Ryan Carreon

500 Delaware Ave, Suite 1500 · Wilmington, DE 19801 · (626) 533-7357 · ryancarreon1@gmail.com

I am a civil litigation attorney focusing on entertainment and intellectual property litigation and appeals. My clients have included Annie Leibovitz, the estate of Scott Weiland, Trunk Archive, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. Notable cases that I have worked on include an idea theft case involving the hit BBC America television series "Orphan Black"; a trademark infringement case against R&B artist Chris Brown; and a right of publicity case involving Chris Soules of ABC's "The Bachelor". Prior to law school, I worked as a sports writer and web editor at Deseret Digital Media.

Education

Loyola Law School

J.D. - Entertainment Law Advocacy concentration

Relevant Coursework: Copyright, Trademark, Entertainment Law, Law and Practice with the Hollywood Guilds, Motion Picture Finance and Production, Litigating a Copyright Case, Reality TV and New Media Production and Distribution, Intro to Negotiations, Mediation.

Activities: Scott Moot Court Team, Entertainment and Sports Law Society, Certified Mediator - California Dispute Resolution Programs Act.

Class of 2016

Brigham Young University-Idaho

B.S. Communication - Journalism

Activities: News and Sports section editor for weekly campus newspaper, tutor for public speaking courses.

Awards: Recipient of Newel K. Whitney Award for character, diligence, and pursuit of excellence.

Class of 2012

Experience

Associate Litigation Attorney

Morris James, LLP
January 2024 - Present

Senior Associate Litigation Attorney

Higbee & Associates
  • Independently manage multijurisdictional caseload of copyright, trademark, and right of publicity cases.
  • Try cases to verdict as lead trial counsel in matters pending in federal court.
  • Litigate numerous appeals as lead appellate counsel in front of state and federal appellate courts.
  • Argue motions and appeals in state and federal courts.
  • Conduct various litigation activities including taking depositions, drafting motions, and preparing discovery materials.
  • Negotiate litigation settlements and licensing agreements.
  • Counsel directly with clients regarding litigation options and strategy.
August 2017 - January 2024

Law Clerk/Associate Litigation Attorney

Kernan Law Firm
  • Drafted litigation materials such as pleadings, anti-SLAPP motions, motions for summary judgment, motions to compel, discovery responses, and settlement agreements.
  • Researched privacy, right of publicity, idea theft, copyright, and trademark claims in connection with ongoing litigation.
  • Appeared in court and argued motions.
  • Supervised office workflow including managing incoming client funds, organizing client files, and coordinating attorney schedules.
January 2016 - August 2017

Law Clerk

Eclipse Law Corporation
  • Drafted and revised various talent agreements for motion picture and television writers, producers, actors, and directors.
  • Reviewed deal memos and redline agreements during negotiations with studios and production companies.
  • Performed guild research in areas such as WGA separated rights and residuals.
  • Managed incoming funds for deposit in client trust and company accounts.
September 2015 - December 2015

Certified Law Clerk

Legal Aid Society of Orange County
  • Represented indigent clients in court proceedings and administrative hearings under attorney supervision.
  • Drafted motions, pleadings, powers of attorney, and other legal documents.
  • Interviewed new clients and assessed their legal needs.
  • Recipient of 2015 LASOC Patricia Herzog Pro Bono Service Award given to outstanding volunteers.
June 2015 - August 2015

Web Editor/Staff Writer

Deseret Digital Media
  • Produced articles, infographics, and top lists about professional and college sports for DeseretNews.com.
  • Organized content from three media groups for distribution online.
  • Vetted digital content for substantive and grammatical accuracy.
  • Implemented a system for receiving and responding to customer feedback.
  • Wrote a 40-page guide outlining task workflow for web editorial team.
January 2012 - July 2013

Bar Admissions

State Courts

State Bar of California, Admitted 2016

Federal District Courts

United States District Court for the Central District of California

United States District Court for the Northern District of California

United States District Court for the Southern District of California

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois

United States District Court for the District of Colorado

Federal Appellate Courts

5th Circuit Court of Appeals

9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Notable Cases

Dennis Fugnetti v. Bird B Gone, Inc., Case no. 8:19-cv-00847-SK (C.D. Cal., 2022) | Press Release

Successfully defeated multiple counterclaims and obtained a $1.1 million jury verdict as lead trial counsel in a case determining whether a photographer had granted an implied license to allow his work to be used on the retail product packaging of a major corporation.

Great Bowery Inc. d/b/a Trunk Archive v. Best Little Sites, LLC et al., 609 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (D. Utah 2022) | PDF (Order)

Successfully argued personal jurisdiction existed in Utah over European defendants accused of infringing photographs from the set of Star Wars created by Annie Leibovitz.

Incredible Features, Inc. v. BackChina, LLC, 476 F.Supp.3d 1028 (C.D.Cal., 2020) | PDF (Order)

Successfully argued personal jurisdiction existed in California over Texas publishing company based in Texas accused of infringing 37 copyrighted works online.

Reed v. Ezelle Inv. Props., 353 F. Supp. 3d 1025 (D. Or. 2018) | PDF (Grant Of Summary Judgment)

Drafted successful summary judgment motion on issue of enforceability of alleged settlement agreement and copyright infringement by real estate company.

Jeffery R. Werner v. Evolve Media LLC, et al., Case no. 2:18-cv-07188-VAP-SK (C.D. Cal. 2020) | PDF (Damages Award) | PDF (Attorney's Fees Award)

After obtaining summary judgment on the merits, won $200,000 in statutory damages and over $50,000 in attorney's fees for photographer client arising out of infringement of four photographs by large media company.

Michael Grecco Productions, Inc., et al. v. BDG Media, Inc., et al., Case no. 20-55441 (9th Cir. 2021) | PDF (Opening Brief)

Drafted principal brief and argued successful appeal in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding whether a photographer copyright holder could invoke the "delayed discovery" doctrine and "relation back" to overcome the Copyright Act's three-year statute of limitations.

Jeffery R. Werner, et al. et al. v. Landon Dowlatsingh, et al., Case no. 18-56349 (9th Cir. 2020) | PDF (Opening Brief)

Drafted principal brief and argued appeal in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding novel issue of personal jurisdiction over foreign defendant served with process outside of California but within the United States.

Michael Grecco Productions, Inc., et al. v. Ziff Davis, LLC, et al., Case no. 19-56465 (9th Cir. 2020) | PDF (Opening Brief)

Drafted principal brief and argued successful appeal in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding whether a photographer copyright holder could invoke the "delayed discovery" doctrine to overcome the Copyright Act's three-year statute of limitations where reverse image search technology existed prior to the date of the discovery of the infringement.