Ryan J. Frankel
Ryan is a second-generation trial lawyer. He has experience representing clients in all phases of complex commercial litigation, obtaining multimillion dollar recovers for plaintiffs and total dismissals for defendants.
His experience runs the gamut—including oil and gas disputes, construction, infrastructure, and engineering disputes, trade secret disputes, and disputes over mergers and acquisitions gone awry. He serves clients in a variety of industries, with a focus on the energy, construction, and hospitality industries.
Ryan is also heavily involved in local bar initiatives and has been recognized as a top young lawyer from leading legal publications, including Best Lawyers in America and Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers.
The following is a list of representative matters in which Ryan has assisted.
Experience Highlights
(S.D. Tex.) – Member of trial team that defended well operator in $70 million lawsuit over alleged production of a nearby storage facility’s gas; jury returned a complete defense verdict after only fifteen minutes of deliberation
(AAA Arbitration) – Member of trial team that obtained a $15 million arbitration award for the owner of a 2X1 combined cycle 1000 megawatt power plant and defeated in its entirety a $35 million counterclaim by the EPC contractor for delay and productivity claims
(S.D. Tex.) – Represented an owner in a dispute against its EPC contractor related to the construction of a $175 million cogeneration facility in Alabama
(Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) – Represented a contractor in litigation related to the weld testing of jackets used in an offshore windfarm in the North Sea; settled favorably on the first day of trial
(Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) – Represented Fortune 150 energy company suing its former employees and a competitor company for trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty; settled favorably on eve of trial
(S.D. Tex.); (W.D. Okla.) – Represented an inspection services and solutions company in trade secret misappropriation lawsuits in the Southern District of Texas and Western District of Oklahoma; settled favorably before expert reports submitted
(Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) – Represented global hotel and resort brand in wrongful death lawsuit
(Tex. Dist. – Travis Cnty.) – Represented global hotel and resort brand in wrongful death lawsuit; obtained dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction
Credentials
- The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2019
- University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 2016
- Selected to the Texas Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Ones to Watch,” (Houston): Commercial Litigation, 2022–2026
- Board of Directors, Houston Young Lawyers Association (2022–2024)
- Member of 6th Leadership Class, Institute for Energy Law (2024)
- Texas
- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado