Ryan T. Gormley

Ryan Gormley’s practice focuses on civil litigation and legal issues and appeals. He is licensed in Nevada and has represented clients in several other jurisdictions across the country.   

Ryan has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad array of high exposure matters, including business disputes, insurance bad faith, premises liability, products liability, and wrongful death. He also has significant experience in class actions and arbitrability disputes. His experience extends across all phases of litigation and arbitration, including parachuting into cases on the brink of trial. In his legal issues and appeals practice, clients add Ryan to cases to brief critical motions, serve as appellate counsel at trial, and handle writ petitions and appeals. He enjoys working with trial teams to better position the case for success at trial and on appeal.

Ryan has been recognized as “One to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America®, “Legal Elite” by Nevada Business Magazine, and a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers®. His mix of trial and appellate experience gives him a unique perspective when it comes to evaluating risks and developing case strategy.

A Las Vegas native, Ryan earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State University, where he captained the men’s tennis team. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the William S. Boyd School of Law, where he served as an editor on law review. Following law school, Ryan clerked for Chief Justice Mark Gibbons of the Nevada Supreme Court. Committed to community service, Ryan provides pro bono legal assistance and serves on the board of two local non-profit organizations.

• Served as appellate counsel leading up to and at trial for major hotels and casinos and Fortune 500 companies in personal injury and premises liability matters.
• Retained as appellate counsel to assist with briefing arbitrability disputes. Obtained reversal of a district court order denying a motion to compel arbitration and established significant precedent in Nevada regarding delegation clauses in Uber Technologies, Inc. v. Royz, 517 P.3d 905 (Nev. 2022).
• Counsel in class action litigation concerning environmental claims in the District Court of the Virgin Islands.
• Counsel in class action litigation concerning cemetery practices in the U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina. Defeated certification of a class of tens of thousands of members.
• Represented a national developer asserting business tort claims against a co-developer arising out of a public-private project in Nevada. Prevailed at a jury trial.
• Defended the developer of a large commercial shopping center in Reno, Nevada against direct and derivative claims brought by an investor in the project.
• Represented the developer of the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project located in Tonopah, Nevada in construction litigation.
• Counsel for a managed care company in bad faith litigation arising out of a medical necessity determination.
• Retained by insurance companies to defend against claims of bad faith arising out of general liability policies.
• Represented manufacturers in asbestos and benzene products liability litigation.
• Represent major hotels and casinos in high exposure premises liability actions.
• Defend leading trucking and shipping companies in high exposure personal injury and wrongful death actions.
• Serve as Nevada counsel for prominent law firms in products liability actions, opioid litigation, and Covid-19 insurance coverage disputes, among others.

The Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice, 2024 

The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025

The Best Lawyers in America®, Construction Law, 2024 - 2025

The Best Lawyers in America®, Construction Litigation, 2025

The Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch, Construction Law, 2021-2022

Nevada Magazine, Nevada Legal Elite, 2019, 2021

Super Lawyers®, Rising Stars, Civil Litigation: Defense, 2021-2024