Dylan Ruga

Dylan Ruga is a trial lawyer focused on complex litigation matters. Professional but tenacious, Dylan has earned a reputation among his clients and colleagues as a dedicated advocate who obtains results by outworking and outmaneuvering his opponents.

Dylan was raised in San Francisco and attended college in Ohio, where he played both varsity football and baseball. After returning to California, he graduated in the top 10% of his class at UCLA Law School, where he served as a Senior Editor on the UCLA Law Review. He began his legal career working in the chambers of a Southern California federal judge, where he learned how to be an effective advocate from the other side of the bench. From there, Dylan went into private practice as a litigation associate at Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan LLP, and then at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Dylan became an equity partner at Steptoe in 2013 and remained there until 2016 when he founded Stalwart Law Group.

Dylan is certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in the area of legal malpractice law, which is a distinction held by less than one-tenth of one percent of the lawyers in Los Angeles County.

Dylan serves on the board of several organizations, including the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities. He also has been recognized as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” every year from 2009-2022, which is an achievement limited to no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in California.

When Dylan is not working, you can find him spending time with his wife and two children or rooting for the San Francisco 49ers.

Representative Matters

  • Michael Farhat v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 19STCV14001.  Lead counsel for surviving husband and children of a woman who was run over and killed by her own 2018 Range Rover vehicle.  The lawsuit alleged that the vehicle was defectively designed because it had a confusing gear selector and lacked a simple safety device to prevent the vehicle from moving if the driver exited without placing it in Park.  Case settled for a confidential amount.
  • Phillips v. AvantGarde Senior Living, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 19STCV11501.  Trial counsel for an elderly plaintiff who suffered a broken neck and related injuries as a result of nursing home neglect.  Jury returned a verdict for $5,500,000.
  • Stretch Lab Franchise, LLC v. Stretch Lab LLC, C.D. Cal. Case No. 18-7816-GW-SS.  Successfully defeated TRO and represented founders of a franchise in a breach of contract and trademark infringement action.
  • Shulman, et al. v. Chaitman, et al., SDNY Case No. 17-cv-9330-VM-JLC.  Successfully represented individuals who brought claims against a lawyer and law firms for conflicts of interest in representation arising from the Bernie Madoff fallout.
  • Reserve Media, Inc. v. Efficient Frontiers, Inc., , 2017 WL 1377591 (C.D. Cal. 2017).  Successfully defended tech startup’s right to use the RESERVE trademark.
  • Prime Aid Pharm. Corp. v. Robert Romano, et al., N.Y. Supreme Court Index No. 24133/2016E (2016).  Successfully defeated plaintiff’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and defended company’s right to employ a competitor’s salesperson.
  • Victor Santiago v. Hope Int’l Univ., et al., Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2014-00743176-CU-WT-CJC (2014).  Successfully represented former college volleyball coach who was terminated because of his sexual orientation.
  • Reinsdorf v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc., 296 F.R.D. 604 (C.D. Cal. 2013).  Represented photographer in connection with copyright infringement claims against Skechers arising from the company’s use of the photographer’s images in its advertisements.
  • Solid 21, Inc. v. Breitling USA, Inc., 2011 WL 2938209 (C.D. Cal. 2011).  Defended Breitling against claims of trademark infringement related to plaintiff’s registered “RED GOLD” mark. The district court granted Breitling’s motion to dismiss the claims with prejudice, holding that plaintiff’s mark was generic and thus unprotectable as a matter of law, despite the fact that it had achieved “incontestable” status.
  • Antounian v. Louis Vuitton Malletier, et al., 189 Cal. App. 4th 438 (2010).  Successfully brought anti-SLAPP motion on behalf of Steptoe clients Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.  After this decision was affirmed on appeal, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior were awarded their attorneys’ fees in connection with the defense of the case.
  • Aversano v. Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 753 F. Supp. 2d 1063 (C.D. Cal. 2010).  Defended Greenberg Traurig against several claims, including civil RICO.  The district court dismissed the RICO claim with prejudice, concluding the claim was barred by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA).
  • OGM, Inc. v. Televisa, S.A. de C.V., 2009 WL 1025971 (C.D. Cal. 2009).  Created new law regarding service of process on Mexican residents under the Hague Convention by successfully convincing the court that the US State Department’s website was inaccurate and that all other cases on the subject were mistaken.
  • Larin Corp. v. Alltrade Inc., et al., 2008 WL 2745881 (C.D. Cal. 2008).  Defended Alltrade Inc. against claims of trade dress and false advertising.  The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Alltrade.
  • Textile Secrets Int’l, Inc. v. Ya-Ya Brand, Inc., 524 F. Supp. 2d 1184 (C.D. Cal. 2007).  Defended Ya-Ya Brand, Inc. in a copyright infringement case.  The district court granted Ya-Ya’s motion for summary judgment regarding the interpretation of a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that was an issue of first impression in the Ninth Circuit.

