Bryce M. Cullinane is a Shareholder with Keesal, Young & Logan in its Long Beach office. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, involving the representation of transportation and logistics companies (including Ocean Carriers, freight forwarders, shippers, cargo interests, charterers, and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs)) in litigation and regulatory actions, defense of businesses in employment litigation (such as Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and class-action matters) and advising those same companies on sensitive employment issues, and the defense of financial services firms and financial advisors in a variety of forums.
Bryce regularly appears in the State and Federal courts of California (including Bankruptcy Court, on behalf of creditors), as well as before the California Department of Industrial Relations, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board), the California Public Utilities Commission, and the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington, D.C. (FMC).
Transportation and Logistics Practice
Bryce’s transportation and logistics experience includes defending maritime, transportation, and logistics clients, including shipowners, charterers, insurers, NVOCCs, freight forwarders, and drayage providers, in complex litigation matters. Bryce’s experience spans a multitude of issues, including demurrage, detention, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, chargebacks, the Oil Pollution Act, personal injury and Jones Act issues, as well as cargo claims, breach of contract issues, regulatory investigations/cases, and other commercial disputes.
In addition to multiple appearances in front of the Federal Maritime Commission on behalf of vessel owners, Bryce also appears before the California Public Utilities Commission to assist common carriers with their rate increases and other licensing issues. Bryce also routinely represents marinas and vessel owners in regulatory, insurance, and commercial disputes.
Employment Litigation and Advice
Bryce represents employers in arbitration, court, and administrative proceedings involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, breach of contract, defamation, unfair competition, and trade secret and raiding claims. Bryce also provides advice to employers regarding wage and hour considerations, compensation structuring, equity concerns, as well as regarding other hiring, promotion, demotion, and termination issues. Bryce assists with the drafting and review of employment manuals and agreements, ensuring compliance with federal and state employment laws.
Bryce works side-by-side with employers to provide practical, tailored solutions to the multitude of issues that arise in the workplace. When unavoidable, Bryce defends employers in litigation involving all aspects of employment-related claims.
Securities and Financial Services Litigation
Bryce has successfully defended financial services firms, registered representatives, and registered investment advisors in judicial and arbitration proceedings against allegations of fraud, unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty, elder abuse, breach of contract, churning, cherry picking, and violation of federal and state securities laws. Bryce’s experience also includes the defense of claims involving publicly-traded equities and options, annuities, private equity funds and other alternative investments, and various other investment vehicles, often involving high net worth investors. He has represented registered representatives in expungement proceedings before FINRA and in state court, and has assisted financial services firms in regulatory proceedings before FINRA and the SEC.
In addition, Bryce represents financial services firms in employment matters involving wrongful termination and breach of contract disputes. He has also represented mortgage banking and litigation financing clients in both State and Federal courts.