Ryan C. Wells represents clients in complex litigation, class actions, government investigations, and criminal defense matters, bringing strategic insight and creative thinking to meet clients’ needs. Ryan has represented individuals to multinational companies while working on matters involving breach of contract, consumer protection, employment disputes, class actions, and white-collar criminal offenses through all stages of litigation. Ryan also represents benefit plans and plan sponsors in disputes under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) involving forfeitures and the denial of severance benefits. He is well-versed in defending employers against class actions brought under Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA).
Ryan’s practice involves a significant amount of pro bono work. He has mediated an immigration case referred to the Ninth Circuit Mediation Program, which involved drafting a motion to reopen agency proceedings following a change in country conditions. Ryan successfully negotiated a remand to the agency after the government agreed that the wrong standard had been applied to reopen proceedings.
While in law school, Ryan served as a judicial extern to Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel of the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Ryan served as a staff attorney for the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, advising the court on the disposition of appeals involving criminal convictions and sentencing, employment discrimination, and immigration law.