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.

27 November 2023 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

The Holidays Have Us Thinking About FAMLI

It is already that time of the year — year-end holidays, good food, colder weather, and the opportunity to assess new laws that are set to go into effect at the start of the next calendar year.
11 October 2023 Innovative Technology Insights

Navigating the AI Frontier: Legal and Operational Insights Into Generative AI

Welcome to Navigating the AI Frontier: Legal and Operational Insights Into Generative AI. In this eBook, we take a deep dive into the world of generative AI, exploring its transformative power and the legal and operational risks it introduces.
17 July 2023 Innovative Technology Insights

My Employees Are Using ChatGPT. What Now?

The integration of generative AI into the workplace is not a simple plug-and-play scenario; it requires careful consideration and Foley’s comprehensive guide lays out common concerns and risk mitigation strategies.
21 June 2023 Events

AI in HR: Understanding the Impact, Opportunities, and Avoiding Pitfalls

Artificial intelligence is already having a tremendous impact on human resource practices, policies, and management. More changes are coming rapidly, representing not only great opportunities, but also potential risks. Join us for an information-packed webinar on AI in HR on June 21, 2023.
16 June 2023 Article

Messaging Apps Bring Tough Data Questions For Employers

In the modern workforce, employees are increasingly utilizing private messaging apps such as WhatsApp Messenger, GroupMe, Signal and Telegram Messenger, as well as interoffice apps such as Skype, Microsoft Teams and Slack, to discuss business transactions and operations.
22 May 2023 Health Care Law Today

EEOC Issues Updated Technical Guidance on COVID-19 and the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws

The COVID-19 pandemic presented numerous challenges for employers and workplaces across the globe. While COVID is not gone, the federal government did recently end the federal public health emergency.