Overview

Ryan’s labor and employment litigation experience is both broad and deep, and he is particularly skilled in defending employers against wage and hour class and collective actions. Ryan’s litigation experience also includes whistleblower claims, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) class actions, ERISA actions, H-2B and J-1 immigration litigation, and single- and multi-plaintiff discrimination and harassment litigation.

Ryan also routinely represents management in complex traditional labor matters in union elections, collective bargaining, strike contingency planning and execution, unfair labor practice proceedings, and arbitrations. Ryan has represented clients in dozens of union elections and has negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements covering thousands of employees.

Ryan also provides strategic advice to clients on a full range of labor and employment issues. He advises clients in the retail, hospitality, coal and other natural resources, power, health care, food processing, manufacturing, consumer products, and service industries.

Ryan is admitted to practice in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the US District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. He has litigated cases in the state and federal courts of Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Ryan is a frequent speaker and author on labor and employment matters, and he is a contributing author to the Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives blog.

Ryan also serves as Hiring Partner for the firm’s Richmond, Virginia office.

Experience

  • Wage & Hour Litigation: Litigated over thirty-five class and collective actions in federal and state courts under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws, as well as numerous single-plaintiff wage and hour matters.
  • Labor-Management Relations: Litigates and counsels management on a variety of traditional labor issues, including pre-campaign advice, unit hearings, employer campaigns and elections, corporate campaigns, contract negotiations, unfair labor practice issues, strike contingency planning, plant/site shutdowns and closings, and grievance arbitrations.
  • Other Complex Employment Law Litigation: Substantial experience prosecuting and defending lawsuits in state and federal court, including cases involving whistleblower claims, Fair Credit Reporting Act violations, ERISA claims, H-2B and J-1 matters, breach of contract and restrictive covenant issues, RICO claims, and single- and multi-plaintiff discrimination and harassment claims.
  • Strategic Labor & Employment Advice: Provides day to day advice to employers on virtually every facet of the employer-employee relationship, including labor strategy, covenants not to compete, employment contracts, corporate restructurings, reductions in force and outsourcings, WARN Act compliance, and wage and hour issues.
  • Mergers and Acquisitions: Provides strategic labor and employment advice in connection with dozens of corporate transactions each year.

Accolades

Honors & Recognitions

  • Recognized as a Leader in Labor & Employment, Virginia, Chambers USA, 2023-2024
  • Named a Best Lawyer in Labor Law–Management and Litigation–Labor and Employment, The Best Lawyers in America, 2023-2024
  • Named a Future Star, Virginia, Benchmark Litigation, 2017-2018, 2020-2024
  • Listed as a Labor and Employment Star−South, Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2024
  • Benchmark Litigation “Under 40 Hot List,” 2016-2020
  • Selected as a Rising Star for Employment and Labor Law, Virginia Super Lawyers magazine, 2010-2019
  • Named among the Legal Elite for Labor/Employment Law, Virginia Business magazine, 2013-2015 and 2020-2023
  • E. Randolph Williams Award For Pro Bono Service, 2008-2009, 2014-2015

Affiliations

Professional

  • Member, Virginia Bar Association, Labor Relations & Employment Section
  • Member, American Bar Association, Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee
  • Federal Bar Association, Richmond Chapter (Past Member, Board of Directors)
  • Board Member, Richmond Ballet
  • Board Member, Maymont Foundation
  • Past Member, President’s Council, Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers
  • Past Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Legal Information Network for Cancer (LINC)

Insights

Events & Speaking Engagements

Publications

Blog Posts

News

Education

JD, Washington and Lee University School of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Lead Articles Editor, Washington and Lee Law Review, 2005

BA, Legal Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2002

Admissions

Virginia

Courts

US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia

US District Court, Western District of Virginia

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