Ryan J. Aaron is an associate in the Firm's Charleston, West Virginia, office.  He is a member of the Business Law Department and his practice focuses on commercial litigation and intellectual property.

Mr. Aaron's commercial litigation practice primarily involves defending banks and other lending and servicing institutions against breach of contract, wrongful foreclosure, improper credit reporting, and other various consumer protection claims.  He is experienced in representing national and state-chartered banks and other lending and servicing institutions before both state and federal courts and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia.  Mr. Aaron's practice also includes handling various intellectual property matters for clients of the Firm.  Mr. Aaron has experience in drafting and prosecuting both patent and trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  

Mr. Aaron has published, as co-author, articles relating to trade secret law and non-compete agreements in the state of West Virginia.  He has also authored the Tech Tips column for the Defense Trial Counsel's quarterly newsletter, which addresses topics including web-based social networking, paperless legal practices, and electronic discovery.  Mr. Aaron is a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the West Virginia State Bar, the Technology Committee of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Research Advisory Council of a local university.  In addition, as a member of the Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU) Charleston Area Alumni Chapter Mr. Aaron has served as a mentor to business major students of WJU.  Mr. Aaron also was a recipient of the 2009 James O'Brien, S.J., Award, which is awarded to select alumni of Wheeling Jesuit University who "manifest a growing competence in their chosen field, and whose personal life reflects WJU's mission of 'educating men and women for life, leadership, and service to others'".  He also participated in the 2007-2008 Leadership Kanawha Valley program. 

Mr. Aaron currently is pursuing a Master of Business Administration through the University of Massachusetts and is anticipating earning his degree in May 2011.  Mr. Aaron is a 1999 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University with a Bachelor of Science in business management, having earned Laut Honors and Sigma Beta Delta honors recognition.  He also is a 2005 graduate of West Virginia University College of Law with a Juris Doctor.  Also, Mr. Aaron is a 2007 graduate of West Virginia State University with a Bachelor of Science in biology, having received distinction honors recognition.

• West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Technology Committee, October 2007-Present
• Intellectual Property Owners Association, January 2006-Present
• West Virginia State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Committee, September 2005-Present

• Research Advisory Council Member, West Virginia State University, April 2008-Present
• Wheeling Jesuit University, Charleston Area Alumni Association Chapter, Steering Committee, August 2006-Present
• Wheeling Jesuit University, Alumni Mentor for students of the undergraduate business program, August 2005-Present
• Leadership Kanawha Valley, Participant, October 2007-May 2008
  

• "How to Advise Business Clients in Matters Relating to Intellectual Property," Defense Trial Counsel West Virginia, Young Lawyers Division, Annual Meeting, May 2008

• "Tech Tips Corner," section of quarterly newsletter of Defense Trial Counsel West Virginia, September 2007–Present
• "Non-Compete Agreements under West Virginia Law," Trade Secrets and Agreements Not to Compete, A State-By-State Compendium, Defense Research Institute, 2008
• "Trade Secrets under West Virginia Law," Trade Secrets and Agreements Not to Compete, A State-By-State Compendium, Defense Research Institute, 2008
• "FDA Issues Policy Statement Reaffirming The Preemptive Effect Of Its Drug Labeling Regulations," 2006 Annual Meeting Notebook of Articles, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia

• Wheeling Jesuit University, Recipient of the James O'Brien, S.J., Award for 2009