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Practices

Biography

Ryan focuses on general corporate litigation, shareholder litigation, business torts, contract actions, and appeals. He also has experience in helping clients navigate liquor license laws and has helped lead in the administration of assignments for the benefit of creditors, trade secret litigation, and international dispute resolution. Ryan has also achieved significant appellate victories for clients in the areas of medical malpractice defense, closely held corporations, and media law before the Supreme Court of Ohio, intermediate Ohio appellate courts, and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Ryan’s media law practice has involved the recent successful defense of multimillion dollar defamation claims against several media conglomerates.

Prior to joining the firm, Ryan worked as a Legal Intern at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, where he collaborated with prominent scholars at a renowned human rights institute. While attending the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Ryan served as a research assistant to several professors and co-authored an amicus brief to the North Carolina Supreme Court, wrote for and chaired the University of Cincinnati Law Review’s Blog, and served as a Senior Articles Editor on Human Rights Quarterly.

Other Info About Ryan

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Ohio Courts of Appeals

Maas v. Maas, 2020-Ohio-5160, 161 N.E.3d 863 (1st Dist. 2020) – Represented the independent directors of the company against breach of fiduciary duty claims and obtained a complete dismissal of claims at summary judgment. Received a unanimous opinion applying the business judgment rule and affirming that victory on appeal.

Supreme Court of Ohio

State ex rel. More Bratenahl; Meade v. Village of Bratenahl et al., 157 Ohio St.3d 309, 2019-Ohio-3233, 136 N.E.3d 447 (Ohio 2019) – As counsel for amici curiae Ohio Coalition for Open Government, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Ohio Association of Broadcasters, successfully obtained the Supreme Court of Ohio’s unanimous reversal of lower court decisions permitting secret ballot voting in violation of the Ohio Open Records Act, and also obtained in the decision clarification of the fundamental requirement that the public have meaningful access to meetings of public bodies in the state of Ohio.

Young v. Durrani, et al., 2016-Ohio-5526, 61 N.E.3d 34, (1st Dist. 2016) – successfully argued for application of statute of limitations and constitutionality of state of repose to various medical claims in lead test case against hospitals related to series of allegedly deficient back surgeries.

Education

Law School

University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D., 2015, summa cum laude
University of Cincinnati Law Review, Blog Chair
Human Rights Quarterly, Senior Articles Editor
Arthur Russell Morgan Fellow
Order of the Coif

Undergraduate School

Xavier University, B.A., History, 2012, summa cum laude, University Scholar

Bar Memberships

Ryan is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Ohio, 2015

Courts

Ryan is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

Supreme Court of Ohio

United States Supreme Court

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Selected for inclusion in Ohio Rising Stars®, 2019-2022

Frost Brown Todd Diversity and Inclusion Award, 2016

John R. Sayler Prize in Evidence, 2014

Henry Otterman Real Property Prize, 2013

Lawrence Maxwell Advocacy Prize, 2013

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Cincinnati Bar Association

Ohio State Bar Association

Federal Bar Association

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Phi Beta Kappa

Cincinnati Observatory, Development Committee

Proud Scholars

St. Ursula Mock Trial Team, Advisor

Major Publications

Ryan is an author or contributor to the following publications:

Allegations of Scientific Misconduct Protected as Opinion or Substantially True, Media Law Resource Center, February 2021

The Burden of Applying Casey’s “Undue Burden” Standard, University of Cincinnati Law Review, June 2014

The New Batson Challenge: Extending the Protections of Batson v. Kentucky to Gays and Lesbians, University of Cincinnati Law Review, October 2013

Will Divorce Bring Marriage Equality?, University of Cincinnati Law Review, September 2013

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