Ryan Billings is a Wisconsin native who practices complex litigation, representing business entities in civil litigation, appeals and alternatives to litigation. Mr. Billings earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Ivy-League institutions before practicing for several years with Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. He brings substantial experience to clients in business-critical litigation in regional, national and international settings.

Some of his high-profile cases include:

  • Defeating an eight-figure counterclaim after an 11-day trial by convincing a jury that the firm’s client fully complied with the contract.
  • Securing important ruling concerning the liability of commonly-owned companies in nine-figure antitrust action, resulting in settlement.
  • Successfully representing Wisconsin businesses in recent antitrust case before the United States Supreme Court involving hundreds of millions of dollars in controversy.
  • Securing injunction barring international reinsurance company from using his client’s cost models. Resulting settlement provided over $1 billion of new business for the client.
  • Defending “Big Four” accounting firm against $1 billion lawsuit, establishing law of deepening insolvency.
  • Defending Fortune 50 company against multiple shareholder class actions seeking billions of dollars in damages, resulting in favorable settlements.
  • Securing order involving rare exercise of Wisconsin Supreme Court’s supervisory powers to address violation of client’s constitutional rights and vacate rulings of non-judicial referee.
  • Defeating eleventh-hour injunction that would have prevented merger of international conglomerates.
  • Successfully prosecuting numerous actions combatting breach of restrictive covenants and theft of trade secrets.
  • Guiding telecommunications company through merger with another Fortune 100 company.
  • Defending Fortune 50 company in SEC investigation involving the proper reporting of environmental remediation reserves.
  • Defending securities trader in a massive investigation involving the Department of Justice, FBI, SEC and NYSE.
  • Negotiating post-acquisition deal with Fortune 10 company, resulting in full release and 50% recovery of attorney fees.
  • Successfully representing athlete banned from international sports because of use of prescribed medication.

Bar Admissions

  • Wisconsin
  • New York
  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • Western District of Wisconsin
  • Southern District of New York
  • Northern District of Illinois
  • Bankruptcy Court of Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • Bankruptcy Court of Western District of Wisconsin
  • Bankruptcy Court of Southern District of New York

Education

  • Harvard Law School, J.D. (2004)
    • Harvard Law Review (Notes Editor, 2002-2004)
  • Princeton University, B.A., cum laude (2001)

Professional Distinctions/Honors/Awards

  • Recognized by SuperLawyers.com as a "Super Lawyer" 2020-2022 and as a “Rising Star” 2015-2018
  • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America as a "Best Lawyer" in Appellate Practice 2023 and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions-Plaintiffs 2020-2023

Representative Published Works

  • Excellent Work Product: The Promise We Make To Ourselves And Each Other (Primerus Paradigm Winter 2022).
  • Wisconsin Discovery Law and Practice (4th ed. 2015-2023) (Introduction to Discovery & Electronic Discovery Law Chapters).
  • Restrictive Covenants: One Size Does Not Fit All: An Analysis of How Employee Non-Compete Enforceability Tests are Ill-Suited to Govern the Enforceability of Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreements (ABA Bus. Torts. J. Aug. 2020).
  • Mandatory Indemnification: Sue Me and You’ll Pay My Attorneys Fees (Wisconsin State Bar—Inside Track June 2020).
  • Employment and Labor Law in Wisconsin (2019 ed.) Primerus Compendium.
  • Legislature’s Changes to Rules of Civil Procedure, Wisconsin Lawyer Magazine, June 2018 (vol. 91, no. 6) (co-author, with R. Gegios and M. Bialzik).
  • New Changes to Wisconsin Civil Procedure, Wis. Law Journal, Apr. 2018 (co-author, with R. Gegios and M. Bialzik).
  • Amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Should Aid Counsel in Helping Clients Limit Preservation Costs, Exposure to Discovery Sanctions, Wis. Law Journal, April 2016.
  • How to Respond to Trade Secret Theft: The First 48 Hours, ABA Business Torts Litigation Journal, Spring 2015.
  • Using the New York Convention as an Arbitration Tool, Wis. Law Journal, December 2014.
  • Professional Associations

    • Board of Governors, Wisconsin State Bar
    •          Policy Committee Chair
    •          Executive Committee Member
    • Wisconsin Judicial Council Member
    • Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
    • Fellows of the Wisconsin Bar Foundation
    • Thomas E. Fairchild Inn of Court
    • Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Bar Association
    • Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association
    • American Bar Association
    • Milwaukee Bar Association

    Community Involvement

    • Permanent Member, National Eagle Scout Association
    • Board of Directors, Harvard Club of Wisconsin