As a member of Farella’s employment team, Ryan Wessels advises clients on employment matters to minimize legal risk, while also working to efficiently resolve employment disputes as they arise.

Ryan handles both single-plaintiff cases and larger class actions and defends small nonprofits, family-owned businesses, and global corporations. Ryan has defended employers against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims in state and federal court and before administrative agencies across the country. He has also resolved wage and hour disputes with the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) and defended employers against wage and hour class actions involving meal and rest breaks and Equal Pay Act violations. Regardless of the size or structure of his client, Ryan’s goal is the same: effectively resolve disputes while taking his clients’ needs into account.

Ryan also guides clients to avoid unnecessary employment litigation. He counsels clients on all areas of the employment relationship, including hiring and termination decisions, disability accommodations, immigration law, and employee policies. Ryan works with clients to draft employment agreements, policies, and handbooks that comply with federal, state, and local laws and minimize the risk of litigation.

Outside of his employment law practice, Ryan has played a pivotal role in complex litigation teams, such as the class action UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust v. Sutter Health. Representing a certified class of California companies in an antitrust action against Sutter Health, Ryan prepared the case for trial by crafting trial narratives, overseeing discovery teams, and drafting direct and cross-examinations for key trial witnesses. Through this work, Ryan was instrumental in securing a $575 million settlement for the plaintiff class on the eve of trial.