Ryan practices extensively in the areas of plaintiffs' civil rights and personal injury litigation. He has handled a significant number of police misconduct (generally excessive force) cases as well as jail misconduct (generally failure to care for inmates’ serious medical needs) cases. He has also handled a wide variety of automobile accident and premises liability cases. Ryan also practices in the area of commercial litigation.He spends most of his time in federal court in Minnesota but has represented his clients’ interests in several state and federal courts across the country.

Ryan joined the firm in October 2002 after clerking for a year for the Honorable Thomas J. Kalitowski at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. His judicial clerkship at the Court of Appeals provided Ryan with experience in many different areas of law, including criminal, employment, personal injury, family, contract, and real estate law. Ryan’s current practice has benefited from and built upon this experience.

Ryan has taught legal writing at the University of Minnesota Law School and prides himself on his ability to convey his clients’ needs to the opposing party and the court in a persuasive manner.

Civil Rights Cases

Gerdes v. Meyer, (2009), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $475,000
Plaintiff, a 41 year old man who was on social security disability, was in a Brainerd city park after hours in June 2007. A Brainerd Police Officer was called to the park to investigate a noise complaint. The officer found the plaintiff and some of his friends leaving the park on their bicycles and decided to use his to perform a custodial stop on plaintiff. The plaintiff was pedaling his bicycle out of the park when he was tased in the back and crashed his bicycle, injuring his shoulder and back, requiring multiple surgeries and hospitalizations. The defendants moved for summary judgment arguing that the officer acted as a reasonable officer would and was therefore protected by qualified immunity. The Court disagreed and the settlement followed shortly.

King v. Turner, (2007), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Judgment (based on jury trial, including a punitive damages award): $447,000
Fifty-one year old woman suffered two wrist fractures and a dislocation when a sheriff's deputy used excessive force on her in a bingo hall where he had come to arrest her daughter on a bench warrant.

Stockton v. Auren and Siedschlag, (2008), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $280,000
Plaintiff, a 57-year old with a history of medical problems including seizures, became confused and disoriented while trying to pay his town home association dues. He ended up at the back door of the wrong unit of his town home association (in his slippers) and the woman inside called the police. The police arrived, and despite our client’s obvious disorientation, lack of aggressiveness, and frail appearance, the police threw him to the ground with so much force that he fractured his hip. The defendant officers moved for summary judgment, claiming their actions were reasonable and that they were protected by qualified immunity. The court disagreed and denied the motion. The case settled shortly thereafter.

Keller v. Olmsted County, et. al., (2008), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $225,000 plus payment of over $112,000 in medical bills
Plaintiff was a pretrial detainee in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center when he suffered an ascending aortic dissection, which has a very high mortality rate. Plaintiff had obvious heart-attack symptoms, including collapsing chest pain, shortness of breath, and left arm pain. Despite these symptoms, the detention center staff failed to provide him with medical attention for over 14 hours, greatly increasing plaintiff’s pain and risk of death. Ultimately, he received treatment and made a full recovery.

Otieno v. Hansen, (2009) U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $169,500
Plaintiffs, 3 minority young professionals (two women and a man), were in downtown Minneapolis when they were denied entry into a nightclub. The defendant police officers, after taking a cue from the doorman, directed the plaintiffs to leave the area. The plaintiffs started walking away but were followed by the defendant officers down the street. The officers harassed, roughed up, and ultimately arrested two of the plaintiffs and pushed the third to the ground so hard that she needed stitches, all without justification. The minor charges from the incident were dropped early in the prosecution. In addition to the monetary settlement, the City of Minneapolis issued a written apology to the plaintiffs for the incident and assisted in getting the criminal charges expunged.

Flores v. Allbee, (2009) U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement:$110,000
Plaintiff, a 48 year old woman with numerous medical ailments was arrested on a DWI. She was arrested and transported to the Ramsey County Jail without incident. But once at the jail, and while being physically escorted to a holding cell by the defendants, Plaintiff suffered a broken and dislocated elbow requiring emergency medical treatment.

Plisner v. Sweeney, Fahey, Hanson and City of Little Canada, (2007), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement (after winning partial summary judgment): $90,000
Plaintiff homeowner's Fourth Amendment rights were violated when the City fined him for not consenting to a warrantless search of his home to ensure his sump pump did not flow into the city's sanitary sewer system.

Personal Injury Cases

Besser v. Owens (2008), Carver County District Court, Minnesota
Total Settlement: $250,000
Plaintiff was a rear-seat passenger in an automobile that collided head-on with a school bus.Plaintiff lost several teeth, and suffered scarring on her arm, hip, and face.Plaintiff underwent three bone graftings and numerous dental procedures and oral surgeries.Plaintiff recovered the insurance limits from the driver’s insurance carrier and is now pursuing a claim against her own insurer for underinsured motorist coverage.

Stelter and Marois v. Michaud, (2008), Washington County District Court, Minnesota
Total Settlement: $250,000
Plaintiffs were passengers in a Cessna airplane equipped with floats for water take-offs and landings. Shortly after take-off, the plane hit the water, ripping the floats off the plane, and causing two of our three clients to be ejected into Forest Lake. Of the two ejected, one had approximately $30,000 in medical expenses while the other had approximately $50,000. The settlement reflects the insurance policy limits of $100,000 for the two passengers who were ejected and $50,000 for the passenger who was uninjured in the accident (but witnessed his wife’s ejection).

Hiner v. Lonergan, (2008), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $85,000
Plaintiff suffered a torn rotator cuff when she was rear-ended in a motor vehicle accident.

"Rising Star," Minnesota Law & Politics, 2008 and 2009 

Minnesota Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Federal Bar Association

Minnesota, 2001
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2002

Legal Writing Instructor at the University of Minnesota Law School, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007.