Ryan B. Jacobson

Ryan Jacobson’s client roster reads like a who’s who list of leaders in the entertainment, media and hospitality industries. His loyalists cite a common theme when describing how he has become an invaluable asset to their success, and a reliable confidante when faced with challenging business decisions: He is conscientious, persuasive and a tenacious advocate for those who have placed their trust in his hands.

Entertainment & Fashion:  In the entertainment arena, Ryan serves the legal needs of the industry’s most creative minds so they can focus on making us laugh, cry, dance or look our best.  He is often retained by authors, filmmakers, producers and talent to protect their interests and ideas. Ryan offers a noteworthy perspective to his clients, having graduated Second City’s improvisation and acting training program, and having performed on stage, television and in film. Ryan's fashion practice involves counseling business owners and creative directors in the areas of high-end apparel, swimwear, footwear and cosmetics. He also counsels talent agencies, event planners, and advertisers relative to fashion shows and related publicity.  Inspired by his mother, a fashion designer, and his father, a 40+ year veteran in apparel merchandising, Ryan has a keen understanding of what it takes to flourish in the industry.

Media & Privacy:  Warren Buffet once said, “[i]t takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” As the public becomes increasingly reliant on the Internet as a primary news source, and social media for guidance on where to travel, stay, eat and with whom to do business, we are seeing an influx of defamation and commercial disparagement lawsuits. Ryan’s niche litigation practice centers on two types of clientele. The first are media clients -- such as journalists, on-air personalities and publishers -- scrutinized for inaccurate reporting.  He defends the media against libel suits and subpoenas seeking disclosure of their work product and sources, and he advises his clients at the pre-publication and pre-broadcast stages to minimize risk.  The balance of his practice involves advising corporations, their officers and communication departments to minimize reputational harm, prevent advertising injury and defend right of publicity and privacy-related claims. Political figureheads, celebrities and even private individuals demand his counsel when faced with public, debilitating accusations and crisis management.

Reputation and Crisis Management: For more than two decades Ryan has represented clients in various industries with reputation and crisis management, mitigation and preservation. He knows the terms of use, algorithms of social media and the various tactics people use to exploit these platforms in order to disparage businesses and individuals. Ryan drafts statements, press releases and acts as a liaison to the press or naysayers in order to control the narrative and reduce further damage. He represents clients seeking recourse for unlawful attacks on their reputation, as well those who are defending their right to express their opinions.

Hospitality:  Ryan has served the restaurant, tavern and hotel industries for well over a decade. From convenience store to grocery store, hot dog stand to restaurant group, bed-and-breakfast to hotel chain, leaders in the industry rely on his team’s ability to handle transactional and risk-related issues unique to hospitality.  In fact, Ryan is often appointed to act as their "outside" General Counsel charged with managing his clients’ legal needs in the areas of Corporate, Real Estate, Labor & Employment, Intellectual Property and Litigation. His team is well versed in entity formation, private placement and finance, brand and liquor licensing, commercial leasing and zoning, insurance and franchising. They also routinely draft handbooks and training guides, and will counsel management, staff and security to minimize liability and prevent harassment and discrimination claims. Ryan and his team regularly collaborate with human resources and payroll to ensure compliance with local and federal laws, as well as personnel-related challenges. If litigation is inevitable, Ryan has a proven track record and pragmatic approach with an eye toward early, cost-effective resolution.

Ryan brings his practical experience and dynamic personality to the classroom as an adjunct professor of hospitality & tourism law and liability at NLU-Kendall College.