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Ryan Hayward

Associate

Ryan Hayward represents businesses and individuals in high-stakes disputes and litigation. Ryan focuses on complex business disputes, intellectual property litigation, the representation of individuals, and white collar matters. He has represented clients before the United States District Courts, the United States Court of Appeals, the California state courts, and in numerous disputes outside of court. He counts among his current and former clients Google, Meta, Comcast, Twitter, and Sutter Health. 

Ryan also has significant experience representing startups in bet-the-company disputes. He draws on his first-hand experience co-founding a Series B-stage technology company prior to his legal career, as well as serving as a product marketing manager—and, later, in-house counsel—for Google. Ryan is currently representing clients in matters concerning claimed breaches of contract, as well as patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and more.

In his pro bono practice, Ryan has, among other things, successfully litigated to advance the rights of individuals with disabilities. Ryan also currently serves on the board of directors for the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, which provides legal services to those living with HIV/AIDS in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

After law school, Ryan served as a law clerk to Judge Christopher F. Droney of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge John Z. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ryan Hayward represents businesses and individuals in high-stakes disputes and litigation. Ryan focuses on complex business disputes, intellectual property litigation, the representation of individuals, and white collar matters. He has represented clients before the United States District Courts, the United States Court of Appeals, the California state courts, and in numerous disputes outside of court. He counts among his current and former clients Google, Meta, Comcast, Twitter, and Sutter Health. 

Ryan also has significant experience representing startups in bet-the-company disputes. He draws on his first-hand experience co-founding a Series B-stage technology company prior to his legal career, as well as serving as a product marketing manager—and, later, in-house counsel—for Google. Ryan is currently representing clients in matters concerning claimed breaches of contract, as well as patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and more.

In his pro bono practice, Ryan has, among other things, successfully litigated to advance the rights of individuals with disabilities. Ryan also currently serves on the board of directors for the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, which provides legal services to those living with HIV/AIDS in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

After law school, Ryan served as a law clerk to Judge Christopher F. Droney of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge John Z. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Win for Sutter Health Included Among California's Top Verdicts

02/26/2025

The Daily Journal has named Keker, Van Nest & Peters's trial win for Sutter Health among the 2024 Top Verdicts in California. Read more

Law360 Trials Group Of The Year: Keker, Van Nest & Peters

02/18/2025

Keker, Van Nest & Peters partners Bob Van Nest, Sharif Jacob, Sophie Hood and Ryan Wong reflect on the firm’s biggest trial wins which earned its place among Law360’s 2024 Trials Groups of the Year. Read more

Sutter Health Wins Trial Over $519M Double-Billing Claims

06/20/2024

A California state judge has handed Sutter Health a win following a weeks-long bench trial last year over a whistleblower's claims that the nonprofit hospital network violated the state's insurance fraud prevention statutes. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters, Representing Cities and Counties Across the Nation, Urges the Federal Circuit to Support Transgender Veterans’ Access to Gender-Confirmation Surgery

01/30/2024

Keker, Van Nest & Peters, representing cities and counties across the nation, filed an amicus curiae brief urging the federal circuit to support transgender veterans' access to gender-confirmation surgery. Read more

Evaluating the “Imminence” of a Cyber Attack for Purposes of Anticipatory Self-Defense, 117 Colum. Law Rev. 399 (2017)