal of plaintiff’s claims through appeal to the Sixth Circuit on matter of first impression statute of limitations defense. 
  • Represents a wide range of clients, from national mall operators, hotels and retailers to family-run businesses, against Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or California Unruh Civil Rights Act claims in both state and federal courts relating to alleged physical barriers and website accessibility.
  • Represents start-up company against claims of trade secret misappropriation and violation of non-compete agreement.
  • Represents product manufacturers and distributors against claims of alleged violations of California Proposition 65 requirements, including defending state court actions and the negotiation of favorable consent judgments.
  • Represented owner in environmental litigation seeking recovery of approximately $30 million in remediation costs against former owner/operators relating to industrial property in Vernon, California.
  • Represented potentially responsible parties in mass tort actions and multi-party litigation involving exposures associated with contaminated groundwater and landfill Superfund sites.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a large national insurance company in a putative class action asserting claims of unfair competition, breach of contract and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing relating to the company’s automobile claims processing policies, including a purported policy under which the company required the insured to transfer title to the subject vehicle prior to processing the insured’s claim.
  • Successfully handled the appeal of the default judgment against an individual who had pledged $5 million to the client, a nonprofit organization, and failed to make full payment. Obtained full affirmation of judgment for the client.
  • Favorably resolved a putative nationwide class action against a temporary staffing agency relating to the company’s policies for vesting commission payments for sales personnel, and alleged unfair business practices relating to alleged non-compete provisions in the company’s employment agreements. Successfully defended dismissal of the plaintiff’s non-compete claims on appeal and resolved the matter on very favorable terms for the client upon remand of the remaining commission forfeiture and breach of contract claims.

Recognitions and Memberships

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association

News

News

Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2002
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1999
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2014
  • U.S. District Court, District of Delaware
  • California, 1999

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 1999
  • B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1996, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, college honors and departmental highest honors

Blog

In The Blogs

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AD-ttorneys Law Blog
What Is a PFAS, and Why Should I Care? Part III – California's Proposition 65
By Ryan Fischbach, Bethany G. Lukitsch, Matthew D. Thurlow, Theodore Weiss
May 12, 2022
In Part I and Part II of this blog series, we introduced and discussed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” which have been recent targets of consumer class actions and regulatory...
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