A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. The Law Office of Thomas M. Ryan did not pay for, request, or review this article prior to publication, and placement on Awesome Attorneys’ editorial pages cannot be purchased. Case results described here are drawn from published court records and are attributed to that source. Nothing in this article is legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case.
At a Glance
| Firm | Law Office of Thomas M. Ryan (also operating as Ryan & Casey, PLLC) |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Office | 2340 W. Ray Rd., Chandler, AZ |
| Attorney | Thomas M. Ryan — Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (J.D., 1982) |
| Certification | Certified Specialist, Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization, since 1998 |
| Practice focus | Wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, including medical malpractice, elder abuse (Adult Protective Services Act claims), birth injuries, and auto/truck/motorcycle accidents |
| Leadership | Past President, Past Vice-President, Past Secretary, and Past Treasurer, Arizona Association for Justice |
| Recognition | Super Lawyers, 2010–2023, 2025; featured on Dateline NBC and Court TV |
| Contact | ryanlawaz.com |
The Lawyer Behind One of Arizona’s Highest Civil Verdicts
Thomas Ryan earned his law degree from Arizona State University’s College of Law in 1982 and has practiced in Chandler since 1983 — more than 40 years. He became a State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation in 1998. His docket centers on wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, with particular depth in medical malpractice, birth trauma, and elder abuse and neglect claims brought under Arizona’s Adult Protective Services Act.
In 2020, Ryan’s firm secured what is described as the second-highest civil verdict in Arizona that year in Fadely v. HealthSouth, a case involving an elderly woman seriously injured at a rehabilitation facility. The decision is now considered a bellwether appellate case in holding long-term care enterprises liable for abuse and neglect. Ryan’s case work has drawn national media attention over the years, including coverage on Court TV, ABC’s 20/20, Dateline NBC, and in a featured documentary.
Practice Areas
The firm’s docket spans medical malpractice, wrongful death, elder abuse and neglect under the Adult Protective Services Act, birth trauma, and motor vehicle, truck, and motorcycle accident cases. Ryan has represented plaintiffs in gas explosion cases as well, an area the firm describes its attorneys as having specialized knowledge in.
Track Record
Fadely v. HealthSouth (2020) is a matter of public record, reported as the second-highest civil verdict in Arizona for that year and now cited as a bellwether appellate decision on enterprise liability for long-term care abuse and neglect. Awesome Attorneys did not locate a full itemized ledger of additional verdicts and settlements with individual dollar figures beyond this case as of the research date.
ABOUT THESE RESULTS. The case described above is a matter of public record; other case descriptions are drawn from the firm’s own published materials. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case; every matter turns on its own facts and law.
In Clients’ Words
Awesome Attorneys did not locate detailed, individually attributable client reviews for this firm on major consumer platforms as of the research date. One older aggregator review was negative regarding office responsiveness; Awesome Attorneys notes this for balance but could not independently corroborate the specific circumstances or date of that experience against the firm’s current operations.
Beyond the Courtroom
Ryan has chaired the Annual Ethics Seminar for the Arizona Association for Justice since 2017 and has served the organization as Past President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. He is a frequent lecturer and faculty member at the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy’s Annual Conference, where he mentors younger lawyers. He has also served as Past Chairman and Past Secretary/Treasurer of the East Valley Regional Health System/Chandler Regional Hospital board, and as a Past Member of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates.
Recognition
Ryan has been named to the Southwest Super Lawyers list for 2010 through 2023 and again in 2025. His Certified Specialist designation in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, held since 1998, is the strongest peer-reviewed credential this series tracks. He also holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America.
Arizona Legal Backdrop
| A.R.S. § 12-542 | Two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims |
| A.R.S. § 12-821.01 | 180-day notice of claim requirement before suing a public entity or employee |
| A.R.S. § 12-821 | One-year statute of limitations for suits against public entities |
| A.R.S. § 12-2505 | Arizona’s pure comparative negligence rule |
| A.R.S. § 12-502 | Tolling of limitations periods for minors and persons under a legal disability |
Ryan’s elder-abuse docket operates under a distinct statutory framework: Arizona’s Adult Protective Services Act (A.R.S. Title 46) creates specific protections and remedies for vulnerable adults in long-term care, layered on top of the general negligence and wrongful death framework above.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Thomas Ryan’s Fadely v. HealthSouth verdict, decades of Arizona Association for Justice leadership, ethics-seminar chairmanship, and continuous Super Lawyers recognition make a strong case for inclusion. His specific, documented national media coverage across multiple outlets over the years is a genuine, verifiable signal of case significance rather than a marketing claim.
The honest caveat: Awesome Attorneys located one older negative review regarding responsiveness alongside the largely positive public record, and could not fully reconcile the two given limited detail; readers should weigh this alongside the attorney’s substantial documented case history and peer leadership.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched using ryanlawaz.com (firm site, Thomas M. Ryan attorney biography), Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Attorney at Law directory, Manta, and Yelp. All statutory citations were checked against the Arizona Revised Statutes as published by the Arizona State Legislature. No compensation was sought or received from the firm, and the firm was not contacted prior to publication of this profile.
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
This profile is an independent editorial article published by Awesome Attorneys. Awesome Attorneys does not endorse, recommend, or warrant any lawyer or law firm profiled on this site, and inclusion in this series is not paid placement. “Awesome Attorneys” is a brand name only; it is not a rating, ranking, or claim that any profiled firm is superior in any legal category. Awesome Attorneys maintains a separate attorney directory; only listings there marked “Sponsored” or “Ad” reflect a paid relationship. Facts in this profile are current only as of the research date and are subject to change; readers should confirm any detail directly with the firm.