Ryan Nilsen

Partner

Ryan.Nilsen@lewisbrisbois.com

Ryan Nilsen: A Trusted Trial Lawyer Across Time Zones

Mr. Nilsen, a distinguished partner at Lewis Brisbois in the San Diego office, brings over 23 years of unparalleled experience as a trial lawyer specializing in transportation, hospitality, and product liability cases. His dedication to client service and strategic partnership sets him apart in the legal landscape.

Key Practice Areas:

  • National Trial Practice
  • General Liability
  • Hospitality
  • Products Liability

Navigating High-Exposure Cases with Precision: Clients turn to Ryan as their go-to trial lawyer for high-stakes cases, from ATV crashes in California to wrongful death suits in South Carolina and warehouse fires in Texas. His expertise shines across all time zones, making him the preferred choice for clients seeking a seasoned advocate.

Commitment to Client Goals: Ryan takes pride in understanding and achieving his client's objectives, recognizing the challenges of legal budgets and the need for cost predictability. His commitment to client service goes hand-in-hand with a deep understanding of complex litigation.

Versatile Expertise: With extensive experience in 44 states and Canada, Ryan specializes in complex products, premise liability, trucking, and consumer warranty cases. Notably, he has successfully defended national hotel chains, restaurants, shopping malls, and retail establishments against various litigation challenges.

Highlights of Achievements:

  • National counsel for a global leader in cash logistics and security services.
  • Secured a defense verdict in a traumatic brain injury case for a prominent hospitality company.
  • First-chaired trials in multiple states, including a four-month toxic tort case.
  • Coordinating counsel for a leading restaurant group in California.

Notable Case Highlights:

  • Defense verdict in a catastrophic roll-over case for a zero-turn-mower manufacturer in Wisconsin.
  • Negotiated an $85 million settlement for a water treatment manufacturer in a spoiled-carrots case in California.
  • Successfully argued an appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of an off-road vehicle manufacturer.

A Track Record of Success:

  • Resolved significant injury cases for off-road vehicle manufacturers, involving traumatic burn injuries, amputations, and death.
  • Achieved a defense verdict as the first-chair trial attorney in a trade secrets and unfair competition case for a water treatment manufacturer in Minnesota.
  • Led an investigation and developed a legal response for a building products manufacturer into alleged defects in fire-safing panels used in high-rise construction throughout the United States.

Industry Recognition:

  • Defended numerous businesses in the hospitality industry, including hotel and restaurant chains.

Ryan Nilsen's dedication to excellence, coupled with his extensive trial experience, positions him as a trusted advocate for clients facing complex legal challenges. His commitment to achieving client goals and navigating high-exposure cases makes him an invaluable asset to the Lewis Brisbois team.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Products Liability
  • General Liability
  • Consumer Warranty
  • Hospitality
  • Transportation
  • National Trial Practice

Admissions

California

Minnesota

Wisconsin

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Associations

  • Defense Research Institute leadership roles, including Product Liability Committee Marketing Chair (2014)
  • Product Liability Committee Liaison to Industry (2015)
  • Chair of Chemical and Toxic Tort SLG (2010-2012)
  • Product Liability Steering Committee (2008-2015)
  • Young Lawyers Steering Committee (2005-2008)

Awards & Honors

  • Super Lawyer” recognition in Minnesota from Thomson Reuters (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016) 
  • “Up & Coming Attorney” recognition from Minnesota Lawyer Journal (2008)
  • “Rising Star” recognition in legal profession from Thomson Reuters (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009)
  • Burton Award for Legal Writing Achievement (2010) for “Defending Lead-Containing Toy Lawsuits,” in Defense Research Institute’s For The Defense journal (2009)

Professional Presentations

  • “Best Practices for International Recalls and Resulting Litigation,” presentation at DRI Product Liability Conference, New Orleans (February 2016)
  • “Circumstantial Evidence of Defect,” presentation at ABA’s Litigation Conference in Chicago (November 2015)
  • “Toxic Torts: Moderator for Panel of In-House Counsel,” DRI Product Liability Seminar in Las Vegas (February 2012)
  • “The Potential Pitfalls of Social Media for Corporations,” DRI Product Liability Seminar, Las Vegas (February 2012)
  • “Causation Issues in Toxic Tort Cases,” DRI Product Liability Seminar in New Orleans (2011)
  • “Discovery and the Dying Plaintiff,” DRI’s Product Liability Seminar in Las Vegas (2010)
  • “Expert Preparation for Deposition and Trial Testimony,” keynote speaker at SEAK’s Expert Witness Conference in Cape Cod (2009)
  • “Tips and Tactics for Successful Depositions,” keynote speaker at DRI’s Web-Conference Series (2008)
  • “Death by Daubert: Arranging the Jazz Funeral for Junk Scientists,” DRI’s Product Liability Seminar in New Orleans (2007) 
  • “How to Get Your Expert Testimony Admitted into Evidence: How to Refute Opposing Expert Testimony,” speaker at MN Corporate Counsel CLE (2007)

Education

University of Minnesota Law School

Juris Doctor, cum laude, 2000

University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1997

Publications

  • Chapter One: Peer Review and Publication, DRI’s Daubert Compendium (2010 ed.).
  • "Defending Lead-Containing Toy Lawsuits,” award-winning article in Defense Research Institute’s For The Defense journal (2009), which received Burton Award for Legal Writing Achievement.
  • “The Legal Risks of Nanotechnologies,” published in DRI’s For The Defense (Nov. 2008). 
  • “The Work Product Doctrine: Protecting Corporate Counsel,” published in Evidentiary Privileges for Corporate Counsel (Sept. 2008).

Pro Bono & Philanthropy

Leadership Team for Magdalena Ecke YMCA's Adventure Princess Program (2015-2017)