Waymaker

What Waymaker does

Waymaker LLP is a nationally recognized litigation boutique law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2006 by Ryan Baker (formerly of Quinn Emanuel and Cooley) as Baker Marquart, the firm rebranded to Waymaker in 2026 and operates as a California limited liability partnership with approximately 17 attorneys spanning partners, counsel, and associates. The firm represents national and multinational corporations, Fortune 500 companies, startups, and high-net-worth individuals in high-stakes complex civil disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, white-collar criminal defense, and appellate matters, with particular depth in cases involving disruptive technology and novel legal issues in fintech, cryptocurrency, and blockchain. Notable representations include the defense of Kraken in the nation's first crypto antitrust case, the SEC matter against Block.one involving a $4 billion token sale, the Tornado Cash criminal case, and significant recoveries such as a $181 million settlement for Toyota Prius class action plaintiffs and an $18.3 million verdict for IMD Inc.

The firm operates ten practice areas—Antitrust, Appeals, Commercial & Business Disputes, Corporate & Securities Litigation, Criminal & Regulatory Defense, Employment, Fintech, Founders Disputes, Intellectual Property, and Patent Litigation—delivering services through federal and state courts nationwide and arbitral tribunals. Waymaker's competitive position rests on a talent bench comprising former federal prosecutors, former SEC enforcement attorneys, and alumni of elite firms (Quinn Emanuel, Morrison Foerster, Simpson Thacher), reinforced by Chambers Band 1 ranking in Crypto-Asset Disputes, Highly Regarded status in Litigation: General Commercial, and Best Law Firms Tier 1 in White Collar Criminal Defense (2026).

The firm's revenue model is built on traditional hourly billing for litigation services, augmented by contingency and hybrid fee arrangements for appropriate commercial matters, and litigation funding facilitation for plaintiffs. Distribution is direct through enterprise client engagement and referral networks, with demand generation driven by industry recognition, media visibility, and partner speaking engagements. Day-to-day operations are run by Managing Partner Scott Malzahn, with co-founders Ryan Baker and Jaime Marquart remaining active partners; the firm promoted Kevin Casey and Jose R. Nuño to partner effective January 1, 2026.

Name

Waymaker

Legal name

Waymaker LLP

Website

https://waymakerlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waymaker LLP is a Los Angeles-based litigation boutique law firm representing corporations, startups, and individuals in high-stakes complex civil disputes, regulatory enforcement, and white-collar criminal defense, with deep expertise in fintech and cryptocurrency matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance (BPAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Litigation services
• White-collar defense
• Commercial disputes
• Intellectual property litigation
• Fintech legal counsel

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: Traditional hourly fee billing for litigation services, including trial preparation, motion practice, discovery, and appellate work.
2. Contingency and Hybrid Fee Arrangements: The firm accepts certain cases on a contingency or hybrid fee arrangement, particularly for appropriate commercial matters where clients seek alternative fee structures.
3. Litigation Funding Facilitation: The firm facilitates litigation funding for appropriate matters, enabling plaintiffs to pursue aggressive infringement actions against larger companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Waymaker LLP is a litigation boutique law firm representing plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes complex civil disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, and white-collar criminal defense matters. The firm serves national and multinational corporations, Fortune 500 companies, startups, closely held entities, and individuals across ten practice areas including antitrust, appeals, commercial disputes, corporate and securities litigation, criminal defense, employment, fintech, founders disputes, intellectual property, and patent litigation, with particular focus on cases involving disruptive technology and novel legal issues.

