Overview
Michael Ryan is a labor and employment senior counsel in Foley’s Houston office. His practice involves counseling 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, classification of employees and other wage and hour matters, safety regulations and governmental investigations. Michael has significant experience representing clients in prosecuting and defending non-competition agreements, trade secret theft claims, discrimination and retaliation claims, and wage-and-hour matters.
Michael represents clients of all sizes, including multinational corporations, local business, and executives. He has represented clients in various sectors, including oil and gas services and production, health care, security, safety, chemical, service and retail. Michael 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.
Professional 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)
Education
- University of Houston Law Center (J.D., 2015)
- Order of the Barristers
- Recipient, Lee Ware & Rusty McMains Memorial Scholarship
- Recipient, Achievement in Advocacy Scholarship
- President, Alternative Dispute Resolution Team
- Member, UHLC Moot Court Team
- Champion, John Black Moot Court (2013)
- Champion, Best Speaker, Intra-team Moot Court (2013)
- Regional Champion, ABA NAAC (2015)
- Member, Dean's Search Committee
- Vice president, Advocates for Life (2013-2015)
- Justice, Honor Council (2013-2015)
- Texas A&M University (M.Ed., 2010)
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Texas A&M University (B.A., cum laude, 2009)
- History
Admissions
- Texas (2015)
- Texas State Courts (2015)
- Colorado State Courts (2022)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas