Recognized as an “up and coming star” (Legal 500) and a Future Arbitration Leader (Who’s Who Legal), Ryan has experience in more than 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Who’s Who Legal (2023) notes that clients and peers have described Ryan as “one of the top lawyers in the region” and “very intelligent.” He is also highly regarded for his case management, which is described as “second to none.”

Ryan has broad international experience across a range of sectors. His practice includes complex and reputationally sensitive disputes involving joint ventures, shareholders, finance and fraud, as well as more technical matters involving complex infrastructure, project technology and energy disputes. His experience on major capital projects extends to mega and giga-projects and includes acting as project counsel and providing strategic advice to prevent issues developing into disputes. Ryan’s clients include sovereign states, sovereign wealth funds, national oil companies, contractors, conglomerates, hedge funds and private equity firms.

Ryan has acted in arbitrations under a variety of governing laws and institutional rules, including the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ADCCAC and DIAC rules. In addition to his arbitration practice, Ryan has experience with litigation in the High Court, London (Commercial and the Technology and Construction Court (TCC)); the Grand Court, Cayman Islands; the on and offshore courts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE); and local courts across the Middle East (including in support of enforcement matters). Ryan is editor of the Construction Disputes Law Review (2023) and co-author of the chapter on Concurrent Delay in the GAR Guide to Construction Arbitration (5th Edition). 

At University, Ryan graduated top of his class with first class honors and was elected Law Society President. He also received a number of academic awards, including the Cruickshank Prize (top honors graduate), the Edmond Prize in Law (best record in criminal law, contract, tort, property, family and land law) and the Quincentenary Prize (jointly awarded by the University and the City’s Lord Provost). He is the founder and chair of ProBonoSkills.com, a not-for-profit venture that provides students undertaking pro bono with access to high quality on-demand training so that they can do more, help more and achieve more for their communities.

Verified client quotes: “We use Ryan as lead counsel when an issue is particularly thorny. He is extremely smart, strategic in approach and very hard-working. Our senior business colleagues also really rate Ryan because his advice is commercially astute and he explains complex points of law and strategy in a way that is easy to understand. We use a number of firms and he really stands out as impressive.” (General Counsel, global energy company, represented on various matters); “Ryan is one of the brightest and most talented outside Counsel I have had the pleasure of working with” (Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Conglomerate, represented on SIAC Arbitration); “Ryan is a first class litigator and hell of a nice bloke” (CEO, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) energy company, represented in 1996 Act Arbitration).