Ryan Law Firm

Firm Overview

James G. Ryan: Jim Ryan practices in state and federal courts in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the areas of:

Employment Litigation & Advising

Business & Commerical Litigation

Professional Licensing & Discipline

Civil Appeals (click on Appellate Practice)

Mediator (click on Mediation Practice)

Local Counsel for out-of-state firms 

For all areas of practice, see the Home page.

Litigation Background/Representative Cases:

Murphey v. City of Minneapolis, 358 F.3d 1075 (8th Cir. 2004) (Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals -- obtained reversal of summary judgment on employee's Americans with Disabilities Act ["ADA"] discrimination claim)

Lincoln v. Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Sears Home Improvement Products, Inc., 9 Wage & Hour Case. 2d (BNA) 468, 27 NDLR 145, 2004 WL 62716 (D. Minn. 2004) (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- obtained denial of summary judgment  on employee's claims for Family Medical Leave Act ["FMLA"] violations, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, and promissory estoppel)

State v. Cayo, 2004 WL 1328036 (Minn. App. 2004) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained reversal of criminal conviction -- first-degree criminal sexual conduct -- for client sentenced to 12 years in prison)

Hahn v. Commercial Recovery Corp., Anoka County District Court File No. C9-03-6569 (June 1, 2004) (Minnesota State District Court -- obtained summary judgment for employer in pregnancy-discrimination case)

Lincoln v. Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Sears Home Improvement Products, Inc., 2003 U.S.Dist. Lexis 24191, aff'd 2003 U.S. Dist. Lexis 24192 (D. Minn. 2003) (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- obtained order allowing employee to add claim for punitive damages on claims of negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, negligent infliction of emotinal distress, and intentional infliction of emotional distress)

Lincoln v. Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Sears Home Improvement Products, Inc., 83 Empl.Prac.Dec. 41,249, 147 Lab. Case. 34,636, 2002 WL 31108204 (D. Minn. 2002) (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- obtained denial of motion to dismiss all claims)

Munshi v. Alliant Techsystems, Inc., No. 99-516 (D. Minn. Jun. 26, 2001), 2001 WL 1636494, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9639 (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- obtained denial of summary judgment on employee's national-origin [Title VII] discrimination claim)

Pierce v. Honan and Cottonwood County, No. C8-00-2065 (Minn. App. Jun. 19, 2001), 2001 WL 682885, 2001 Minn. App. LEXIS 675 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of money judgment in favor of employee on settlement with public defendant of whistleblower claim)

Kofflin v. Transport Workers, Local 512 and American Airlines, Inc., No. 3-96-380, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Third Division, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20829 (Nov. 17, 1997) (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- obtained denial of summary judgment on claims of the plaintiff, a former union member and employee, of breach of duty of fair representation and breach of collective bargaining agreement)

Vovk v. Tom Thumb Food Markets, No. C6-91-2377 (Minn. App. Jul. 28, 1992), 1992 WL 174729, 1992 Minn. App. LEXIS 745 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of monetary award to employee, including attorney's fees, in sexual-harassment case)

Wheeler v. McGee, No. C5-92-680 (Minn. App. Dec. 21, 1992), 1992 WL 383460, 1992 Minn. App. LEXIS 1272, pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Feb. 12, 1993) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of monetary award to business partner on breach-of-contract and fraud claims in partnership dispute)

200  Levee Drive Assocs. v. Bor-Son Bldg. Corp., 441 N.W.2d 560 (Minn. App. 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained reversal of order staying arbitration in commercial-construction case)

Lake City Apts. v. Lund-Martin Co., 417 N.W.2d 704 (Minn. App. 1987), pet. for rev. granted,  421 N.W.2d 302  (Minn. 1988) (remanding to Court of Appeals), 428 N.W.2d 110 (Minn. App. 1988), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Aug. 16, 1988) (Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court -- obtained reversal of summary judgment for owner  in commercial-construction case)

Gilmore v. Control Data Corp., 442 N.W.2d 835 (Minn. App. 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of monetary award to employee in breach-of-contract case)

Roehrdanz v. Roehrdanz, 438 N.W.2d 687 (Minn. App. 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of order denying motion for change of custody and awarding Ryan $4,000 in attorney's fees on appeal) and 410 N.W.2d 359 (Minn. App. 1987) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of marriage-dissolution judgment and decree covering property valuation and division, and awards of custody and attorney's fees)

