Ryan Wilber
About
With 14 years of trial and litigation experience, R. Ryan Wilber has established himself as one of Northern California and Washington State’s premier criminal and DUI defense attorneys. Having handled upwards of 3,500 DUI cases, Ryan brings deep legal knowledge, technical scientific expertise, and an aggressive courtroom presence to every matter he undertakes.
Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Ryan considers himself a Sonoma County native. He is widely recognized and respected by local judges, prosecutors, and fellow defense attorneys across Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Mendocino, and neighboring counties.
Unrivaled DUI Defense & Technical Science Expertise
DUI defense is a highly technical field that relies heavily on scientific evidence and administrative procedure. Ryan invests heavily in mastering the science and tactics required to dismantle the prosecution’s case.
- NHTSA Certified: Certified National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Field Sobriety Test Administrator and Instructor.
- Forensic & Scientific Mastery: Extensive training in breath and blood analysis, blood-alcohol testing science, and the specific forensic methodologies relied on by government toxicologists.
- Elite Expert Network: Collaborates with top-tier expert witnesses, including retired law enforcement officers and former California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) toxicologists and criminalists.
- DMV Writs & Appeals: Advanced training in filing DUI writs against the CA DMV, maintaining an excellent win rate in both DMV administrative hearings and Superior Court litigation, including numerous successful appeals following motions to suppress.
- Continuous Education: Completes 50+ hours of DUI defense–specific Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) every year and regularly attends elite national conferences covering DUI defense, criminal defense, and firearms litigation.
Trusted by High-Stakes Professionals
When a career, security clearance, or professional license is on the line, clients turn to Ryan. He is frequently chosen to defend high-profile and licensed professionals facing severe collateral consequences, multiple offenses, or probation violations with significant potential jail time, including:
- Healthcare Workers: Doctors and Nurses
- Aviation & First Responders: Airline Pilots, Police Officers, and Firefighters
- Legal & Judicial Professionals: Lawyers and Judges
- Military & Public Servants: Members of the Armed Services and Educators
Leadership, Lecturing, and Industry Recognition
A recognized leader in the legal community, Ryan is frequently consulted by defense colleagues across California and Washington for strategic advice on complex DUI defense tactics and DMV hearings.
- Vice President, California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA): Serves as Vice President of CDLA—the nation's oldest DUI defense attorney association—following three years on its Board of Directors.
- National Associations: Active member of the National College of DUI Defense (NCDD) and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).
- Legal Educator: Frequently lectures other attorneys on tactics, litigation strategies, and DMV administrative hearing procedures.
- Super Lawyers Recognition: Named to the Rising Stars list for five consecutive years and often sought after by local and national news outlets for legal commentary.
Background & Path to the Law
Being a defense attorney is the fulfillment of a lifelong passion for Ryan, rooted in his early experiences standing up against governmental overreach and protecting individual civil rights.
- San Francisco State University (2005): Double-majored in Political Science and Criminal Justice. During his studies, he externed for the Honorable Adrienne Miller in SF Juvenile Court and interned at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, investigating complaints of police misconduct.
- Empire College School of Law (2010): Worked his way through law school as a law clerk for prominent criminal defense and civil litigation firms, as well as the Mendocino County Public Defender’s Office.
Upon graduation, Ryan built an extensive practice handling everything from juvenile matters, domestic violence, sex crimes, drug offenses, and gang allegations to high-stakes felony trials before launching his own practice.
Multi-State Practice & Aviation Focus
Today, Ryan splits his time between California and Washington State, where he operates a boutique law practice specifically focused on assisting aviation pilots facing DUI charges and complex FAA administrative complications.
Bar Admissions:
- California State Courts
- Washington State Courts
- U.S. District Courts (Federal)
- 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
Beyond the Courtroom
When he isn't in court or in the office, Ryan can be found running local trails, open-water swimming in the Puget Sound or San Francisco Bay, training for his private pilot license, or spending time with his wife and law partner, Rachel, their two children, and their two Great Danes. On rare occasions, he revisits his past life as a house music DJ in the 1990s San Francisco rave scene.