Ryan V. Fraser

Experienced in federal court, Ryan applies thoroughness, creativity, and enthusiasm for the law to accomplish clients’ goals in high-stakes disputes.

Ryan joined Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams after six years as a trial attorney with the Federal Defenders of San Diego, where he represented clients charged with various types of fraud, cross-border smuggling, and other offenses.

Maintaining an active trial, motions, and appellate practice, Ryan has secured dozens of dismissals of felony charges. After a hung jury in Ryan’s third trial, the presiding senior district judge referred to him as a “rising star.” In several other cases at sentencing, Ryan has persuaded judges to choose alternatives to incarceration over the government’s arguments for years in prison. In addition, Ryan has experience negotiating successfully to avoid lurking adverse collateral consequences related to immigration and professional goals.

Ryan has also briefed several appeals and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ryan’s briefing in one of these cases resulted in a rare hearing en banc.

Ryan also brings significant civil experience from his three years as a law clerk to United States District Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen of the Northern District of Indiana, during which Judge Van Bokkelen sat by designation on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. As a law clerk, Ryan analyzed motions and trial issues in a wide variety of civil cases.

Ryan has taken an active role in supervising and sharing his knowledge with less experienced attorneys and law students through mentoring, case-specific collaboration, and, while a federal defender, providing annual trainings on the federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Ryan earned a fellowship in law and economics and J.D. from Berkeley Law. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S.F.S. and departmental honors in international economics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Ryan speaks Spanish and German fluently.

Before law school, Ryan worked on transnational mergers and acquisitions in Goldman Sachs’ investment-banking division in Frankfurt. Only the second American analyst ­­­­­­­­ever hired into that office, Ryan helped advise corporate shareholders on the sale of an autobahn-services company to a British investor for over €1 billion.