Maloney v. Ketter, No. C8-88-460 (Minn. App. Jul. 19, 1988), 1988 WL 73081, 1988 Minn. App. LEXIS 653 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of monetary award to business partner in partnership dispute)

Herron v. Green Tree Acceptance, Inc., 411 N.W.2d 192 (Minn. App. 1987), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Sept. 30, 1987) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained reversal of summary judgment in breach-of-contract case based on employment manual)

Smith v. Williams, No. C8-90-2144 (Minn. App. Mar. 19, 1991), 1991 WL 34692, 1991 Minn. App. LEXIS 240 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained affirmance of judgment and decree in marriage dissolution, including property valuation and division, and awards of custody and child support in marriage dissolution)

Uhl v. Uhl, 395 N.W.2d 106 (Minn. App. 1986) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- obtained reversal of child custody award)

Thomas v. Honeywell, Inc., No. C8-94-29 (Minn. App. Sept. 13, 1994), 1994 WL 495087, 1994 Minn. App. LEXIS 900 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- race discrimination and defamation)

Dohman v. Housely, No. C4-92-2551 (Minn. App. Jul. 27, 1993), 1993 WL 276869, 1993 Minn. App. LEXIS 763, pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Sept. 30, 1993) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- action for uninsured motorist coverage by police officer injured during arrest)

Bari v. Control Data Corp., 439 N.W.2d 44 (Minn. App. 1989), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Jul. 12, 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- disability discrimination)

Oja v. Dayton Hudson Corp., 458 N.W.2d 169 (Minn. App. 1990) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- claim based on illegal deduction from plaintiff's wages)

Maeser v. North Star Dodge Ctr., Inc., No. C0-90-131 (Minn. App. Jul. 3, 1990), 1990 WL 89454, 1990 Minn. App. LEXIS 645 (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- sexual harassment)

Wheeler v. Teufel, 443 N.W.2d 555 (Minn. App. 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- defamation)

Bauer v. Republic Airlines, Inc., 442 N.W.2d 818 (Minn. App. 1989), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Aug. 25, 1989) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- disability discrimination on behalf of pilot)

Biltz v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 363 N.W.2d 94 (Minn. App. 1985) (Minnesota Court of Appeals -- disability discrimination on behalf of pilot)

Saiki v. State, 375 N.W.2d 547 (Minn. App. 1985), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Dec. 19, 1985) (postconviction relief -- withdrawal of guilty plea to third degree assault)

Johnson v. Professional Servs. Group, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7896 (Apr. 17, 1996) (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -- sexual harassment)

French v. Turnage, 915 F.2d 1577 (8th Cir. 1990) (Table) (Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals -- wrongful termination of federal employee)

Mangan v. Cullen, 870 F.2d 1396 (8th Cir. 1989) (Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals -- bankruptcy retaliation)

Sennewald v. University of Minnesota, 847 F.2d 472 (8th Cir. 1988) (Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals -- gender discrimination)

Note . Few cases brought to court generate a ruling or decision other than a hard copy located in the file at the courthouse. No rulings of state trial courts are published. A ruling or decision in a state-court case is published only if an appeal is taken and, in such instances, only the decision of the appellate court is published. Some trial-court rulings in the federal courts are released for publication at the discretion of the judge handling the case, but very few. (The advent of electronic publication has increased the number, but that is a recent phenomenon.) Thus, the only cases which generate a published ruling or decision are those in which an appeal is taken and a decision is issued by an appellate court (state or federal), or in which a federal trial court releases a ruling for publication.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Ryan has litigated to conclusion hundreds of cases in his areas of practice (see "Home" page) which have not generated any published ruling or decision. Most of those cases were concluded with a settlement whose terms are confidential and, thus, may not be disclosed. However, some of Mr. Ryan's cases have generated published rulings, and the cases cited above are a representative sample.

