Contact
Education
University of Kansas (J.D., 2005) | Order of the Coif, Member of the Kansas Law Review, Moot Court Competition Co-Champion
University of Kansas (B.A., 2001) | With Honors and With Highest Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa
Biography
For over two decades, Ryan Hudson has worked with or against many of the nation’s most respected litigation law firms pursuing and defending cases in courts across the country. As a plaintiffs’ lawyer, he has significant experience creating and pursuing cases that shape the law under a variety of federal and state laws and statutes in federal trial and appellate courts. He has served as co-lead or liaison counsel in a variety of individual cases, class actions, and multi-district litigation proceedings (MDLs).
In the course of pursuing class actions targeting a wave of industries, he and his teams have pursued cases alleging fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, consumer protection, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), antitrust, civil racketeering under the RICO Act, consumer protection, nuisance, products liability, intellectual property, and the underpayment of royalties owed to oil and gas mineral interest owners. He and his teams have collected three separate nine-figure recoveries for civil racketeering claims targeting schemes to defraud.
Ryan also brings a unique perspective to plaintiffs’ litigation. He worked as an associate and a partner at major defense law firms for over a decade, and he served as a federal law clerk in the District of Kansas (2005-06) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2024-25).
Select Recent Cases
- Cook Children’s Health Foundation v. Diamondback E&P LLC, (W.D. Okla. 2024) ($12 million class settlement for alleged underpayment of natural gas royalties).
- Sagacity, Inc. v. Cimarex Energy Co., (E.D. Okla. 2024) ($20.5 million class settlement for alleged underpayment of natural gas royalties).
- In re EpiPen Mktg., Sales Practices & Antitrust MDL, 17-MD-2785 (D. Kan. 2022) ($264 million class settlement of civil RICO and antitrust claims against Mylan).
- Kunneman Properties, LLC v. Marathon Oil Company, (E.D. Okla. 2022) ($35 million class settlement for alleged underpayment of natural gas royalties)
- Gilbert v. USA Tae Kwon Do, (D. Colo. 2022) ($6 million settlement for violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and negligence claims on behalf of several former United States Olympic athletes).
- In re EpiPen Mktg., Sales Practices & Antitrust MDL, No. 17-MD-2785 (D. Kan. 2021) ($345 million class settlement of civil RICO and antitrust claims against Pfizer).
- Frank v. Crawley Petroleum, Inc., 992 F.3d 987 (10th Cir. 2021) (successful reversal of an order setting conditions and limiting unnamed, future plaintiffs from filing lawsuits).
- Blasi v. Bruin E&P Partners, LLC, 959 N.W.2d 872 (N.D. 2021) (certified question before North Dakota Supreme Court on the valuation point for oil in pipelines).
- Cooper Clark Foundation v. Oxy USA Inc., 58 Kan.App.2d 335 (Kan. App. 2020) (affirming class certification of royalty owner underpayment claims under Kansas law), petition denied, (Kan. Nov. 24, 2020).
- Nakamura v. Wells Fargo Bank, (D. Kan. 2019) (approval of $5 million class settlement under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act for veterans whose vehicles were unlawfully repossessed).
- Cecil v. BP America Production Co., (E.D. Okla. 2018) (approving $147 million for civil RICO and related state law claims for alleged fraudulent underpayment of natural gas royalties).
- Cavlovic v. J.C. Penney Corp., 884 F.3d 1051 (10th Cir. 2018) (affirming denial of a motion to compel arbitration against consumer protection claims, leading to a settlement).
- Bollenbach Enterprises v. Alta Mesa, (W.D. Okla. 2018) ($4.5 million civil RICO class settlement class for the alleged intentional underpayment of natural gas royalties).
Selected Recent Publications and Presentations
- Panelist, Federal Bar Association, Civil Federal Appellate Practice, Topeka, KS (August 21, 2025).
- Lecturer, Federal Multi-district Litigation, Mass Torts, and Class Actions, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, KC, Missouri (April 23, 2025; April 10, 2023; April 21, 2022; and March 17, 2021).
- Adjunct Professor, Civil RICO, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School (2002 to present).
- Co-Author, Criminal Cartography: Map of the Federal Criminal Process (2023).
- MDL Cartography: Mapping the Five Stages of a Federal MDL,89 UMKC Law Rev. 801 (2021).
- Lecturer, Civil RICO, University of Kansas Law School, Lawrence, KS (November 28, 2022; April 20, 2021).
