Michael Ryan
  • Michael S. Ryan
  • Shareholder
  • Arthur Chapman Kettering Smetak & Pikala, P.A.
  • msryan@arthurchapman.com
vCard Print Arthur Chapman Kettering Smetak & Pikala, P.A.

Mike Ryan focuses his practice on civil litigation, products liability, environmental law, general liability, employment law, and insurance law, as well as other specialized types of litigation and trial work. Clients benefit from his more than 30 years of broad-based experience in a variety of lawsuits including products liability and toxic torts, environmental contamination of groundwater, soil, surface water and air, accountants malpractice defense, patent infringement and business litigation.  

Mike is known and respected by his clients and peers alike for his judgment, tenacity and skill. His astute sense of how to develop and defend each case to secure the most favorable outcome for his client - whether at trial, arbitration or mediation - makes Mike an invaluable leader of any litigation or trial team. Mike’s representation of his clients is personal as well as professional, and his clients know that he will invest the extra time, effort and energy to thoroughly understand his client’s product and/or business, as well as his client’s perspective regarding the case or issue at hand. Because of this dedicated approach, Mike has served in the capacity of regional counsel for a number of national clients.

Mike is a past president of the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association (MDLA) and served as the Minnesota representative to DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar from 2002-06. He was recipient of the DRI State Representative of the Year Award in 2006. Mike has regularly presented on trial and substantive law topics and has been recognized as a Minnesota Super Lawyer. He is an original and current member of the faculty of the MDLA Trial Academy where he is involved in the training and mentoring of young defense lawyers. He is also a member of the distinguished American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Mike is licensed and handles cases in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota.

When not vigorously defending his clients, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and family (including six grandchildren), golfing, skiing, and other outdoor activities.


Education

Hamline University School of Law, J.D., 1981
College of St. Thomas, B.A., 1978


Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 1981
North Dakota, 2013
South Dakota, 2012
Wisconsin, 1989
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 1983
U.S. District Court, District of Wisconsin, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 1992

U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1990


Publications

  • “New Laws Proposed in North Dakota Designed to Reduce Natural Gas Flaring at Oil Wells in the Bakken,” MB Legal News, January 2014
  • “New Year’s Resolution: Civility in the Practice of Law,” Minnesota Defense, Winter 2006
  • “Mentoring to Olympic Proportions,” Minnesota Defense, Summer 2004

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Bar Association
    Member, Environment, Energy & Resources Section
    Member, Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Committee
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar
     DRI Minnesota State Representative, 2002-2006
Minnesota State Bar Association
Minnesota Defense Lawyer Association 
     President, 2000-2001 and Board of Directors, 1995-2002
Ramsey County Bar Association
South Dakota Bar Association
Wisconsin Bar Association


Licenses

Minnesota
North Dakota
South Dakota
Wisconsin

Representative Cases

Germann v. F.L. Smith Mach. Co., 395 N.W.2d 922 (Minn. 1986)

Sedlock be Sedlock V. BIC Corporation, 741 F. Supp. 175 (W.D. Mo. 1990)

Amoco Pipeline v. Minn. Valley Landscaping, et al., 481 N.W.2d 557 (Minn. App. 1992)

Knopik v. Amoco Corp., 96 F.Supp.2d 892 (D.Minn.2000), aff’d, 95 Fed. Appx. 332 (Fed.Cir.2004)

Edgar Rudolph Samuelson v. ARAMARK Services, Inc., 2006 WL 2504348 (D.Minn.) Aug. 29, 2006

Brian Lindsay v. St. Olaf College, et al., Unpublished Opinion, A06-2137 (Minn. App.) Jan. 29, 2008

Raymond G. Hartmann v. Circuit City Stores, Inc., Unpublished Opinion, A08 - 0049 (Minn. App.) Dec. 9, 2008

Tilot Oil, LLC v. BP Products North America, Inc., District Court, E. D. Wisconsin, Hon. J. P. Stadtmueller, Discovery Order dated August 3, 2011 

Tilot Oil, LLC v. BP Products North America, Inc., 907 f. Supp. 2d 955 (E. D. Wis. 2012)

Tietz v. United Rentals (North America), Inc., Unpublished Opinion A13-2284 (Minn. App.) July 21, 2014