Ryan D. Kashfian

Ryan D. Kashfian is a trial and appellate attorney whose practice focuses on complex business, real estate, and intellectual property disputes. Known for disciplined advocacy and analytic depth, Mr. Kashfian has built a reputation for turning legally and factually difficult cases into favorable outcomes through strategic control of the record, rigorous legal reasoning, and understated but persuasive advocacy. He is retained when the record is messy, the exposure is significant, and the case requires disciplined advocacy, precise issue framing, and credible argument. His approach is straightforward: master the facts, narrow the issues, control the record, and argue from law rather than volume.

Mr. Kashfian’s litigation practice spans commercial contracts, real estate transactions, partnership disputes, corporate governance, trade secrets, and unfair competition. His clients include property developers, corporations, entrepreneurs, and professionals facing high-exposure or precedent-sensitive litigation. He is often retained after prior counsel has lost at the trial level or in earlier motion practice, to identify errors, reopen the record, and position the case for appeal or settlement on favorable terms. His courtroom approach is grounded in the belief that the best results flow from exhaustive preparation, clarity of theory, and precision in presentation.

With both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mr. Kashfian brings to his legal work the structure and rigor of a scientist. Before entering law, he conducted research in artificial intelligence, biometric recognition, and machine learning. That technical training informs his ability to handle cases where engineering, data, or software intersect with legal proof—particularly in intellectual-property litigation and evidentiary analysis. As a registered patent attorney, he is licensed before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Mr. Kashfian’s appellate work is a defining part of his practice. He has argued and briefed matters before the California Courts of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. His appellate record demonstrates a consistent ability to distill complex factual records into clear legal issues and persuade appellate panels through disciplined reasoning rather than rhetorical flourish. Selected examples include:

• City of El Monte v. Tucker Lincoln (Cal. Ct. App. 2026) 2026 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1220 – Affirmed an award of attorney’s fees against the City of El Monte, which brought an unsuccessful narcotics abatement action. The appellate court rejected the City’s argument that its municipal code capped the prevailing defendant’s attorney’s fees, because the City had a contingency fee arrangement.
• Zaza v. Stojanov (Cal. Ct. App. 2025)2025 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 4776 – Affirmed judgment for respondent on standing grounds. The Court held that the appellant’s claim for loss of corporate profits was derivative in nature and not a direct cause of action, reinforcing the distinction between individual and corporate claims under California law.
• Munoz v. Welch (Cal. Ct. App. 2020)2020 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8662 – Reversed trial court’s dismissal of a collective’s claims for conversion, fraud, and interference. The appellate court agreed that the trial court had misapplied the statute of limitations and that the fraudulent merger filing did not bar the action, remanding for trial on the merits.
• Art Works Studio & Classroom, LLC v. Leonian (Cal. Ct. App. 2022) 2022 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1618 – Obtained dismissal of an appeal as moot under the doctrine of issue preclusion, ending years of litigation over previously adjudicated claims.
• Anabi Oil Corp. v. IFuel, Inc. (Cal. Ct. App. 2021)2021 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 4407 – Successfully defended an anti-SLAPP ruling that protected the client’s settlement agreement as constitutionally protected activity, preserving a dismissal of the complaint.
• Chavez v. Lifetech Resources (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) 2019 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1008 – Secured reversal of a defense verdict where the jury’s special findings were internally inconsistent and unsupported by substantial evidence, restoring the plaintiff’s right to a new trial.
• United States v. Doe (9th Cir. 2016) 810 F.3d 1110 – Reversed a district court order compelling attorneys to produce privileged materials in response to government subpoenas. The Ninth Circuit held that the district court had erred by ordering disclosure without first conducting an in-camera review to determine privilege scope.
• Jin v. Holder (9th Cir. 2014)585 Fed. Appx. 625 – Reversed the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision affirming an adverse credibility finding. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the record did not support the BIA’s conclusions, reinstating the petitioner’s right to withholding of removal.
• Solid 21, Inc. v. Breitling USA, Inc. (9th Cir. 2013)512 Fed. Appx. 685 – Reversed dismissal of a trademark-infringement complaint, holding that the district court improperly allowed defendants to introduce evidence beyond the pleadings at the motion-to-dismiss stage.

Through these and other appeals, Mr. Kashfian has developed a reputation for precise, credible, and strategically restrained advocacy—the kind that persuades appellate judges. He is frequently called upon to correct procedural and substantive errors made by prior counsel and to restore cases that appeared lost. His understanding of both trial and appellate procedure enables him to position cases early for successful review, often shaping the record at the trial level to preserve key issues for appeal.

Mr. Kashfian is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and all California state courts. His familiarity with complex motion practice, evidentiary disputes, and appellate standards of review allows him to move fluidly between trial and appellate strategy—a rare skill among litigators.

In addition to litigation, Mr. Kashfian serves as a strategic advisor to business owners, real-estate investors, and technology companies on risk management, corporate governance, and dispute avoidance. He is valued by clients for his discretion, analytical candor, and ability to explain complex legal issues in straightforward, actionable terms. Fluent in English and Farsi, he represents clients throughout California and internationally.

Mr. Kashfian’s practice rests on a simple principle: clarity, discipline, and integrity win cases. His work reflects the belief that law, properly practiced, is an exercise in reasoning, not rhetoric, and that good advocacy is built not on volume or bravado, but on mastery of fact, law, and strategy.

Outside of his legal work, Mr. Kashfian maintains a strong interest in history, classical philosophy, and physical performance. He studies ancient sources, writes on the intersection of law and moral reasoning, and trains extensively in endurance and strength conditioning, approaching each with the same methodical discipline he brings to litigation.