- Co-Author, “Kansas,” The Law of Class Action: Fifty-State Survey 2022 (ABA Publishing).
- Co-Author, “Kansas,” The Law of Class Action: Fifty-State Survey 2021 (ABA Publishing).
- Co-Author, “Kansas,” The Law of Class Action: Fifty-State Survey 2020 (ABA Publishing).
- Lecturer, Design Thinking and Mapping Federal Criminal Procedure, Law, Technology, and Public Policy, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, KC, Missouri (2020-21).
- Lecturer, “Class Actions and Federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) Proceedings,” University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, KS (April 15, 2019).
- Lecturer, “Consumer Protection & RICO Claims,” University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, KS (March 18, 2019).
- Lecturer, “Intro to Kansas Federal Court Practice,” United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Second Chair Program, Kansas City, MO (January 11, 2019).
- Panelist, “A Conversation with the Local Rules Committees,” United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Kansas City, KS (November 14, 2018).
- Lecturer, “Class Actions,” University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, KS (April 9, 2018).
- Lecturer, “RICO & Consumer Protection Claims,” University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, KS (April 2, 2018).
- Lecturer, “Modern Federal Court Briefing & Argument,” United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Federal Public Defender Intern Seminar, Kansas City, KS (June 16, 2017).
- Lecturer, “Breach of Warranty & Consumer Protection Claims,” University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, KS (April 17, 2017).
- Panelist, “How to Keep Up with the Law,” Kansas Public Defender Criminal Defense CLE, Lawrence, KS (October 21, 2016).
- “Why FRE 407 Applies in Criminal Cases and Proceedings,” Co-author, Trial Evidence (American Bar Association Section of Litigation) (September 2014).
- “The Twombly Trilogy: Exploring the New ‘Plausibility’ Standard for Motions to Dismiss in Kansas Federal Courts,” Co-author, Kansas Bar Journal (May 2010).
- “Debating Third-Party Policy Deadlines: Why Texas Should Equitably Toll an Insured’s Claim for Breach of the Duty to Defend,” Co-author, 61 Baylor Law Review 610 (2009).
- “Employers Should Brace for New Workplace Rules,” Co-author, Dallas Business Journal, June 5, 2009.
- “The Problems With PAWA,” Co-author, Law360, May 27, 2009.
- “The Express Negligence Rule in Texas,” Co-author, 60 Baylor Law Review 942 (2008).
- “State Law IP Litigation Issues,” Co-author, The Advocate (Litigation Section Journal of the Texas Bar Association) (Winter 2008).
- “Everything You Need to Know Outside the Fifth Circuit,” Co-author, 17th Annual Advanced Employment Law Course, Texas Bar, 2008.
- “Uncertainty in the Federal Civil Pleading Requirement: Is ‘Plausibility’ the New Rule 12(b)(6) Standard?” DAYL Dicta (January 2008).
- Dallas Federal Bar Association Bulletin, Monthly Columnist, 2007-08.
- Encyclopedia of Privacy, Legal Contributor, 2007.
Admissions and Qualifications
- Kansas
- Texas (inactive)
- Missouri (inactive)
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Professional Memberships
- Kansas Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (KTLA)
- Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court, Barrister
- Johnson County Bar Association
Distinctions
- Best Lawyers in America® – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs (2023 & 2024)
- Super Lawyers, Missouri & Kansas, 2023
- Team member for the AAI Antitrust Enforcement Awards 2022. Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice for work In re EpiPen Marketing, Sales Practices and Antitrust Litigation.
- Bench Bar Committee, U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
- Recognized as “Best of the Bar” by the Kansas City Business Journal
- Recognized as a Kansas & Missouri “Rising Star” in Business Litigation by Kansas City Magazine
- Recognized as a Texas “Rising Star” in Litigation by Texas Monthly
- Adjust Professor, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
- Lecturer, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
- Lecturer, University of Kansas School of Law
- Lecturer, Second Chair Program, Kansas Federal Public Defender’s Office
- Advisor, University of Kansas School of Law Moot Court
- Advisor, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law Moot Court
- University of Kansas Law School, Moot Court Alumni Council
- Formerly on the Criminal Justice Act Panel, United States District Court for the District of Kansas
Clerkship Experience
- The Honorable Judge Richard E.N. Federico, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2024-25)
- The Honorable Judge John W. Lungstrum, then-Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (2005-06)