Ryan H. Nell
Shareholder
Ryan H. Nell is an employment attorney responsible for representing California employers statewide in both counseling and comprehensive litigation support. With the ever-changing landscape of California and federal employment law, Ryan prides himself on assisting clients in staying ahead of the curve in an effort to avoid legal trouble before it arises. He has extensive experience representing clients in harassment, retaliation, and discrimination matters, as well as large-scale wage and hour lawsuits.
Ryan speaks regularly on a wide range of topics aimed at assisting California employers in the avoidance of legal trouble before it arises, and his work in the field has led to his recognition as a San Diego Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2018-2024 and his inclusion in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list in 2021-2024.
Ryan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law. Before law school, Ryan attended the University of Southern California, where he was recognized as a Presidential Scholar and earned a degree in Political Science.
Awards +-
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2021-2024
- San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2018-2024
Affiliations +-
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
- Lawyers Club of San Diego
- San Diego County Bar Association
- SDHR Forum: Board Member, Director of Legal Education
- State Bar of California
Education +-
- University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude 2012)
- University of Southern California (B.A., 2009)
Speaking Engagements +-
- San Diego Risk and Insurance Management Society, “California Employment Law Update: What Risk Professionals Need to Know for 2023” (2023)
- UCSD HR Leadership, “2023 Legal Update Highlights” (2022)
- San Diego County Bar Association, 2022 Labor & Employment Conference, “California Employment Law Developments: What You Need to Prepare for in 2023” (2022)
- San Diego Society for Human Resource Management Law Symposium, “California Employment Law Update” (2022)
- California Employers Association Webinar, “Top 10 Tips to Prevent Employment Litigation: What You Need to Know” (2022)
- Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Webinar, “How to Defend Wage and Hour PAGA and Class Action Cases” (2022)
- San Diego Society for Human Resource Management Legal + Strategic Insights Conference, “Just Leave Me Alone: Navigating California Leave Requirements and Best Practices” (2022)
- San Diego Risk and Insurance Management Society Webinar, “California Employment Law Update” (2022)
- UCSD Extension Human Resources Leadership Program, “California Legal Update” (2022)
- San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Webinar, “2022 Employment Law Update” (2022)
- National Business Institute, “California Labor & Employment Law 2021 Miniseries: Part II” (2021)
- SDHR Forum Law Day – Annual Legal Update, “Employment Law, COVID, and Privacy – Oh My!” (2021)
- Professionals in Human Resources Association California Employment Law Update, “Ask the Expert: An HR Nightmare – The Class Action Wage and Hour Explosion” (2021)
- Association of Corporate Counsel MCLE Program, “Litigation Trends: Navigating Wage & Hour Issues” (2021)
- California Employers Association, “Litigation Trends: Navigating Wage & Hour Issues in 2021” (2021)
- Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Webinar, “Returning to Work in a Vaccinated World: Best Practices for a Smooth Transition” (2021)
- California HR Conference – Ask The Expert Interactive Chat, “See and Be Seen: A Discussion About the Legalities of Managing Your Remote Workforce” (2021)
- San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Webinar, “Returning to Work in a Vaccinated World: Best Practices for a Smooth Transition” (2021)
- HR Comply Virtual Conference, “Reefer Madness: Maintaining Compliance and Safety on the Job Amid Changing State Laws” (2021)
- San Diego Association of Health Underwriters, “Racial, Gender, and LGBTQ Bias in the Workplace: Addressing Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Issues” (2021)
- San Diego County Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section, “What’s New and Notable – Employment Law Update” (2021)
- Association of Corporate Counsel MCLE Program, “Mental Well-Being in the Workplace: The Laws and Best Practices” (2021)
- Professionals in Human Resources Association 2021 California Employment Law Update, “Are You Reasonably Reasonable? Fulfilling Employer Obligations to Engage in the Interactive Process” (2021)
- San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Webinar, “2021 Update: Employment Law – New Year, New Laws” (2021)
- SDHR Forum Law Day – Annual Legal Update, “COVID-19 at Work” (2020)
- California Employers Association Webinar, “2020 Wage and Hour Update” (2020)
- San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Webinar, “COVID-19 Business Series: Is Your Workplace Ready for the Next Normal?” (2020)
- San Diego Risk and Insurance Management Society Webinar, “CCPA is Here: Is Your Organization Ready?” (2020)
- Professionals in Human Resources Association – Back to Work Webinar Series, “Returning to Work in Stage 2 – What To Do Now?” (2020)
- Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Webinar, “#COVIDCoping – Employment Law & Tax Code Updates” (2020)
- Professionals in Human Resources Association Legal Update Conferences – Anaheim, Riverside, Burbank, La Jolla, “Alphabet Soup: Staying Up-to-Date on CFRA, FMLA, PFL, and PDL” (2020)
- Association of Corporate Counsel MCLE Program, “High or Dry: What Employers Need to Know about Cannabis and Opioids in the Workplace” (2019)
- San Diego Society for Human Resource Management Legal + Strategic Insights Conference, “Confused by the Smoke: Medical Marijuana” (2019)
- HR Comply California, “Opioids & Marijuana in California: Employer’s Rights and Responsibilities When Hiring, Disciplining, and Termination” (2019)
- Professionals in Human Resources Association Legal Update Conferences – Anaheim, Riverside, Burbank, La Jolla, “Marijuana in the Workplace in California” (2019)
- Change it Up Radio, “Cannabis in the Workplace” (2019)
- San Diego Hospitality Forum, “Not Just a Cost of Doing Business: Avoiding Wage and Hour Lawsuits in the California Hospitality Industry” (2018)
- San Diego Society for Human Resource Management Law Day, “Elimination of Wage Disparities” (2018)
- Lawyers Club of San Diego, “Solutions Summit: Sexual Harassment Panel” (2018)
- SDHR Forum Legal Update, “California Commission Law & Paid Rest Breaks” (2018)
- HR Leaders Roundtable, “Happy People Don’t Sue” (2017)
- Disrupt HR, “Finding Hire Ground: Create a Thriving Workforce by Ignoring What Doesn’t Matter” (2017)
- San Diego Paralegal Association, “Bridging the Gap” (2017)
