Four Decades for Justice
Antony L. Ryan handles a wide variety of litigation matters, focusing on securities litigation, accountants’ liability, M&A litigation and antitrust law. He regularly represents clients in federal and state courts around the country.
Mr. Ryan’s cases have included:
Mr. Ryan has extensive experience in securities litigation. He has been named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for his work in the field, and has been recommended by the publication for his appellate work. In 2011, he was recognized by Law360 as one of five securities lawyers under 40 to watch. He has also been recognized for his work in securities litigation by Chambers USA. He has been selected by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Litigators in America” and one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” and was named a nationwide “Legend” in 2023. Mr. Ryan has also been repeatedly recognized by Benchmark Litigation, including as a “National Star” in securities litigation.
Mr. Ryan is often involved in defending securities class actions on behalf of corporations and accounting firms. From 2015 to 2017, he won the dismissal of four securities class actions and two False Claims Act cases. He also has experience in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigations, including representing a U.S. corporation in investigations into business dealings with Chinese state‑owned entities.
Mr. Ryan is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan also has experience in representing companies in purchase price adjustment arbitrations, including disputes involving complex accounting issues and significant dollar amounts.
Mr. Ryan is also regularly involved in antitrust litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as the Pro Bono Partner. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, for which he serves as Secretary‑Treasurer, and of The Legal Aid Society. In 2011, he received a Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society for helping to win an Article 440 petition in New York Supreme Court to vacate the wrongful conviction of a client who spent 14 years in prison for second‑degree murder. The decision was affirmed on appeal, and the charges against his client were dropped. Mr. Ryan also received multiple Pro Bono Publico Awards for his work, together with Legal Aid and the Urban Justice Center, leading a class action against New York State and City agencies seeking pre‑release planning and transitional services for parolees with serious mental illness. He also obtained a writ of mandamus from the Second Circuit in a Section 1983 case on behalf of a prison inmate, in a decision establishing the legal standard for implied waiver of the psychotherapist‑patient privilege.
Mr. Ryan co‑edited the book and co‑authored the U.S. chapter in several editions of Getting the Deal Through: Securities Litigation (Law Business Research). He also has authored law review articles on civil procedure and patent law.
Mr. Ryan was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University in 1992, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1995, where he was Supervising Editor of the Law Review, and oralist on the winning team in the Ames Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, Mr. Ryan served as a law clerk to Hon. Judith W. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr. Ryan joined Cravath in 1996 and was elected a partner in 2002.
Mr. Ryan’s cases have included:
Mr. Ryan has extensive experience in securities litigation. He has been named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for his work in the field, and has been recommended by the publication for his appellate work. In 2011, he was recognized by Law360 as one of five securities lawyers under 40 to watch. He has also been recognized for his work in securities litigation by Chambers USA. He has been selected by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Litigators in America” and one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” and was named a nationwide “Legend” in 2023. Mr. Ryan has also been repeatedly recognized by Benchmark Litigation, including as a “National Star” in securities litigation.
Mr. Ryan is often involved in defending securities class actions on behalf of corporations and accounting firms. From 2015 to 2017, he won the dismissal of four securities class actions and two False Claims Act cases. He also has experience in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigations, including representing a U.S. corporation in investigations into business dealings with Chinese state‑owned entities.
Mr. Ryan is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan also has experience in representing companies in purchase price adjustment arbitrations, including disputes involving complex accounting issues and significant dollar amounts.
Mr. Ryan is also regularly involved in antitrust litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as the Pro Bono Partner. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, for which he serves as Secretary‑Treasurer, and of The Legal Aid Society. In 2011, he received a Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society for helping to win an Article 440 petition in New York Supreme Court to vacate the wrongful conviction of a client who spent 14 years in prison for second‑degree murder. The decision was affirmed on appeal, and the charges against his client were dropped. Mr. Ryan also received multiple Pro Bono Publico Awards for his work, together with Legal Aid and the Urban Justice Center, leading a class action against New York State and City agencies seeking pre‑release planning and transitional services for parolees with serious mental illness. He also obtained a writ of mandamus from the Second Circuit in a Section 1983 case on behalf of a prison inmate, in a decision establishing the legal standard for implied waiver of the psychotherapist‑patient privilege.
