“J.R.” Riddell,
an attorney in the Sacramento office, is a member of the Litigation Group. Mr. Riddell has represented clients in the context of litigation filed in California and Louisiana state and federal courts, in addition to providing them with advice on various transactional matters. His litigation practice is primarily focused on representing and counseling commercial clients and governmental entities in the context of bench and jury trials, alternative dispute resolution and administrative law proceedings. He has also successfully briefed and argued appellate matters before various federal and state appellate courts.
Mr. Riddell’s transactional practice experience includes providing advice and business solutions to clients on issues ranging from franchising to regulatory compliance.
Additionally, Mr. Riddell has developed a practice focused on the business side of mixed martial arts (“MMA”), and provides legal guidance and business advice to a wide variety of MMA clients ranging from world-renowned fight promoters and fighters to film makers. He has also assembled a team of attorneys in Orrick’s offices worldwide that stand ready to assist clients with their legal needs related to the business side of MMA. This includes, but is not limited to, counseling and advocating on behalf of promoters, broadcasters, sponsors, apparel companies and athletes with respect to their intellectual property, employment, litigation, contract and regulatory-related needs. Based on his industry experience, Mr. Riddell has shared his insight and knowledge with various audiences, including for example the Fight Summit MMA Business Conference.
In addition to closely monitoring industry developments, Mr. Riddell has also trained in various MMA disciplines and served as a legal analyst, with his content featured on both www.ESPN.com and its MMA news affiliate, www.sherdog.com.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Riddell served on active duty as a Captain in the United States Air Force, including service at the Pentagon, McClellan AFB (Sacramento, California) and Patch Barracks (Stuttgart, Germany).
The following are representative of the clients Mr. Riddell has counseled: Bellator MMA; champions from Pride, the UFC, Strikeforce and DREAM; Razak Sports Films; Proctor & Gamble; Bank of America; Longs Drug Stores; Philip Morris; Bayer Corporation; ConAgra; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Luxottica Group; Spencer Gifts; Sega; Electronic Arts, Warner Bros.; Sony Online Entertainment; the City of Stockton; and Pacific Gas & Electric.
