RYAN M. BILLINGS

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" 2020-2024 and as a “Rising Star” 2015-2018

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America as a "Best Lawyer" 2020-2025 in Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law, Litigation-Labor and Employment and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs

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

President-Elect, State Bar of Wisconsin, May 7, 2024 - June 30, 2024
President, State Bar of Wisconsin, July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
Board of Governors, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2019-2024
- Policy Committee Chair
- Executive Committee Member
- Liaison to the Business Law Section

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