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    Michael F. Ryan

    Senior Counsel

    Michael F. Ryan

    Senior Counsel

    Michael Ryan is a senior counsel in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in Foley’s Houston and Denver offices. He counsels employers on a wide range of employment matters, including unfair competition and trade secret laws, hiring and firing decisions, EEO and FLSA matters, enforcement of personnel policies, leave issues, accommodations, drug-testing laws, safety regulations, and governmental investigations. He has significant experience representing clients in prosecuting and defending restrictive covenants, trade secret theft claims, discrimination and retaliation claims, and wage-and-hour matters.

    Michael partners with clients of all sizes, from multinational corporations to local business and executives. He has particular experience counseling employers and litigating cases involving oil and gas services and production, health care, security, safety, chemical, service, and retail. He also frequently presents at seminars and conducts trainings on various employment topics, including EEO matters and internal and governmental investigations.

    Prior to earning his law degree, Michael served as a judicial intern for the Hon. Hilda G. Tagle, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Texas-Brownsville Division. He also worked in-house as a compliance and employment law clerk for an oilfield services company in Houston.

    Affiliations

    • Member, State Bar of Texas
    • Member, Young Alumni Committee, University of Houston Law Center (2015-Present)
    • Member, Association of Women Attorneys
    • Former member, Professionalism Committee, Houston Bar Association (2015-2016)

    Community Involvement

    Michael is an active board member on the University of Houston’s Young Alumni Committee and the Houston A&M Club, a member of the Young Energy Professionals-Social Subcommittee, and he also enjoys coaching his son’s local Little League baseball team.

    01 May 2025 Pro Bono

    Foley Secures Favorable Settlement for Pro Bono Client in Wrongful Eviction and Theft Case

    Foley & Lardner LLP recently secured a favorable settlement on behalf of a pro bono client in Texas in a case involving wrongful eviction and theft of property.
    03 April 2025 Deals and Wins

    Foley Represents cQuant.io in Acquisition by Zema Global

    Foley & Lardner LLP represented cQuant.io, an industry leader in analytic solutions for energy and commodity companies, in its acquisition by Zema Global, a leading provider of data management and analytics solutions for companies in the energy, commodities, and financial sectors.
    23 December 2024 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

    Regulating Artificial Intelligence in Employment Decision-Making: What’s on the Horizon for 2025

    Share on TwitterShare by EmailShareBack to topEmployment law in 2024 could aptly be summarized as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence Legislation.
    15 November 2024 Blogs

    Texas Federal Court Vacates 2024 Fair Labor Standards Act Salary Basis Rule, Reversing Prior July Increase

    Share on TwitterShare by EmailShareBack to topFederal District Court Judge Sean Jordan of the Eastern District of Texas today ordered vacatur of the 2024 final rule previously announced by the Department of Labor that saw the first increases to the salary basis requirement in decades.
    14 October 2024

    The Fast Follower’s Guide to Recent AI Law

    As investors, entrepreneurs, and engineers supercharge the development of artificial intelligence to the tune of US$184 billion in 2024, this new era will create both winners and losers.
    06 September 2024 In the News

    Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

    The integration of artificial intelligence into the workplace has sparked a flurry of legal and regulatory discussions in recent months.