August 22, 2022

Ryan Kilpatrick Joins Payne & Fears

Ryan Kilpatrick has joined Payne & Fears LLP as an associate attorney based in the firm’s Irvine office. Ryan represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law, including administrative proceedings and civil litigation regarding claims for employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to accommodate, violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) class actions, wrongful termination, wage-and-hour litigation, and other claims under state and federal law. In addition, he also provides advice and counsel to employers on a variety of legal issues including regulatory compliance, employee relations, separation and disciplinary issues, hiring, termination, employee leave, restrictive covenants, compensation benefits, reimbursements, reasonable accommodations, restrictive covenants, safety protocols, and company policies.

Ryan has gained considerable labor law and industry experience representing shipping terminals out of the Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbor. In the course of his representation, he assisted with traditional labor law issues, union relations and collective bargaining against a powerful and aggressive union. Ryan’s unique experience has given him a nuanced understanding of operations within the marine and shipping industry. 

“We are very excited to have Ryan join the Payne & Fears Employment Law Group,” said Amy Patton, the group’s co-chair. “He’s a talented lawyer with experience in both employment law and traditional labor law. He’s a fantastic addition to our already strong class of associates in the Employment Law Group. We have our fingers crossed that he someday will put his skills as a musician to good use from time to time with our on-again-off-again Payne & Fears rock band.”

Clients appreciate Ryan’s responsiveness, fierce advocacy, and capacity for in-depth and detailed analysis of the facts and law pertinent to each case. Ryan obtained his JD from the School of Law at the University of California, Irvine.

Get to know Ryan . . .

What activities do you enjoy outside of work?

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys film, live music/performing arts, and traveling with his wife.

Why did you join Payne & Fears?

Ryan joined Payne & Fears to continue to gain litigation experience from a team with a well-established record of success.

People would be surprised if they knew . . .

Before entering law school, Ryan made a living as a singer-songwriter. Today he rarely performs publicly. However, he continues to nurture his passion by playing piano in his free time