Judge Ryan has a reputation for successfully mediating and resolving complex employment matters. She has handled all types of cases, including wage and hour disputes, sexual harassment claims, and discrimination claims based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and national origin. Based on her background and experience as a litigator and instructor in the area, in addition to her dispute resolution experience, she is skilled at working with both sides in addressing and resolving highly charged and emotional issues.
As Corporate Counsel with Hunt Wesson Foods, Inc., she supervised all in-house investigations regarding employment matters, conducted training on employment law compliance, and oversaw all employment litigation. While serving as Deputy City Attorney/Police Advisor for the Santa Ana Police Department, she was responsible for employment litigation matters, including class actions. Judge Ryan taught Employment Discrimination Law as an adjunct professor for Western State University College of Law for four years and has lectured on the subject at various legal and civic organizations.
Judge Ryan has mediated and arbitrated hundreds of employment matters as a judge and arbitrator.
Representative Matters
- Arbitration of harassment claims based upon sexual favoritism and unequal pay brought by 3 employees against president/ TV personality of national health food company
- Arbitration of sexual harassment and age discrimination action brought pursuant to FEHA against major health care provider
- Arbitration of sexual harassment, age discrimination and wrongful termination involving officer of national financial institution
- Arbitration of wrongful termination claim with claims of medical disability discrimination
- Mediated and arbitrated variety of cases involving claims of discrimination based upon sex and/or sexual orientation
- Mediated and resolved pre-litigation wrongful termination/ defamation action by long term executive employee for nationwide adoption services agency; allegations also included claims for computer theft and misappropriation of trade secrets
- Mediated resolution of harassment claim by plaintiff against her former employer with whom she also had long term relationship; included additional claims for retaliation and that she had contracted sexually transmitted disease during the relationship
- Mediation of pregnancy discrimination claims by employees returning from pregnancy leave whose positions had been replaced
- Mediation of wrongful termination claim brought by executive administrator whose position was eliminated when financial services company was acquired by international finance company
- Successful mediation of sexual harassment claims brought by employees of television personality
- Three-week arbitration involving claims of wrongful termination and wage and hour violations
