
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 Firmwide Co-Hiring Partner.
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
- Named a Future Star, Virginia, Benchmark Litigation, 2017-2018, 2020-2025
- 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
- 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
Legal Updates
- 7 Minute ReadJuly 25, 2024Event
- 10 Minute ReadApril 25, 2024Legal Update
- 17 Minute ReadMarch 27, 2024Legal Update
- 9 Minute ReadOctober 30, 2023Legal Update
- 11 Minute ReadJune 20, 2023Legal Update
- 8 Minute ReadJanuary 18, 2023Legal Update
- 7 Minute ReadNovember 1, 2022Legal Update
- 11 Minute ReadMay 23, 2022Legal Update
- June 19, 2020Legal Update
- April 17, 2020Legal Update
- 5 Minute ReadMarch 31, 2020Legal Update
- March 2, 2017Legal Update
- February 1, 2016Legal Update
- February 2012Legal Update
Events & Speaking Engagements
- Event
- February 29, 2024Event
- July 22, 2021Event
- December 8, 2020Event
- May 2020EventSpeakerBrave New World: Virginia’s New Labor & Employment Laws and How They Will Change the Game for Virginia Employers
- November 17, 2016EventPresenterWhat Trump’s Election Means For Employers, Hunton & Williams Webinar
- November 15, 2016EventPresenterJoint Employer Concepts in Employment Law, American Hotel & Lodging Association Labor Relations Council
- September 8, 2016Event
- August 3, 2016EventSpeaker“The Defend Trade Secrets Act and How Employers Can Take Advantage of It,” Hunton & Williams Webinar
- June 9, 2016Event
- May 26, 2016Event
- March 17, 2016EventSpeakerWage and Hour Litigation and Enforcement Trends and What Employers Should Do About Them, Now, Hunton & Williams Webinar
- September 11, 2015EventSpeakerModernizing the Discovery Process: The December 1, 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Other Discovery Issues, Virginia Bar Association 45th Annual Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law
- June 16, 2015EventSpeakerThe NLRB’s “Ambush Election” Rules, Hunton & Williams Webinar
- November 2013, November 2012EventSpeakerWorking With Lawyers, Backpack to Briefcase: The New Virginia Lawyer, Virginia CLE
- January 2013EventSpeakerEmerging Labor & Employment Enforcement Trends, Claims, and Issues for 2013 and the Remainder of President Obama's Second Term, Virginia Bar Association 123rd Annual Meeting
- March 2010EventSpeakerEmployees and Independent Contractors: Making the Distinction and Avoiding Liability, Virginia CLE
- September 15, 2009Event“The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory System,” EUCI Nuclear Power Symposium Europe, Aix en Provence
- January 15, 2009EventSpeakerServing the Public in the Private Sector, UVA School of Law 10th Annual Conference on Public Service and the Law
- May 15, 2023EventPresenterPreparing for DOL’s New FLSA White-Collar Exemption Rule, American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Labor Relations and Human Resources Joint Committee Meeting
Publications
- 5 Minute ReadDecember 16, 2024Publication
- 11 Minute ReadDecember 12, 2024Publication
- 7 Minute ReadSeptember 23, 2024Publication
- Publication
- May 10, 2024Publication
- May 1, 2024Publication
- January 11, 2024Publication
- January 2024Publication
- December 2023Publication
- July-August 2023Publication
- July 5, 2023Publication
- September 2022Publication
- June 30, 2020Publication
- March 22, 2017PublicationCo-author4th Circ. Joint Employer Test Is Incredibly Broad, Law360
- July 23, 2015Publication
- January 25, 2014PublicationInterviewed and quoted“Five Compliance Trends To Watch in 2014,” Human Resource Compliance Law Bulletin (Reuters)
- January 4, 2012Publication
- December 2011PublicationCo-authorQuickie Union Elections With Less Supervision: Let the Games Begin, American Bar Association Health eSource, Vol. 8 No. 4
- Winter 2011PublicationAuthorFurloughing Public Employees: Understanding the Risks and Avoiding Liability, Journal of Local Government Law, Vol. XXI No. 3
Blog Posts
- December 2, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- November 11, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- November 1, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- October 31, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- October 14, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- October 3, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- August 20, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- August 6, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- July 10, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- June 26, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- June 14, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- April 30, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- April 25, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- April 11, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
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- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
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- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
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- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
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- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
News
- 1 Minute ReadFebruary 28, 2025News
- 1 Minute ReadDecember 5, 2024News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 25, 2024News
- 3 Minute ReadOctober 3, 2024News
- 17 Minute ReadNews
- Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadNews
- 2 Minute ReadJune 28, 2024News
- 6 Minute ReadJune 6, 2024News
- 1 Minute ReadDecember 13, 2023News
- 1 Minute ReadDecember 11, 2023News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 30, 2023News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 25, 2023News
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- 2 Minute ReadMarch 3, 2022News
- 2 Minute ReadDecember 7, 2021News
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 30, 2021News
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 22, 2021News
- December 15, 2020Media MentionQuoted, Biden administration faces obstacles to revising employment laws, Business Insurance
- 1 Minute ReadDecember 14, 2020News
- December 14, 2020Media MentionQuotedBiden administration faces obstacles to revising employment laws, Business Insurance
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 15, 2020News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 2, 2020News
- 2 Minute ReadJuly 30, 2020News
- December 25, 2019Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 1, 2019News
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- September 25, 2019Media Mention
- September 25, 2019Media Mention
- September 24, 2019Media Mention
- 1 Minute ReadAugust 1, 2019News
- 1 Minute ReadApril 2, 2019Media Mention
- March 8, 2019Media Mention
- 1 Minute ReadMarch 8, 2019Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 26, 2018News
- 1 Minute ReadJuly 30, 2018News
- 2 Minute ReadFebruary 2, 2018News
- February 1, 2018Media Mention
- 1 Minute ReadAugust 16, 2017News
- June 27, 2017Media Mention
- June 7, 2017Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadJanuary 30, 2017News
- 1 Minute ReadDecember 5, 2016Media Mention
- November 17, 2016Media Mention
- 1 Minute ReadNovember 14, 2016Media Mention
- July 15, 2016Media MentionQuoted, Retention Strategy: Ask Applicants “Any Family in the Area?” SHRM
- June 3, 2016Media Mention
- 1 Minute ReadJune 2, 2016Media Mention
- May 18, 2016Media Mention
- May 18, 2016Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadApril 1, 2016News
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
Virginia
US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
US District Court, Western District of Virginia