Contact Information

Education

  • Oberlin College, B.A.
  • UCLA School of Law, J.D., graduated in top 10% of class, Senior Editor of UCLA Law Review

Noteworthy

  • Certified by the California State Bar as a specialist in legal malpractice law
  • National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 civil plaintiff attorneys in California
  • Named one of the 30 most influential intellectual property attorneys in LA by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2017)
  • Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” IP Litigation, 2009-2021
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), Board of Governors, 2017-2021
  • Los Angeles Copyright Society, Member, 2015-present
  • Vice-Chair, Copyright Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association, 2010-2011
  • Law Clerk, Honorable James V. Selna, US District Court for the Central District of California, 2004-2005
  • Judicial Extern, Honorable Jeremy Fogel, US District Court for the Northern District of California, 2002
  • Southern California Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2024

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Los Angeles Copyright Society
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers

Selected publications

May 2014
Self-driving Cars Chauffeur a Load of Legal Issues

July 2013, Daily Journal
9th Circuit’s handling of Dukes

July 2009, Daily Journal
Performance Anxiety

February 2009, Landslide
The PRO-IP Act: Another Weapon Against a Failing Economy

July 2008, Los Angeles Daily Journal
Piece of Fake

December 2006, Los Angeles Daily Journal
Zankou Chicken Ruling Leaves a Confusing Mark

Speaking Engagements

  • Justice HQ MCLExtravaganza – January 10, 2024 (CTAPP: One Year Later)
  • Bootstrapped Solo Podcast – October 25, 2023 (From Litigation to Innovation)
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association – June 26, 2023 – (Best Practices for Mastering Depositions)
  • TBI Med Legal Conference – San Diego, CA – March 11, 2023 (Bulletproof Strategies for Depositions)
  • Law-Di-Gras – Carlsbad, CA – July 16, 2022 (Walk This Way – A Deposition Workshop)
  • TBI Med Legal’s Web Jam – Los Angeles, CA – May 19, 2022 (Depositions Masterclass)

Contact Information

Education

  • Oberlin College, B.A.
  • UCLA School of Law, J.D., graduated in top 10% of class, Senior Editor of UCLA Law Review

Noteworthy

  • Certified by the California State Bar as a specialist in legal malpractice law
  • National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 civil plaintiff attorneys in California
  • Named one of the 30 most influential intellectual property attorneys in LA by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2017)
  • Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” IP Litigation, 2009-2021
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), Board of Governors, 2017-2021
  • Los Angeles Copyright Society, Member, 2015-present
  • Vice-Chair, Copyright Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association, 2010-2011
  • Law Clerk, Honorable James V. Selna, US District Court for the Central District of California, 2004-2005
  • Judicial Extern, Honorable Jeremy Fogel, US District Court for the Northern District of California, 2002
  • Southern California Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2024

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Los Angeles Copyright Society
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers

Selected publications

May 2014
Self-driving Cars Chauffeur a Load of Legal Issues

July 2013, Daily Journal
9th Circuit’s handling of Dukes

July 2009, Daily Journal
Performance Anxiety

February 2009, Landslide
The PRO-IP Act: Another Weapon Against a Failing Economy

July 2008, Los Angeles Daily Journal
Piece of Fake

December 2006, Los Angeles Daily Journal
Zankou Chicken Ruling Leaves a Confusing Mark

Speaking Engagements

  • Justice HQ MCLExtravaganza – January 10, 2024 (CTAPP: One Year Later)
  • Bootstrapped Solo Podcast – October 25, 2023 (From Litigation to Innovation)
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association – June 26, 2023 – (Best Practices for Mastering Depositions)
  • TBI Med Legal Conference – San Diego, CA – March 11, 2023 (Bulletproof Strategies for Depositions)
  • Law-Di-Gras – Carlsbad, CA – July 16, 2022 (Walk This Way – A Deposition Workshop)
  • TBI Med Legal’s Web Jam – Los Angeles, CA – May 19, 2022 (Depositions Masterclass)
Dylan Ruga Photo of Dylan Ruga dylan@stalwartlaw.com 310-954-2000 ext. 700 Jane's home page: Colleague:
Siannah Collado
Elizabeth Teixeira
Guillermo F. Barrantes
Evan A. Barr
Jon Schwalbach
Steven Heimberg
Sean O’Neill
David Angeloff
Cindy Hickox
Patrick Jacobs
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