Product overview

Waymaker LLP is a nationally recognized litigation boutique law firm offering legal services across multiple practice areas including antitrust, appeals, commercial disputes, corporate/securities litigation, criminal defense, employment, fintech, founders' disputes, intellectual property, and patent litigation. The firm handles complex civil disputes, regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, and white-collar criminal defense matters, often involving disruptive technology and novel legal issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antitrust & Unfair Competition Practice Antitrust litigation across industries including online payment processors, cryptocurrency, film/TV studios, social media, and semiconductor manufacturers, covering Sherman Act, Clayton Act, Robinson-Patman Act, and California Cartwright Act matters for plaintiffs and defendants.
• Appeals Practice Federal and state appellate court representation with experience in white-collar criminal defense, copyright law, RICO statute, free speech, anti-SLAPP law, and arbitration agreements, led by certified appellate specialists.
• Commercial & Business Disputes Practice Complex commercial litigation including breach of contract, fraud, negligence, interference and breach of fiduciary duty cases in federal courts, state courts, and arbitral tribunals across the country, representing dynamic, sector-leading companies and entrepreneurs.
• Corporate & Securities Litigation Practice Securities disputes for plaintiffs and defendants including financial technology companies, venture capital investors, exchanges, banks, and individual investors in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and SEC matters.
• Criminal & Regulatory Defense Practice White-collar criminal and regulatory defense with expertise in blockchain/fintech, securities, financial services, cybersecurity, and healthcare, defending clients in DOJ, SEC, CFTC, FTC, and CFPB investigations.
• Employment – Executive Compensation Practice Employment disputes representation for employers and highly compensated employees including trade secret misappropriation, breach of non-competition agreements, and wrongful termination matters.
• Fintech Practice Civil and white-collar disputes involving financial technology and cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum, representing fintech entrepreneurs and companies before SEC and CFTC.
• Founders' Disputes & Corporate Divorce Practice Corporate governance disputes including closely held startups, deadlocked partnerships, shareholder derivative suits, and special litigation committee proceedings.
• Intellectual Property Practice Trademark, copyright, trade dress, and trade secret litigation across technology, medical device, entertainment, retail, food, and fashion industries.
• Patent Litigation Practice Patent infringement actions for plaintiffs and defendants in technology fields including software code, semiconductor design, and holographic projection technology, plus USPTO inter partes reviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• $18.3 million damages award plus permanent injunction for IMD Inc. in trade secret case
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Equality CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Scott Malzahn serves as Board Member and past President of Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Malzahn has been involved since 2017. Firm provides legal and financial support to the organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bartlit Beck LLP: Elite litigation boutique with a similar partner-only, trial-focused model. Overlaps with Waymaker in complex commercial litigation, IP, and antitrust, and competes for similar high-stakes corporate clients.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP: Premier litigation-only firm and the most direct peer to Waymaker; founders Ryan Baker and Jaime Marquart both trained at Quinn Emanuel before founding Baker Marquart/Waymaker. Operates a similar aggressive, trial-ready boutique model with comparable white-collar, commercial, and IP litigation focus.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP: National plaintiffs' litigation boutique with comparable complex commercial, securities, and IP practice areas. Similar contingency fee arrangements and similar high-profile mass tort and class action settlements.
• Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP: Leading plaintiffs' securities and corporate litigation boutique. Direct peer to Waymaker on the plaintiff side of class actions and securities litigation, sharing the contingency-fee model and landmark verdict orientation (e.g., Toyota Prius class action).
• Boies Schiller Flexner LLP: Litigation-focused firm handling complex commercial disputes, antitrust, IP, and white-collar matters for Fortune 500 clients. Comparable to Waymaker in high-stakes commercial litigation orientation, premium pricing, and selective partner hiring.
• Susman Godfrey LLP: Top-tier litigation boutique known for bet-the-company commercial disputes and trial work. Highly comparable to Waymaker in size, business model (hourly plus contingency), elite partner talent, and willingness to take cases to trial.

Broad incumbents

• Cooley LLP: Silicon Valley-rooted full-service firm with leading technology, venture capital, and litigation practices. Founder Ryan Baker trained at Cooley; firm competes with Waymaker for founder disputes and tech-sector litigation.
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP: Global AmLaw 50 firm with deep litigation, white-collar, IP, and fintech practices. Managing Partner Scott Malzahn trained here; competes with Waymaker for high-stakes commercial and white-collar matters as part of a much broader full-service platform.
• Morrison Foerster LLP: Major international firm known for its technology, fintech, and litigation practices. Partner Kevin Casey trained in Morrison Foerster's Tokyo office; firm competes with Waymaker for crypto/fintech litigation matters and complex commercial disputes.

Emerging players

• Kobre & Kim LLP: Litigation boutique focused on international disputes, white-collar defense, and crypto/fintech matters. Comparable to Waymaker in boutique scale, white-collar/government enforcement expertise, and emerging focus on digital asset disputes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waymaker-law
• Xx.com/waymakerllp
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaymakerLLP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waymaker