rdonihue@hallboothsmith.com
Partner
404.954.6948
Hall Booth Smith, P.C. |
Partner Ryan M. Donihue is a leader in complex and high-exposure medical malpractice litigation defense, specializing in birth trauma, brain injury, catastrophic injury, neonatal and pediatric matters, and other high-risk damages actions in courts across the United States.
A senior leader on the firm’s elite National Trial Counsel specialty team, Ryan works relentlessly to minimize indemnification risk by aggressively defending clients in the highest exposure cases, including potential precedent-setting litigation and catastrophic medical professional liability claims in challenging venues. Ryan also has extensive experience in successfully defending clients in batch claims and class action cases throughout the country.
Additionally, Ryan often serves as National Monitoring and Supervising Counsel for excess insurers and insureds, including clients internationally as well as numerous domestic insurers. He works closely with each client to align litigation strategy with their business objectives and the potential risk profile and financial exposure of the case. He provides case oversight and defense counsel coordination with coordinated aggressive damages evaluations. He communicates effectively and provides detailed reports about case developments, makes recommendations and adjusts strategy, and conducts risk management and data-driven analysis of venue risk, jury dynamics, trial proceedings, and potential outcomes at every stage of high indemnity exposure cases.
Beyond litigation defense, Ryan offers national and international clients extensive pre-suit service including internal investigations and pre-litigation evaluations, and he often counsel’s clients on their own risk management policies and practices. Ryan represents all physician and surgical specialties including but not limited to Obstetricians, Certified Nurse Midwives, Labor and Delivery Nurses, Post-Partum Nurses, Neonatologists, Neurosurgeons, Pediatricians as well as Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Mental health providers, Physician practice groups, Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Health care organizations.
Ryan has more than a quarter of a century of complex medical malpractice litigation defense experience, and has served as National Trial Counsel and National Monitoring and Supervising Counsel for insurers and insureds in countless high-exposure cases in major courts all across the United States. Ryan is licensed to practice law in New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia, Connecticut, Arkansas, Montana, Missouri, West Virginia, and Wyoming. He often works as co-Lead Counsel alongside Local Counsel in order to jointly obtain the desired results by clients or the insurer.
Ryan leads Litigation Teams, assesses potential risk and the merits of each case, and sets trial strategy. He works closely with the entire Litigation Team to oversee motion practice, retain and prepare specialized witnesses including actuarial experts, conduct eDiscovery and data organization and management, prepare for trial, and aggressively defend against damages to send a message to Plaintiff counsel that the Defense is always fully prepared and willing to try cases.
As a respected lecturer and mentor, Ryan is often invited to guest lecture or present at legal education conferences throughout the country and abroad, including American Legal Connections, Hospital and Hospital Systems and conferences by leading reinsurance firms. He often lectures on strategies for defending medical malpractice and catastrophic injury actions; the importance of aggressive damage defense to minimize exposure and reduce potential jury awards; emerging trends, developments, and impact of litigation outcomes; and proactive, thoughtful Risk Management and training to minimize the risk of litigation in the first place.
Before joining HBS in 2015, Ryan was a Partner with Martin Clearwater & Bell, LLP, the oldest medical malpractice Defense firm in New York State. Earlier in his career, he was an Assistant Corporation Counsel with the New York City Law Department, where he represented hospitals and health care providers in the Medical Malpractice Unit of the Office of the Corporation Counsel.
Ryan earned a Juris Doctor with a focus on health law from New York Law School. He completed his undergraduate career at the University of Puget Sound, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Ryan focuses his practice on the defense of hospitals, physicians, midwives, nurses, and institutional employees in birth trauma and catastrophic injury cases. He also represents and defends health care institutions, private practices, physicians, psychologists, nurses, physician assistants, medical students, and medical practice staff members in complex medical malpractice actions from inception through trial.
Ryan has extensive experience representing health care professionals before state Boards in licensing and disciplinary matters. Finally, he has lectured at hospital grand rounds, discussing the increasing trends in malpractice actions, state investigations and professional discipline cases.
Ryan serves as National Monitoring and Supervising Counsel for excess insurers and insureds, including numerous domestic insurers as well as clients internationally. He understands each client’s specific business objectives to ensure litigation strategy is aligned in high indemnity exposure cases, oversees the case, coordinates defense counsel, conducts data-driven evaluations of trial risk and financial exposure, communicates effectively through regular detailed reports about case developments and recommendations, and assesses and manages risk on venue, jury dynamics, and trial proceedings throughout the case.
Ryan has extensive experience on the firm’s National Trial Counsel specialty team, and he represents clients across the country in the riskiest cases to minimize indemnification exposure and potential damages by aggressively defending clients in cases such as birth trauma, catastrophic injury, brain injury, and neonatal and pediatric claims. He also represents clients in batch claims and class action cases throughout the country. Clients often engage Ryan to conduct internal investigations and pre-suit evaluations, and he counsels clients on their own effective risk management policies and practices.
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