P. Ryan Beckett
Office Information
- Chair, Litigation Department
Ryan has represented major consumer products manufacturers, financial services companies and other corporate entities in contract, consumer protection and antitrust matters. He is also experienced in governmental litigation, energy litigation and financial services litigation.
Biography – View PDF Bio
- Associations
- Bar Admissions
- Civic Involvement
- Distinctions
- Education & Honors
- Experience
- In the News
- Papers, Presentations, & Publications
- Recent Blogs
Bar Admissions
- Mississippi, 1999
- Tennessee, 1999
- U.S. District Courts
- Tennessee: Western
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Civic Involvement
- Foundation for Mississippi History
- Board Member, 2018-present
- Oversees the operations of the Two Museums: the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Mississippi History Museum
- Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Homeless Legal Clinic
- Legal Director, 2006-2012
- Homeless Legal Clinic
- Mississippi Tort Claims Board
- Chairman, 2013-2016
- Metropolitan Bank
- Advisory Board
- Chairman, 2014-2017
- Advisory Board
- Millsaps College
- Board of Trustees, 2016-present
- Millsaps College Else School of Management
- Advisory Board
- Millsaps College Alumni Board
- St. James Episcopal Church
- Vestry Member
- Verger
- Sub-Deacon
- Acolyte Master
- Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
- Encore! Board
- Past Co-Chair
More... - Encore! Board
- Habitat for Humanity
- Stewpot Community Services
Distinctions
- Martindale-Hubbell®
- AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, 2010-2017
- The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel
- Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, 2013
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Commercial Litigation, 2014-2020
- Super Lawyers®
- Mid-South Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2013-2019
- Mid-South Rising Stars, Business Litigation, 2008-2012
- 2013 PORTICO 10
- Mississippi Business Journal
- Top 40 Under 40
- Pro Bono Award, Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, 2009
- Life Sciences Star, LMG Life Sciences
Education & Honors
- University of Mississippi, J.D., magna cum laude, 1999
- Associate Articles Editor, Mississippi Law Journal
- Robert Khayat Award for Distinguished Service, Mississippi Law Journal
- Millsaps College, B.S., Economics, summa cum laude, 1996
Experience
- Successfully obtained dismissal on 12(b)(6) grounds for major consumer products manufacturer in an antitrust and consumer protection action brought by the Mississippi Attorney General alleging an international price-fixing conspiracy in the manufacturing, production and distribution of wire harness parts used in automotive manufacturing. On appeal, a unanimous Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal. State ex rel. Fitch v. Yazaki North America, Inc., et al., ___ So. 3d ___, 2020 WL 2079092 (April 30, 2020).
- Counsel for the Mississippi Lieutenant Governor in Stallworth/JMAA et al. v. Bryant et al. in the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority’s effort to prevent transfer of control of the Jackson Medger Wiley-Evers International Airport to a new statutorily-created and regionally-controlled Jackson Metropolitan Area Airport Authority. Case is currently ongoing.
- Counsel for major correctional technology vendor in civil RICO, fraud and consumer protection action brought by the Mississippi Attorney General following the resignation and federal incarceration of former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps.
- Counsel for same major correctional technology vendor in consumer class action suit bringing civil RICO, fraud and consumer protection claims over rates, fees and commissions charged to inmates and inmate friends and family members. Case is currently ongoing.
- Counsel for the Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment of the Mississippi Legislature (the "SJC") in NAACP et al. v. Bryant et al. in the NAACP’s effort to set aside the results of the 2011 Legislative Elections and to declare the 2012 reapportionment plans adopted by the Mississippi Legislature during the 2012 Legislative session. The decision of the 3-Judge District Court denying all requested relief (unreported) was affirmed on appeal by the United States Supreme Court, 133 S. Ct. 2389, 185 L. Ed. 2d 1101 (May 20, 2013). See also NAACP et al. v. Bryant et al., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52822 (May 16, 2011), affirmed by the United States Supreme Court, 132 S. Ct. 542, 181 L. Ed. 2d 353 (Oct. 31, 2011).
- Counsel for major consumer products manufacturer in an antitrust and consumer protection action brought by the Mississippi Attorney General alleging an international price-fixing conspiracy in the manufacturing, production and distribution of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. Case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court on Class Action Fairness Act removal jurisdiction issues resulting in landmark decision of Mississippi ex rel. Hood v. AU Optronics, 134 S. Ct. 736 (2014). .
- Counsel in Carder v. BASF Corp., 919 So. 2d 258 (Miss. 2005), Carder v. BASF Corp., 2003 WL 25267524 (Miss. Chancery Court Nov. 19, 2003), Hood v. BASF Corp., 2005 WL 4685054 (Miss. Chancery Court Feb. 17, 2005), and certain other actions, representing major vitamins manufacturer in antitrust and consumer protection actions brought by multiple plaintiffs, and eventually by the State of Mississippi, alleging price fixing in the marketing and sale of vitamins and vitamin-containing products.
- Counsel for major pharmaceutical company in consumer protection action brought by the Mississippi Attorney General alleging that the company engaged in unfair, false and deceptive labeling and "off-label" marketing of the prescription drug "Plavix."
- Counsel for major pharmaceutical manufacturers in "AWP" (average wholesale price) litigation brought by the State of Mississippi, through the Mississippi Attorney General’s office, on behalf of the State Division of Medicaid, alleging price fixing and other anticompetitive practices against most of the major players in the pharmaceutical industry related to their reimbursement practices for prescriptions dispensed to Medicaid recipients. More...
- Counsel in Ameristar Casino Vicksburg, Inc. v. Duckworth, 990 So. 2d 758 (Miss. 2008) for several major casinos acting as Amicus Curiae seeking to have the Court's prior opinion withdrawn and replaced. The casinos objected to the Court's categorization of certain lawful promotional drawings as "raffles." On rehearing, the casinos successfully convinced the Court to remove the "raffle" language.
- Counsel in Barbour v. State ex rel. Hood, 974 So. 2d 232 (Miss. 2008) for Governor Haley Barbour in Governor Barbour's successful defense of his calling of the special Senate election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Senator Trent Lott. The calling had been challenged on constitutional and statutory grounds by Attorney General Jim Hood.
- Counsel in Shelter Mut. Ins. Co. v. Dale, 914 So. 2d 698 (Miss. 2005) for Shelter Mutual Insurance Company and Shelter General Insurance Company in their successful challenge of the Mississippi Department of Insurance’s prohibition on punitive damages exclusions from standard automobile liability policies. This was an issue of first impression under Mississippi law.
- Counsel in Sullivan v. Protex Weatherproofing, Inc., 913 So. 2d 256 (Miss. 2005) for Protex Weatherproofing, Inc. and ATX Telecom, Inc. in their successful defense of a lower court’s Order compelling arbitration of all claims against both a signatory to the contract containing the arbitration agreement and a non-signatory defendant. This was an issue of first impression under Mississippi law.
- Counsel in Tunica Web Advertising, Inc. v. Barden Mississippi Gaming, LLC, 2005 WL 3488499 (N.D. Miss. 2005) for major casino in Tunica, Mississippi, in an antitrust action brought by internet advertiser under Sherman Section One against entire casino industry in Tunica, Mississippi.
- Counsel for major mortgage lender in numerous "mortgage fraud" and consumer protection actions brought by mortgage borrowers against mortgage lenders and brokers alleging "predatory lending," fraud and misrepresentation in connection with their mortgage products.
- Counsel for major smokeless tobacco manufacturer in numerous antitrust and consumer protection actions brought by consumers of smokeless tobacco products alleging price fixing in the marketing and sale of smokeless tobacco products.
- Counsel for major mortgage wholesale lender in numerous "mortgage fraud flipping" cases brought by borrowers against lender, mortgage brokers/mortgage companies, and various other parties.
- Counsel for major consumer finance company in the hundreds of "mass tort" cases brought by thousands of borrowers over sales practices related to credit insurance products. See, e.g., Queen v. American General Finance, Inc., 351 F. Supp. 2d 576, (S.D. Miss. 2005).
- Counsel for several major life, health and disability insurance companies in numerous cases brought by policy-holders against these insurance companies for sales practices relating to "vanishing" premium universal life insurance policies, long-term care insurance policies, hospitalization policies and other insurance products. See, e.g., Gammill v. Lincoln Life and Annuity Distributors, Inc., 200 F. Supp. 2d. 632 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
- Experienced in intellectual property – patent and trademark litigation.
- Counsel for shareholders/partners of Mississippi-based business selling animal health products and supplements in “business divorce” that included disputes over the ownership and control of federally registered patents for certain of those products. Prosecuted the patent infringement and patent inventorship claims of those shareholders/partners against the remaining shareholders/partners of the defunct corporation.
- Counsel for major petrochemical corporation in litigation to dissolve a 51-year old injunction entered to protect certain federally registered trademarks.
- Counsel for manufacturer of sports energy products in multiple trademark infringement litigation matters under the Lanham Act seeking to enforce federal registered trademarks and enjoin infringement of such marks by competitors.
- Counsel for major telecommunications company in copyright and trademark litigation matters under the Lanham Act seeking to enjoin unauthorized activities including the insertion and affixation of unpaid advertisements into public telephone directories.
In the News
- 93 Butler Snow Attorneys Listed in 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Five Butler Snow Attorneys named Life Science Stars by LMG
- 173 Butler Snow Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers® 2020, 19 Named “Lawyer of the Year”
- Butler Snow Attorney P. Ryan Beckett Named to Foundation for Mississippi History Board of Directors
- 106 Butler Snow Attorneys Listed in 2017 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- 147 Butler Snow Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers®, 18 Named “Lawyer of the Year”
- 102 Butler Snow Attorneys List in 2015 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Value Elevated
- Responsiveness Elevated More...
- 117 Butler Snow Attorneys Listed in 2013 Mid-South Super Lawyers®
- Music City Achievers - Beckett
Papers, Presentations, & Publications
- Co-Author, Damages Chapter, Mississippi Encyclopedia of Law, 2016.
- Co-Author, "Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Statutes and Damages: How to Prevent and Defend Disruptive Challenges to Your Client’s Business Practices," FDCC Insights, December 2015.
- Co-Author, “Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection: Targeted Practices and Kinds of Claims,” Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Statutes and Damages: How to Prevent and Defend Disruptive Challenges to Your Client’s Business Practices, August 2015.
- Co-Author, “Recent Developments In Class Action Law: SCOTUS Tackles the ‘Mass Action’ Provision Under CAFA But Ducks Interpreting The ‘General Public’ Exception In Miss. Ex Rel. Hood V. Au Optronics Corp.,” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada, August 2015.
- Presenter, “Recent Developments in Class Action Law: The Class Action ‘Lightning Round,’” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada, August 2015.
- Presenter, “Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice Statues and Damages,” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada, August 2015.
- Author, “Mississippi” Section, Compendium on State and Federal Consumer Protection Statutes, Mississippi Section, Defense Research Institute, 2014.
- Author, The Collateral Source Rule: A Compendium of State Law, Mississippi Section, Defense Research Institute, 2012.
- Author, Trade Secrets and Non-Competes: A Compendium of State Law, Mississippi Section, Defense Research Institute, 2012. More...
- Presenter, Antitrust 2009: A Primer, Defense Research Institute, Commercial and Intellectual Property Litigation Symposium, April 2009.
- Speaker, Advanced Litigation Skills for Taking Your Case Through Final Verdict, DRI’s Young Lawyers Seminar in San Diego, California, June 7-8, 2007.
- Author, New Activism from the State Attorneys General: The Parens Patriae Approach, DRI’s For The Defense, August 2006.
- Program Chair, Advanced Litigation Skills for Taking Your Case Through Final Verdict, DRI’s Young Lawyers Seminar in Miami Beach, Florida, June 15-16, 2006.
- Author, 50 State Compendium on Covenants Not to Compete, Mississippi Section, Defense Research Institute.
- Author, Damages Chapter, Mississippi Encyclopedia of Law, 2002.
- Author, 50-State Compendium on State Consumer Protection Act Statutes, Mississippi Section, Defense Research Institute.
- Author, 50-State Compendium on State Consumer Protection Act Statutes, Mississippi Section, Product Liability Advisory Council.
- Author, An Ounce of Prevention Worth Pounds of Cure: Disclosure and Defense of RICO Claims in Force Placed-Insurance Litigation, Mississippi Law Journal, May 1999.