5 Houston Center, 1401 McKinney, Suite 2250, Houston, TX 77010

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"They took the weight off my shoulders."
– RH&A Client
"I haven’t had to go against them yet. That might happen one day and I’m not looking forward to it."
– Co-Counsel

Ryan Higgins

Partner
P 713-652-9000 | F 713-652-9800
rhiggins@rustyhardin.com | vCard |

Ryan aggressively seeks justice and accountability for people and institutions that have been harmed. He has 20 years’ experience successfully litigating complex disputes from the East Coast to the Gulf Coast.

Ryan represents both plaintiffs and defendants in matters including breach of contract, partnership disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, RICO, civil theft, theft of trade secrets, fraud, fraudulent transfer claims and securities, and antitrust class actions. 

His clients include entities, individuals, and groups of individuals coming from a wide range of backgrounds and industries, including energy, finance, and entertainment. 

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  • Education
    • J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law, 1998
    • B.A., Eckerd College, 1992
  • Representative Cases
    • Representative Cases at Rusty Hardin & Associates
      • Represented an exploration and production company in confidential arbitration before a tribunal related to a private equity firm’s contract with the E&P company over a $1 billion transaction.
      • Successfully represented a real estate development firm in connection with litigation against its partner in cases in the New York Supreme Court in the Commercial Division and in Texas.
      • Won an $8.5 million jury verdict and judgment in West Texas for Houston-based Smith Energy in a breach-of-contract, fraud and breach-of-fiduciary-duty suit against a working-interest partner in the development of oil and gas interests.
      • After a two-week trial in New Jersey federal court, a favorable settlement was reached for more than 50 plaintiffs from the U.S. and Europe in their breach-of-contract and fraud suit against a Fortune 100 company.
      • Represented Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the owner of The Venetian Las Vegas hotel/casino resort, which was a defendant in a jury trial involving a dispute over a finder’s fee as it related to the corporation’s operations in Macau, China. Las Vegas Sands prevailed on appeal when the Nevada Supreme Court reversed the trial verdict for the plaintiff.
      • Achieved a successful mediation outcome on behalf of Trigeant, owner of an asphalt refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, against allegations that the company acquired the refinery through a fraudulent transfer. Replaced the lead trial counsel of six years just three months before the case was set for trial.
      • Member of the legal team that represented accounting firm Arthur Andersen in securities class actions and in numerous civil suits as part of the multidistrict litigation based in Houston and related to the financial collapse of Enron.
      • Represented a lawyer in a Texas jury trial in his contract claim against Houston-based oil companies. The verdict for the plaintiff was remanded by the Texas Supreme Court and is being reheard by a trial court.
      • Achieved a favorable settlement for a client six months after suit was filed against a Houston funding company for fraud related to purchase of a manufacturing company.
      • Represented investment bank Morgan Joseph TriArtisan in a New York and Texas contract dispute over failure to pay an investment banking fee. A confidential settlement was reached.
      • Successfully represented an energy trader against antitrust and market manipulation allegations in both civil and criminal cases in New York, Chicago and Houston federal courts. No charges, fines, or civil judgments were found against the trader.
      • Achieved a favorable settlement for a shipping company in an alleged fraudulent transfer case in Houston.
    • Representative Cases at Boies Schiller Flexner, New York
      • World Trade Center Litigation: Worked directly with David Boies in this three-month jury trial over whether the September 11, 2001, attacks were legally considered one occurrence or two.
      • Calvin Klein v. Warnaco: Part of a trial team with David Boies in a licensing dispute.
      • In re Terazosin Hydrochloride Antitrust Litigation: Led an argument of motions in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in an antitrust matter that was part of a multidistrict litigation proceeding.
      • United States v. Microsoft: Interviewed employees, assisted in preparing witnesses, and drafted portions of a Tunney Act filing objecting to the settlement between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice.
      • Represented a group of individuals against a brand-name prescription-drug manufacturer for the violation of antitrust laws in cases pending in Florida and New York.
      • Part of a team advising a manufacturing company on litigation options as a result of a failed merger in the European Union.
      • Defended a telecommunications company in an antitrust case pending in Fort Worth and San Antonio. A confidential settlement was reached.
      • Part of a team representing American Express in an antitrust case against Visa and Mastercard in which the client obtained a $4 billion settlement.
      • Represented a fiction author in litigation against a publisher in a federal case in California in a breach-of-contract case. A favorable verdict for the author was reached.
      • Represented independent pharmacies in multidistrict antitrust litigation against prescription-drug manufacturers. Resulted in multiple confidential settlements.
  • Court Admissions
    • All Texas state and federal courts
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
    • Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
  • Professional Memberships
    • State Bar of Texas
    • State Bar of New York
  • Honors & Awards
    • The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
    • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2022-2023
    • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, 2021-2023
    • Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2023-2024
    • Texas Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, 2006-2011
    • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation