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ryan-t-winkler

Ryan T. Winkler

Ryan Winkler is a litigator who focuses on the defense of product liability and mass tort claims.

Ryan has defended actions in both state and federal courts throughout the United States, representing manufacturers of automobiles, aircraft components, infrared heaters, hydraulic pumps, commercial food processing equipment, asbestos-containing products, and other commercial and consumer products. He has represented maritime and land-based ship-owner defendants in multi-district litigation involving claims alleging exposure to asbestos. Ryan currently serves clients as a member of Tucker Ellis’s national coordinating counsel and local counsel teams. He has experience with highly technical products and works closely with expert engineers to establish sound defense strategies.

In addition to his mass tort and product liability practice, Ryan is part of a Tucker Ellis team that serves as national counsel in motor vehicle accident litigation for two Fortune 300 companies. He has also counseled clients in workplace injury and premises liability actions involving serious injuries and death.

Before starting his legal career, Ryan worked for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League. Outside of his legal practice, he consumes all things sports and enjoys spending time with his family and two dogs.

Education
Cleveland State University College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2012); Cleveland State Law Review, Executive Business Editor; Moot Court Program, Chairman; Best Advocate, 43rd Annual Moot Court Night at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2011); Best Advocate – 3rd Place, ABA National Appellate Advocacy Championship, Seattle, WA  Regional (2011)
The Ohio State University (B.S.B.A., 2007)
State Admissions
Ohio, 2012
Federal Admissions
United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • Served on a team responsible for obtaining a dismissal of ship-owner defendants in hundreds of asbestos litigation cases pending in MDLs based on lack of personal jurisdiction
  • Obtained dismissal of a case involving blast furnace manufacturer in asbestos litigation
  • Obtained exclusion of plaintiff’s mechanical and electrical engineering experts under Daubert, resulting in summary judgment for a manufacturer of commercial food processing equipment
  • Obtained exclusion of plaintiff’s human factors expert’s causation opinions
  • Defended a steel-plant owner in an action alleging wrongful death resulting from a crane collapse
  • Defended an automobile manufacturer in claims of property damage arising out of vehicle and structural fires
  • Defended aircraft-component manufacturers in an action alleging defects in design, manufacturing, and warning

speaking engagements

  • “The Use of Telematics Data in Motor Vehicle Accident Litigation,” Webinar, NAFA Fleet Management Association (March 2020)
  • “Lay Witness Examinations – Overview, Demonstration, and Q&A,” 2019 Litigation Institute: Anatomy of a Jury Trial – Part 1, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Cleveland, Ohio (May 2019)

publications

  • “Judicial Notice at the Appellate Level: Beware of Opposing Counsel’s Attempt to Create a New Record on Appeal,” DRI’s For the Defense (May 2016)
  • “Your Most Potent Weapon Against Failure-To-Warn Claims,” Law360 (November 2015)
  • “The Civil False Claims Act and Its Unreasonably Broad Scope of Liability: The Need for Real ‘Clarifications’ Following the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009,” 60 CLEV. ST. L. REV. 533 (2012)

media

  • Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch (2021–2024)
  • Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars® (2020–2022)
  • Defense Research Institute
    • Young Lawyers Committee
      • Steering Committee, Member (2017-present)
      • Marketing, Co-Vice Chair (2019-2020)
      • Online Community
        • Chair (2018-2019)
        • Co-Vice Chair (2017-2018)
    • Products Liability Committee
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
    • Litigation Section
      • Vice Chair (2019-2020)
      • Council Member (2018-2019)
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Moot Court Program, Coach (2013-present)
  • Youth Challenge
    • Board of Trustees (2018-present)
    • Young Professionals for Youth Challenge (2016-present)