Mr. Ryan co‑edited the book and co‑authored the U.S. chapter in several editions of Getting the Deal Through: Securities Litigation (Law Business Research). He also has authored law review articles on civil procedure and patent law.
Mr. Ryan was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University in 1992, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1995, where he was Supervising Editor of the Law Review, and oralist on the winning team in the Ames Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, Mr. Ryan served as a law clerk to Hon. Judith W. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr. Ryan joined Cravath in 1996 and was elected a partner in 2002.
The Legal Aid Society
Volunteers of Legal Service
Benchmark Litigation
Chambers USA
Law360
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
August 29, 2022
On August 25, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted in full Cravath client The Williams Companies, Inc.’s (“Williams”) motion for interest, attorneys’ fees and expenses, totaling more than $185 million at the time the motion was taken under submission. The decision followed post‑trial discovery, briefing and oral argument between January and May 2022.
Deals & Cases
July 26, 2022
On July 25, 2022, Judge Danny Y. Chou of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Mateo, issued a decision holding that the automatic discovery stay pursuant to Section 77z‑1(b)(1) of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (the “PSLRA Stay”) applies not only in federal court, but also in state court. Judge Chou therefore granted Cravath clients Dfinity Foundation and Dfinity USA Research, LLC’s (together, the “Dfinity Defendants”) motion to stay discovery pending resolution of the Dfinity Defendants’ demurrer.
Deals & Cases
January 05, 2022
On December 29, 2021, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted judgment in favor of Cravath client The Williams Companies, Inc. (“Williams”) in a dispute with Energy Transfer, LP (“ETE”) over a contractual termination fee following the parties’ unconsummated $37.7 billion combination. Following a six‑day trial held in May 2021, and subsequent post‑trial briefing and oral argument, the Court issued its decision ordering ETE to pay Williams a $410 million termination fee, plus interest and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.
Deals & Cases
June 09, 2021
Over the course of nearly forty years, Cravath has represented African American and female plaintiffs alleging employment discrimination by governmental employers in Birmingham, Alabama. Our work on the case started in 1983 led by the late Robert D. Joffe, a renowned trial lawyer and one of our former presiding partners. In 1992, then partner Rowan D. Wilson took over leadership of the case which he retained until 2017 when he retired and accepted an appointment from the Governor of New York to become an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. In December 2020, the case reached its conclusion under the leadership of partner Damaris Hernández—a reflection of the generations of Cravath attorneys who have supported this fight for justice.
Deals & Cases
April 07, 2018
On March 26, 2018, Cravath client Akorn, Inc. (“Akorn”), a U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, reached a settlement in a civil action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleged financial reporting, books and records, and internal accounting controls violations in connection with Akorn’s accounting restatements for the fiscal year 2014. Akorn cooperated with the SEC and, pursuant to the settlement, did not admit or deny the SEC's allegations or pay any financial sanction.
Accolades
February 10, 2023
On February 10, 2023, Cravath partners Antony L. Ryan, Rachel G. Skaistis and Benjamin Gruenstein were named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 23 lawyers nationwide who have been repeatedly featured among Lawdragon’s list of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” The list honors law firm leaders, plaintiff icons, Supreme Court justices, corporate counsel and public interest attorneys “for their inspiring work as leaders in the legal profession.”
Accolades
March 30, 2022
On March 24, 2022, Benchmark Litigation honored Cravath at the publication’s tenth annual East Coast Awards, which was held in New York City in celebration of “the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months.” The Firm was awarded Benchmark Litigation’s “General Commercial Firm of the Year” award, which recognized Cravath’s major wins on behalf of clients including the Boston Red Sox, Goldman Sachs and The Williams Companies. Cravath partner Gary A. Bornstein accepted the award on behalf of the Firm.
Accolades
June 01, 2021
On May 21, 2021, Global Competition Review (“GCR”) honored Cravath with its “Behavioural Matter of the Year—Americas” award for the Firm’s successful representation of Qualcomm in its Ninth Circuit appeal of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. The awards recognize landmark matters demonstrating strategic and innovative work by teams of in house and external lawyers and economists, based on a vote of GCR readers.
Antony L. Ryan handles a wide variety of litigation matters, focusing on securities litigation, accountants’ liability, M&A litigation and antitrust law. He regularly represents clients in federal and state courts around the country.
Mr. Ryan’s cases have included:
Mr. Ryan has extensive experience in securities litigation. He has been named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for his work in the field, and has been recommended by the publication for his appellate work. In 2011, he was recognized by Law360 as one of five securities lawyers under 40 to watch. He has also been recognized for his work in securities litigation by Chambers USA. He has been selected by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Litigators in America” and one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” and was named a nationwide “Legend” in 2023. Mr. Ryan has also been repeatedly recognized by Benchmark Litigation, including as a “National Star” in securities litigation.
Mr. Ryan is often involved in defending securities class actions on behalf of corporations and accounting firms. From 2015 to 2017, he won the dismissal of four securities class actions and two False Claims Act cases. He also has experience in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigations, including representing a U.S. corporation in investigations into business dealings with Chinese state‑owned entities.
Mr. Ryan is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan also has experience in representing companies in purchase price adjustment arbitrations, including disputes involving complex accounting issues and significant dollar amounts.
Mr. Ryan is also regularly involved in antitrust litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as the Pro Bono Partner. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, for which he serves as Secretary‑Treasurer, and of The Legal Aid Society. In 2011, he received a Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society for helping to win an Article 440 petition in New York Supreme Court to vacate the wrongful conviction of a client who spent 14 years in prison for second‑degree murder. The decision was affirmed on appeal, and the charges against his client were dropped. Mr. Ryan also received multiple Pro Bono Publico Awards for his work, together with Legal Aid and the Urban Justice Center, leading a class action against New York State and City agencies seeking pre‑release planning and transitional services for parolees with serious mental illness. He also obtained a writ of mandamus from the Second Circuit in a Section 1983 case on behalf of a prison inmate, in a decision establishing the legal standard for implied waiver of the psychotherapist‑patient privilege.
Mr. Ryan co‑edited the book and co‑authored the U.S. chapter in several editions of Getting the Deal Through: Securities Litigation (Law Business Research). He also has authored law review articles on civil procedure and patent law.
Mr. Ryan was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University in 1992, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1995, where he was Supervising Editor of the Law Review, and oralist on the winning team in the Ames Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, Mr. Ryan served as a law clerk to Hon. Judith W. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr. Ryan joined Cravath in 1996 and was elected a partner in 2002.
Mr. Ryan’s cases have included:
Mr. Ryan has extensive experience in securities litigation. He has been named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for his work in the field, and has been recommended by the publication for his appellate work. In 2011, he was recognized by Law360 as one of five securities lawyers under 40 to watch. He has also been recognized for his work in securities litigation by Chambers USA. He has been selected by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Litigators in America” and one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” and was named a nationwide “Legend” in 2023. Mr. Ryan has also been repeatedly recognized by Benchmark Litigation, including as a “National Star” in securities litigation.
Mr. Ryan is often involved in defending securities class actions on behalf of corporations and accounting firms. From 2015 to 2017, he won the dismissal of four securities class actions and two False Claims Act cases. He also has experience in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigations, including representing a U.S. corporation in investigations into business dealings with Chinese state‑owned entities.
Mr. Ryan is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan also has experience in representing companies in purchase price adjustment arbitrations, including disputes involving complex accounting issues and significant dollar amounts.
Mr. Ryan is also regularly involved in antitrust litigation. Those cases have included:
Mr. Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as the Pro Bono Partner. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, for which he serves as Secretary‑Treasurer, and of The Legal Aid Society. In 2011, he received a Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society for helping to win an Article 440 petition in New York Supreme Court to vacate the wrongful conviction of a client who spent 14 years in prison for second‑degree murder. The decision was affirmed on appeal, and the charges against his client were dropped. Mr. Ryan also received multiple Pro Bono Publico Awards for his work, together with Legal Aid and the Urban Justice Center, leading a class action against New York State and City agencies seeking pre‑release planning and transitional services for parolees with serious mental illness. He also obtained a writ of mandamus from the Second Circuit in a Section 1983 case on behalf of a prison inmate, in a decision establishing the legal standard for implied waiver of the psychotherapist‑patient privilege.
Mr. Ryan co‑edited the book and co‑authored the U.S. chapter in several editions of Getting the Deal Through: Securities Litigation (Law Business Research). He also has authored law review articles on civil procedure and patent law.
Mr. Ryan was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University in 1992, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1995, where he was Supervising Editor of the Law Review, and oralist on the winning team in the Ames Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, Mr. Ryan served as a law clerk to Hon. Judith W. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr. Ryan joined Cravath in 1996 and was elected a partner in 2002.
The Legal Aid Society
Volunteers of Legal Service
Benchmark Litigation
Chambers USA
Law360
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
The Legal 500 US
Deals & Cases
August 29, 2022
On August 25, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted in full Cravath client The Williams Companies, Inc.’s (“Williams”) motion for interest, attorneys’ fees and expenses, totaling more than $185 million at the time the motion was taken under submission. The decision followed post‑trial discovery, briefing and oral argument between January and May 2022.
Deals & Cases
July 26, 2022
On July 25, 2022, Judge Danny Y. Chou of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Mateo, issued a decision holding that the automatic discovery stay pursuant to Section 77z‑1(b)(1) of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (the “PSLRA Stay”) applies not only in federal court, but also in state court. Judge Chou therefore granted Cravath clients Dfinity Foundation and Dfinity USA Research, LLC’s (together, the “Dfinity Defendants”) motion to stay discovery pending resolution of the Dfinity Defendants’ demurrer.
Deals & Cases
January 05, 2022
On December 29, 2021, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted judgment in favor of Cravath client The Williams Companies, Inc. (“Williams”) in a dispute with Energy Transfer, LP (“ETE”) over a contractual termination fee following the parties’ unconsummated $37.7 billion combination. Following a six‑day trial held in May 2021, and subsequent post‑trial briefing and oral argument, the Court issued its decision ordering ETE to pay Williams a $410 million termination fee, plus interest and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.
Deals & Cases
June 09, 2021
Over the course of nearly forty years, Cravath has represented African American and female plaintiffs alleging employment discrimination by governmental employers in Birmingham, Alabama. Our work on the case started in 1983 led by the late Robert D. Joffe, a renowned trial lawyer and one of our former presiding partners. In 1992, then partner Rowan D. Wilson took over leadership of the case which he retained until 2017 when he retired and accepted an appointment from the Governor of New York to become an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. In December 2020, the case reached its conclusion under the leadership of partner Damaris Hernández—a reflection of the generations of Cravath attorneys who have supported this fight for justice.
Deals & Cases
April 07, 2018
On March 26, 2018, Cravath client Akorn, Inc. (“Akorn”), a U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, reached a settlement in a civil action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleged financial reporting, books and records, and internal accounting controls violations in connection with Akorn’s accounting restatements for the fiscal year 2014. Akorn cooperated with the SEC and, pursuant to the settlement, did not admit or deny the SEC's allegations or pay any financial sanction.
Accolades
February 10, 2023
On February 10, 2023, Cravath partners Antony L. Ryan, Rachel G. Skaistis and Benjamin Gruenstein were named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of Lawdragon Legends, which this year recognizes 23 lawyers nationwide who have been repeatedly featured among Lawdragon’s list of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” The list honors law firm leaders, plaintiff icons, Supreme Court justices, corporate counsel and public interest attorneys “for their inspiring work as leaders in the legal profession.”
Accolades
March 30, 2022
On March 24, 2022, Benchmark Litigation honored Cravath at the publication’s tenth annual East Coast Awards, which was held in New York City in celebration of “the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months.” The Firm was awarded Benchmark Litigation’s “General Commercial Firm of the Year” award, which recognized Cravath’s major wins on behalf of clients including the Boston Red Sox, Goldman Sachs and The Williams Companies. Cravath partner Gary A. Bornstein accepted the award on behalf of the Firm.
Accolades
June 01, 2021
On May 21, 2021, Global Competition Review (“GCR”) honored Cravath with its “Behavioural Matter of the Year—Americas” award for the Firm’s successful representation of Qualcomm in its Ninth Circuit appeal of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. The awards recognize landmark matters demonstrating strategic and innovative work by teams of in house and external lawyers and economists, based on a vote of GCR readers.
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