Publications and Presentations:

Mr. Ryan regularly speaks at seminars attended by other lawyers, and submits written materials in connection with those appearances.  Presentations, accompanied by such materials, have included the following:

"Keys to Ethical (and Successful) Mediation: An Ethics Session for Advocates and Mediator"
2007 Employment Law Institute
May 31, 2007

"Keys to a Successful Mediation"
2006 Employment Law Institute
May 22, 2006

"Eighth Circuit and Federal District Court Update"
21st Annual Employment Law Institute
May 26 & 27, 2004

"Eighth Circuit and Federal District Court Update"
20th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 28 & 29, 2003

"Hiring and Firing"
Minnesota Institute of Legal Education
February 7, 2003

"Recent Summary-Judgment Rulings by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals"
19th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 30, 2002

"Choice of Forum", Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association
February 15, 2002

"Recent Summary-Judgment Rulings by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court in Minnesota"
18th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 31, 2001

"Pitfalls of Pleading"
ABA, Employment Litigation Skills Training
October 31, 2000

"Psychological Harm in Employment Cases - The Expert's Perspective"
17th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 23, 2000

"Hot Topics and Real-life Cases"
Sexual Harassment in Minnesota Seminar
March 29, 2000

"Making Good Initial Choices - Choosing the Forum, the Claims, and the Defendants"
16th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 24, 1999

"Past Conduct in Employment Cases - Is It Discoverable? Admissible?"
15th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 28, 1998

"Leaving a Paper Trail - Proof of Non-discriminatory Practices"
ADA Update 1997
Council on Education in Management
November 17, 1997

"Work Product and Privilege Issues in Employment Cases"
14th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 30, 1997

"The Plaintiff's Past: Limits on Inquiries into the Plaintiff's Sexual and Medical History in Sexual-Harassment Cases"
Hot Topics in Sexual Harassment
February 26, 1997

"Comparing and Contrasting Burdens of Proof in Discrimination Cases"
13th Annual Employment Law institute
May 28, 1996

"Mistakes Plaintiffs' Lawyers Look For"
Reasonable Accommodations: When, What and How
Minnesota State Bar Association
February 19, 1996

"Especially for Judges - Understanding Age Discrimination Issues"
3rd Annual Civil Litigation Institute
November 13, 1995

"Overcoming Summary Judgment in Age-Discrimination Cases"
12th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 24-25, 1995

"Avoiding Summary Judgment in Employment Discrimination Cases After Hicks"
11th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 23-24, 1994

"Jury Instructions and Special Verdicts - What to Use When Standard Jury Instruction Guides Don't Suffice"
10th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 26, 1993

"Surviving Summary Judgment in Defamation Cases"
9th Annual Employment Law Institute
May 28-29, 1992

Honors:

Top 20 Appellate Lawyers in Minnesota (Law & Politics, Oct., 2000)

Top 40 Employment Litigation Attorneys in  Minnesota (Law & Politics, 2004-2005)

Top 40 ADR Attorneys in Minnesota (Law & Politics, 2006-2008) 

"Super Lawyer" by the following publications: (annually during period 1998-2008)

• Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine
• Twin Cities Business Monthly
• Law & Politics

       (Only 5% of Minnesota attorneys named "Super Lawyers" per year)

"Leading Attorney" by American Research Corporation in each of the following areas:

• Employment Law - Management
• Employment Law - Individual
• Civil Appellate Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

       (Only 6% of Minnesota attorneys so honored)

Ratings by Martindale Hubbell Law Directory
Legal Ability Rating: "A" -- very high to preeminent (highest rating)
General Recommendation Rating: "V" -- very high (highest rating)

Member of:

• Employment Law Advisory Subcommittee for the Civil Jury Instruction Guides (5th ed. 2006)
• Planning Committee for the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute: 1996 - 2001, 2007
• Minnesota State Bar Association Labor and Employment Governing Council (2000-01)

Course Chair
"Hot Topics in Sexual Harassment"
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
May 28, 1997

Education:

1974, University of Wisconsin-Madison, BA
1978, University of Wisconsin Law School, JD
1979-83, Graduate studies (not completed) in the University of Minnesota Philosophy PhD Program

Court Admissions:

1978 Wisconsin
1978 United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
1984 Minnesota
1984 United States District Court, District of Minnesota
1987 United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit

Professional Associations:

National Employment Lawyers Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Wisconsin State Bar Association
American Trial Lawyers Association
Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association
Federal Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Ramsey County Bar Association

Representative Clients:

The McKnight Foundation
Commercial Recovery Corporation
Richard D. Goff & Associates