Claudia A. Ryan
Of Counsel
About Claudia
Claudia A. Ryan is Of Counsel to MCLC. She has established a reputation of success as a trial attorney and concentrates her legal practice in the areas of insurance defense, including premises liability and product liability; defense of municipalities and school districts; labor and employment and civil rights matters. Claudia is recognized across New York State and the region as a leader in the employment practices field and enjoys a long established reputation for success across a broad client base which includes municipalities, school districts, automobile dealerships, and employers both large and small.
Why Claudia?
Claudia’s career in private practice began in 1980 handling union matters for the Public Employees Federation (PEF) including strike hearings across the State for the civilian employees at the major correctional facilities, which were the result of a Council 82 strike. Claudia was sent straight into Attica and, after the strike hearings ended, she was selected to handle PEF’s disciplinary matters on a statewide basis.
Claudia is a champion for women in the law, herself founding two women-owned law firms, one of them being the largest NYS certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) law firms in Upstate New York. In addition to running her full-time law practice, Claudia was an owner and operator for over 14 years of the popular Adirondack bed and breakfast, All Tucked Inn, on Lake Champlain in Westport, N.Y.
Claudia’s clients depend on her for her sage advice, strong approach, and 40+ years of experience as a litigator and staunch client advocate.
Qualifications
Affiliations
- New York Bar Association, Executive Committee Member – Tort, Insurance and Compensation Law Section (2008-15)
- Albany County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers
- National Association of Dealer Counsel
- New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
- New York State Bar Association
- Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association
- Saratoga County Bar Association
Recognition
- Best Lawyers in America© – Labor Law – Union; Litigation – Labor and Employment (2018)
- Best Lawyers® – “Lawyer of the Year” – Litigation – Labor and Employment Law (2017)
- SuperLawyers® – Employment & Labor (2010-2019)
- SuperLawyers® – Upstate Magazine – Top 25 Women Lawyers in the New York (2010-15; 2017-19)
- SuperLawyers® – Upstate Magazine – Top 25 Hudson Valley Lawyers (2011-14; 2018)
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys® – Upstate New York – Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)
- Martindale-Hubbell – Distinguished® Attorney (2020)
Noteworthy
- Finch v. Dake Bros., Inc., 138 AD3d 1001 (2010)
Education
- J.D., Albany Law School of Union University (1979)
- B.A., LeMoyne College, cum laude (1976)
Admissions
- State of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Leadership
Speaking
- Presenter, Efficient Relationships with Outside Counsel, Risk Management Forum, 2018
- Panelist, Women & Entrepreneurship, Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region, 2017
- Presenter, Labor & Employment Law Update, Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers, 2016
- Presenter, Legal Updates Impacting Dealerships, National Association of Dealer Counsel Member Conference, 2015
- Speaker, Are You Certifiable (As a NYS Women Business Enterprise)?, One Woman. One World., Critical Needs Now, 2015
- Speaker, Personnel and Labor Trends, National Association of Dealer Counsel, 2011
- Speaker, Title IX and Cyber Bullying, New York State Association of School Business Officials, Adirondack Chapter, 2010
- Speaker, Managing Risk, Reducing Liability for Retailers in the CSP (Convenient Stores – Petroleum) Leadership & Crisis Prevention Forum, EDU Networking Series Conference, 2010
- Speaker, Defending Employee Discrimination Cases, New York State Bar Association Corporation Section, 2009
