Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce that Ryan Blackney has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a litigation partner. He is a trial lawyer with nearly two decades of experience whose practice focuses on complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation with a concentration in commercial fraud, fraudulent transfer matters, and objection to discharge adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court. He has tried over 200 cases – including personally handling 52 jury trials – and litigated over 100 evidentiary motions. Blackney joins from Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
Blackney has succeeded in helping clients recover on judgments with reluctant debtors who have significant resources, yet are intent on hiding their assets. Prior to entering private practice, Blackney was an assistant state’s attorney for eight years. He served as a special prosecutor for McHenry County, Illinois, where he handled high-profile crimes from initial indictment to final verdict. He brings his unique approach in criminal prosecutions and extensive courtroom experience to each case.
“Thompson Hine’s focus on innovation and its client-centered legal service delivery platform, SmartPaTH™, which provides the predictability and transparency that clients desire, mirrors my own views on the delivery of legal services,” said Blackney. “I am excited about the firm’s budgeting practice. There are significant benefits to giving clients accurate and realistic fact-based, data-driven visibility on the expenses involved in their litigation so they can make informed decisions throughout the litigation.”
Blackney, who had been managing his prior firm’s associate workflow, also praised Thompson Hine’s SmartSTHaff tool, a work allocation tool that streamlines the staffing of matters, and noted its many advantages. He also noted that while Thompson Hine is a big firm with national reach, it has a lean and nimble approach to litigation.
“Ryan has an ease and familiarity in the courtroom, including a rare ability to make an ordinary juror understand a complex case and internalize the facts as if it were happening to them,” said Frank Chaiken, who leads the Chicago office and the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. “His prosecutorial experience has afforded him the skill of creative approaches to litigation – really understanding the basic facts with a shoe-leather doggedness to find creative ways to prove/defend the case. We are delighted to welcome him to Thompson Hine.”
Blackney is the sixth recent addition to the firm’s growing Chicago office. He is the second litigation lawyer hired in recent months, joining senior managing associate Gregory Berman. Other recent additions to the office are Marla Izbicky, counsel in the Privacy & Cybersecurity group, and counsel Julie Honor, managing associate Matthew Tobin and associate Randy Gerlach, in the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice.