Christopher I. Ritter

Mr. Ritter provides the Firm and its clients with a significant background and depth of expertise in commercial litigation.  For over three decades, Mr. Ritter’s practice has focused on complex business disputes, intellectual property, and entertainment litigation.  He has handled arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association and has tried a diverse array of litigation matters in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Ritter has represented clients ranging from individuals and partnerships to Fortune  500  companies in a wide range of industries including banks and financial institutions, airlines,  national retailers and manufacturers, as well as movie and television production companies.

Mr. Ritter was previously a partner at the Los Angeles litigation firm of Haight, Brown & Bonesteel and Chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation  and Intellectual Property Practice Group. Following his tenure at the Haight firm Mr. Ritter practiced complex commercial litigation with the Los Angeles  litigation  firm Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro.

Mr. Ritter obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University (cum laude), which included a stint at the University of Salzburg, Austria, and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. In addition to the California State Bar, Mr. Ritter is admitted to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the United States District Courts for the Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of California. He is also a member of California’s Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Mr. Ritter has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© each year since 2018 for Intellectual Property Litigation and Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television.

Representative Matters

• Box & Ship, Inc. v. Mayflower Transit. Inc., United States District Court, Central District of California. Represented Mayflower Transit in action brought by vice chairman of Bear, Stearns for breach of contract, fraud and violation of franchise investment law relating to purchase of Box & Ship stores.
• Schickel v. J.C. Penney, Los Angeles Superior Court. Defended national retailer J.C. Penney in action for unfair competition, fraud and violation of California Business & Professions Code section 17200 relating to alleged widespread practice of misrepresenting quality and karat content of gold jewelry.
• Kenner v. Bombardier Motor Corporation, San Diego Superior Court. Defended national manufacturer of "Sea Doo" watercraft in action for alleged violations of California Business & Professions Code section 17200 and California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act relating to promotional campaign in which Bombardier offered free maintenance and extended warranties in connection with the purchase of new watercraft.
• Nomura v. Tower Realty, United States District Court, Central District of California. Successfully defended owners of commercial office building in action by commercial lender (Nomura) in multi-million dollar dispute concerning hedge losses and real estate loans.
• KeyBanc v. Alpine Biomed Corp., United States District Court, Central District of California. Represented KeyBanc Capital Markets in action to recover fee due KeyBanc for investment banking services.
• Safeway v. KeyBank National Association, Riverside County Superior Court, California. Successfully defended Key Bank against claim for reimbursement of check which was stolen, altered and deposited by third-party.
• Delta Airlines v. Airlines Travel Agency, United States District Court, Central District of California. Successfully represented Delta Airlines in action for damages and injunctive relief against counterfeiters of airline tickets.
• Nansay USA. Inc. v. Dorothy Lin, Los Angeles Superior Court. Successfully defended sole shareholder in dispute over ownership of motel chain.
• Stan Winston Creatures. Inc. v. Toys R US. Inc., Superior Court, New York. Represented well-known movie creature designer and owner of toy company in multi-million dollar action against toy retailer for breach of license agreement.
• Stan Winston Productions v. Midway Home Entertainment, Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented movie production company in action for damages relating to Midway's breach of contract and interference with client's right to develop a movie based on the "Area 51" video game.
• DeGuerre v. Air America Productions. Inc., United States District Court, Central District of California. Defended movie production company in action by creator and executive producer of television series "Air America" in action for breach of contract and interference with prospective economic advantage.
• Fromix Formulas v. D&F Industries, Inc., Los Angeles Superior Court. Defended nation's largest manufacturer of nutritional supplements in action by inventor of product formula for breach of royalty agreement. Nonsuit at trial in favor of defendant.
• Cassandra Vail v. Arbonne International, Inc., District Court, Clark County, Nevada. Successfully defended international cosmetics company against former salesperson's claims for breach of contract, fraud and interference with economic advantage. Three week jury trial: defense verdict.
• London American General Agency, Inc. v. Insurance Company of the West, San Diego Superior Court. Successfully defended insurance company in action by managing general agent claiming that its former underwriting manager had misappropriated trade secret information and given it to his new employer. Summary judgment granted.
• Hamilton v. Bank of America, Orange County Superior Court, California. Successfully defended Bank of America in malicious prosecution claim relating to prior action by B of A to reform deed to real property. Nonsuit at trial in favor of Bank of America.
• Little v. Bank of America, Los Angeles Superior Court. Successfully defended Bank of America in malicious prosecution action relating to prior action by B of A to quiet title to real property. Nonsuit at trial in favor of Bank of America.
• Venus v. D&F Industries. Inc., Ventura County Superior Court. Successfully defended the nation's largest manufacturer of nutritional supplements in action over ownership of rights ,to name, likeness and formulas or inventor of chelation process.
• Anderson v. Sears. Roebuck & Co., Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented Sears in dispute concerning ownership of property on which a shopping mall was situated. Summary judgment in favor of Sears.
• CFHS Holdings, Inc. v. Partovi, American Arbitration Association. Represented owner of pharmacy in action to recover damages for fraud in connection with the purchase of the pharmacy.
• Southland Sod Farms v. Stover Seed Co., United States District Court, California. Successfully defended claims of false advertising, unfair competition and trademark infringement under the Lanham Act involving the California and Oregon seed and sod industry.
• American Benefit Plan Administrators v. Glaza, Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented third-party benefits administrator in action against former employee for breach of fiduciary duty and misappropriation of trade secrets.
• Accent Furniture v. Lilly Industries. Inc., Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented coatings manufacturer in action seeking $30 million in damages resulting from failure of furniture business allegedly caused by sale of defective furniture stain.
• Stone & Webster v. Atlas Copco Rotoflow, Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented equipment manufacturer in action for breach of contract concerning the sale of $3.5 million turbo-expander.
• GE v. Rexnord Corporation, United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania. Represented manufacturer of self-lubricating bearings used in steerable locomotive trucks in action by GE seeking $9 million in damages.
• Valley Harvesting v. Case Corporation, Imperial County Superior Court, California. Represented tractor manufacturer and related financing company in action for breach of contract, fraud and unfair business practices relating to sale of 20 tractors.
• Extruding Source v. Davis Standard, Los Angeles Superior Court. Represented manufacturer of commercial injection molding equipment in action for breach of contract concerning sale of allegedly defective extruder.
• Pasteur Milk Co. v. APV Crepaco, District Court, Texas. Represented manufacturer of commercial ice cream making equipment in multi-million dollar equipment caused it to miss the entire ice cream selling season.
• Classic Media v. Stan Winston Studio, United States District Court, New York. Defended Academy Award winning special effects company in action by owner of "Gargoyles" movie claiming copyright and trademark infringement, false advertising and unfair competition.
• Gibbs v. Choices Entertainment. Inc., Los Angeles Superior Court. Defended video rental company in securities fraud action by investors relating to failed attempt to consolidate video rental stores.
• Elite Sports. Ltd. v. BFTV. LLC, United States District Court, California. Defended producer of a children's programming channel in action for trademark infringement over the use of the name "Baby First TV" and copyright infringement relating to the programs allegedly protected under the Berne Convention.
• Cambrex Bio-Science v. Stedim, Inc., United States District Court, Northern District of California. Represented life sciences company in action for violation of Sherman Act and unfair competition relating to sale of media bags used by pharmaceutical and bioscience industry.
• Stipek Financial Services v. Resort Holdings International, Inc., Orange County Superior Court, California. Represented seller of leasehold interests in resort properties in class action by investors.
• Federal Lock Company of Taiwan v. Federal Lock Company, United States District Court, California. Represented wholesaler of locks in trademark infringement action over use of the name "Federal" in connection with lock products.
• Jimmy Buffett v. Cheeseburger in Paradise, Inc., United States District Court, California. Represented restaurant owners in trademark and trade name infringement action brought by well-known singer Jimmy Buffett against the owners and operators of restaurants known as Cheeseburger in Paradise.
• L&F Products v. Inland Empire Wholesale Groceries. Inc., United States District Court, California. Represented manufacturer of "Mop & Glo", in action for trademark and trade dress infringement under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984.
• Katherine Bauman v. The Hyman Companies, United States District Court, California. Represented chain of 70 retail stores in copyright infringement action brought by designer or hard shell purses who claimed the defendants' widespread pattern of infringement caused the failure of her business.
• Ramirez v. MGM Mirage, Inc., United States District Court, Nevada. Defended MGM in class action alleging violations of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.