Personal Background
Ryan D. Ellis is a Senior Attorney at The Lanier Law Firm, where he represents individuals, businesses, and communities in high-stakes disputes across state and federal courts and in private arbitration. His practice centers on complex commercial litigation and environmental class actions, including business fraud, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, product liability, qui tam and whistleblower matters, and toxic tort cases, with a particular emphasis on contamination cases affecting residential communities. Ryan is known for taking on well-resourced adversaries and securing meaningful results for the people and companies he represents.
Featured Matters
- Behar v. Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S. District Court, Central District of California). Ryan was a key member of the trial team in this certified environmental class action on behalf of more than 3,200 homeowners in the Canoga Park and Winnetka neighborhoods of Los Angeles, whose properties sit above groundwater and soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds—including the known carcinogen trichloroethylene (TCE)—from industrial operations at a nearby facility. After obtaining contested class certification and trying the case to a federal jury, the team reached a $75 million non-reversionary class settlement in the middle of trial. The settlement is pending court approval.
- State of Texas, et al. v. Google, LLC (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas). Ryan is part of the team representing the States of Texas, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota in antitrust litigation against Google concerning its conduct in the digital advertising technology industry
- Black v. Union Pacific Railroad Company (U.S. District Court, District of Kansas). Ryan represents a putative class of thousands of homeowners in an ongoing environmental class action alleging that Union Pacific contaminated surrounding neighborhoods through its mishandling of toxic chemicals at a Wichita, Kansas industrial site. Plaintiffs allege that the improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste caused toxic chemicals to leak and migrate into the soil and groundwater of nearby residential properties.
Representative Cases
- Pharmaceutical Qui Tam Litigation. Represents a relator whistleblower in federal and state qui tam actions against pharmaceutical companies alleging fraud against state Medicaid programs.
- State Medicaid Fraud Qui Tam. Represented a relator whistleblower in a state Medicaid fraud action that resulted in a multi-million-dollar settlement.
- Renewable Energy Contract Dispute. Served as sole trial counsel for a renewable energy company in a contract dispute, trying the case to a successful verdict in Bexar County, Texas district court.
- Energy Arbitration. Represented a small Houston-based exploration and production company in arbitration against a large, publicly traded energy producer on claims of business fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. Ryan coordinated electronic and expert discovery involving an extensive volume of data and prepared the matter for the final arbitration hearing. The matter settled shortly before the final arbitration hearing, resulting in a significant recovery for the smaller company.
- Trade Secret Dispute. Obtained a favorable settlement for a Texas medical education company on claims that a prospective business partner misappropriated the company’s trade secrets and competed against it in violation of a non-disclosure agreement.
- Trade Secret & Unfair Competition Defense. Represented a multi-state transmission line construction company and its principal against claims of trade secret misappropriation, conspiracy, and unfair competition. Ryan drafted a jurisdictional challenge, conducted jurisdictional discovery, and, following a hearing, obtained dismissal of all claims against his clients.
- Harlandale Independent School District. Represented the San Antonio-area school district in litigation alleging that defective HVAC equipment installed in school buildings created a hazardous mold condition. The case settled favorably for the district before trial.
- Construction Defect Litigation. Represented a Texas statewide elected official in a construction defect dispute. Ryan drove case strategy and coordinated discovery and expert work, obtaining a favorable settlement before trial.
- General Motors Ignition Switch Litigation. Worked closely with victims and their families, coordinating fact and expert discovery and ultimately recovering millions of dollars for clients through the GM Victim Compensation Fund.
- Professional Athlete Injury. Member of the litigation team representing former Houston Texans punter Brett Hartmann, who suffered a career-ending knee injury when his foot caught in a turf seam created by the stadium’s “pallet system.” The case resolved with a settlement for Mr. Hartmann and prompted changes to the playing surface to better protect professional athletes from preventable injury.
- Business Dispute — Defense & Affirmative Recovery. Defended a family-owned manufacturing business against a former broker’s claim for hundreds of thousands of dollars in alleged commissions, and pursued counterclaims on the business’s behalf. The matter resolved with Ryan’s client paying nothing to the broker and instead recovering a payment on its counterclaims.
Professional Activities & Publications
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Co-author, Rigged Game: The Florida Supreme Court’s Decision in Plancher and the Abuse of Sovereign Immunity in Sports Law, Sports Litigation Alert (June 26, 2015)
- Contributor, Does the Tort System Make America Safer? Reuters (Nov. 21, 2014)
- Author, Note, Mandating Injustice: The Preponderance of the Evidence Mandate Creates a New Threat to Due Process on Campus, 32 Rev. Litig. 65 (2013)