Overview
(February 24, 2025, Los Angeles) — Steptoe LLP has expanded its Commercial Litigation practice on the West Coast with the addition of Ryan Lapine. Ryan, formerly of Venable, joins Steptoe as a partner in the firm's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices.
With a focus on complex, high-stakes disputes, Ryan's litigation experience covers a broad range of industries, including entertainment, cryptocurrency, retail, and insurance. Ryan is a first-chair trial lawyer with significant trial experience.
He regularly represents entertainment companies and well-known entertainers in a broad range of business and IP litigation arising from contract disputes, breaches of fiduciary duty, fraud, copyright and patent infringement claims, and violations of the right of publicity. He also handles a variety of business litigation for companies big and small, including breach of contract and licensing matters, reference pricing litigation, intellectual property litigation, and business disputes.
In the cryptocurrency space, Ryan represents significant clients, including an algorithmic trading platform, institutional investors, and founders in federal and state litigation.
"Ryan brings considerable litigation and trial success to Steptoe in complex business disputes, with a thorough understanding of entertainment, cryptocurrency, and cannabis industry issues. His arrival continues the development of our West Coast capabilities and I am thrilled to welcome Ryan to Steptoe,” said practice group leader Jarod Stewart.
Ryan’s arrival follows Steptoe's continued investment on the West Coast, bringing in partners to enhance the firm's capabilities in Commercial Litigation, Financial Services, Consumer and Class Action Litigation, Government Investigations, and Intellectual Property, including Julia Strickland, Cáitrín McKiernan, Derek Foran, James Brogan, Stephen Newman, and Christopher Fredrich.
Steptoe’s award-winning Commercial Litigation group is well-known for handling significant and complex matters. These include obtaining a major victory on behalf of Lattice Semiconductor after a 3-week jury trial, upholding a multi-million dollar judgment in favor of the bankruptcy trustee for Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC, and obtaining a $171.6 million judgment against Ferrellgas Partners and affiliates after a 19-day bench trial.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Steptoe. This is an exciting next step in my career and I look forward to utilizing my experience working with corporate and high-net-worth clients, managing contract disputes, and resolving other complex business disputes to help grow the firm's Commercial Litigation practice on the West Coast," said Ryan.
Ryan earned his BA from the University of Chicago and his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
