Please note new address: 2950 Dean Parkway, Suite 805, Minneapolis, MN 55416-4446

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Minneapolis Attorney James G. Ryan

In more than 35 years of practice, Jim Ryan has received several honors based on statewide surveys of Minnesota attorneys, including: Top 20 Appellate Attorneys, Top 40 Employment Litigation Attorneys, and Top 40 ADR Attorneys. In addition to being included in the list of SuperLawyers each year during the 22-year period 1998 – 2019, Ryan has been also been named a “Leading Minnesota Attorney” by American Research Corp. in the areas of appellate law, employment law, and mediation.

Areas of Practice

  • Appeals
  • Mediation/arbitration
  • Employment, business, and commercial litigation and advising
  • Employment litigation
    • Mr. Ryan represents both employers (defendants) and employees (plaintiffs) in litigation involving a wide variety of claims typically arising out of the employment relationship, including:
  • Discrimination and other statutory claims:
    • Age
    • Race
    • National origin
    • Gender
    • Sexual harassment
    • Pregnancy
    • Religion
    • Disability
    • Whistleblower
    • Retaliation/reprisal
    • Breach of duty of fair representation
    • Breach of collective bargaining agreements
    • Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA)
    • Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, as amended (Title VII)
    • Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
    • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
    • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
    • Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
    • 42 USC 1983 claims
  • Common-law claims:
    • Defamation
    • Breach of contract
    • Promissory estoppel
    • Invasion of privacy
    • Tortious (or intentional) interference with contractual relations
    • Fraud
    • Intentional infliction of emotional distress
    • Negligent infliction of emotional distress
    • Negligent hiring
    • Negligent supervision
    • Negligent retention
    • Assault
    • Battery
    • False imprisonment
  • Noncompetition claims:
    • Noncompetition agreements
    • Confidentiality agreements
    • Uniform Trade Secrets Act
    • Unfair competition
    • Tortious inference with contract or prospective advantage

Advising, Negotiating and Drafting:

  • Executive employment agreements
  • Physician employment agreements
  • Severance agreements and releases
  • Noncompetition and confidentiality agreements

Analyzing and Enforcing:

  • Intellectual property disputes (Uniform Trade Secrets Act, noncompetition issues, etc .)
  • Minority shareholder disputes
  • Partnership disputes
  • Breach of contract and statutory claims

Corporate Investigations:

  • Conducting internal investigations for corporations of sexual harassment, discrimination, whistleblower, retaliation and other employee claims

Commercial and Business Litigation, General:

  • Mr. Ryan represents corporations in commercial litigation against other corporations and individuals for breach of contract, violations of statutory law and other claims commonly arising in the business setting.

Representation of Medical Personnel

Mr. Ryan advises and represents medical professionals (physicians, psychologists, dentists, etc .) in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota and other jurisdictions in connection with:

  • Employment issues:
    • Impending termination or discipline by hospitals, clinics and practice groups
  • Licensing issues:
    • Challenges to denials of licensure by licensing boards
  • Disciplinary proceedings commenced by licensing boards:
    • Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
    • Minnesota Board of Psychology
    • Minnesota Board of Dentistry
    • Licensing boards of other states

Representation of High-Level Executives

Mr. Ryan advises and represents high-ranking executives in connection with:

  • Employment agreements:
    • Review and negotiation of proposed employment agreements
  • Separation agreements and releases:
  • Review and negotiation of proposed separation and severance agreements Noncompetition agreements:
    • Drafting, review and negotiation of noncompetition agreements
    • Enforcement and defending against enforcement of noncompetition agreements

Qui Tam Litigation (False Claims Act)

Local Counsel for Out-of-State Law Firms

  • Mr. Ryan regularly serves as local counsel for out-of-state law firms in state and federal court in business litigation, product liability actions (Zoloft, Prozac, etc.), and other cases.

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