Ryan Clinton

Austin Shareholder

Trial & Appellate
Phone: 512-493-9603
Email: 

Austin, Texas appellate attorney Ryan Clinton is a former Texas Assistant Solicitor General who has successfully handled dozens of appeals and original appellate proceedings in state and federal courts and has delivered dozens of trial-court and appellate arguments—including ten in the Texas Supreme Court. Ryan has established a reputation for handling high-profile and high-impact cases, such as the successful representation of an energy company seeking to vacate a $125,000,000.00 arbitration award in the Texas Supreme Court, a natural-gas production company in a royalty-methodology challenge in the Texas Supreme Court, an exploration-and-production company in a personal-injury dispute in the Texas Supreme Court, two oil-and-gas producers in a pair of retained-acreage-clause cases in the Texas Supreme Court, an international oil-and-gas producer in a precedent-setting gas-royalties dispute in a Texas court of appeals, Texas A&M University in litigation arising from the tragic “Aggie Bonfire” collapse in state and federal appellate courts, a Texas Court of Appeals in litigation filed by a then-sitting appellate justice over opinion authorship, and the Texas Attorney General in a suit filed by a Texas school district over the release of public bonds.

Ryan has ten times been named one of Texas’s best appellate attorneys (and before that, was ten times named one of Texas’s best appellate attorneys under 40) by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters service. Ryan has also been recognized among the Best Lawyers in America (by US News), as a Top Ranked Lawyer in America (by American Lawyer), and among the Best Lawyers in Austin (by Austin Monthly). In 2013, Ryan was recognized as one of Texas’s top 25 lawyers under the age of 40 (by Texas Lawyer), and in 2010, he was named a finalist for Austin Under 40’s young professional of the year award.

Ryan is frequently asked to deliver speeches on a variety of legal topics. He is often called upon to present at Texas oil-and-gas litigation conferences, and has also presented on topics including governmental entity disputes, the Texas Tort Claims Act, and representing clients before the Texas Supreme Court. His wide appellate experience includes handling oil-and-gas appeals, personal injury appeals, employment appeals, intellectual property appeals, government and constitutional appeals, and breach of contract appeals.

Ryan has successfully represented clients in the Texas Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, many Texas intermediate courts, and the United States Supreme Court. He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Ryan received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2000, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class with Order of the Coif honors. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1997, where he graduated with cum laude honors in both Political Science and Public Policy Studies.

Ryan has also been honored for his charitable endeavors. He is a nationally recognized advocate for companion animals, receiving the No Kill Advocacy Center’s Henry Bergh Leadership Award and Maddie’s Fund’s Hero Award for his work to improve animal shelters in Texas and across the United States. Ryan and his wife Sarah frequently volunteer at the Austin animal shelter Austin Pets Alive, for which Ryan has also served as pro bono legal counsel. Ryan was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and moved to Texas following law school in 2000. Ryan, Sarah, their three children, and their rescue dog live in Austin’s Rollingwood neighborhood.

Education:
  • University of Virginia School of Law
    J.D., 2000
    Order of the Coif
  • Duke University
    B.A., 1997
    Cum Laude
Honors and Recognition:
  • Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • AV Preeminent Rating with High Ethical Standing, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers in America (US News): 2020-23
  • Top Ranked Lawyers in America (American Lawyer): 2020-23
  • Texas Super Lawyer: 2014-23
  • Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star”: 2004-05, 2007-14
  • Texas Lawyer Top 25 Lawyers Under 40: 2013
  • Austin Under 40 Finalist: 2009
Recent Completed Texas Supreme Court Representations:
  • Delaware Basin Resources, LLC v. Tier 1 Resources Partners, No. 21-0939 (petition dismissed due to settlement December 2, 2022) (represented Petitioner)
  • Posse Energy, Ltd. v. Parsley Energy, LP, No. 21-0754 (petition for review denied Feb. 18, 2022) (represented Respondent)
  • Finley Resources, Inc. v. Headington Royalty, Inc., No. 21-0509 (opinion issued May 12, 2023) (represented Petitioner)
  • Nettye Engler Energy, L.P. v. BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC, No. 20-0639 (opinion issued Feb. 4, 2022) (represented Respondent)
  • Energen Resources Corp. v. Wallace, No. 20-0451 (opinion issued Mar. 11, 2022) (represented Petitioner)
  • Landry’s, Inc. v. Animal Legal Defense Fund, No. 19-0036 (opinion issued May 21, 2021) (represented Respondent)
  • Evans Resources, L.P. v. Diamondback E&P, LLC, No. 20-0648 (petition for review denied Mar. 5, 2021) (represented Respondent)
  • Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. v. Energen Resources Corp., No. 18-1187 (opinion issued Dec. 18, 2020) (represented Respondent)
  • Broadway National Bank v. Yates Energy Corp., No. 19-0334 (filed amicus brief for the Texas Oil & Gas Association on Dec. 1, 2020)
  • BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC v. Randle, No. 19-0459 (filed amicus brief for the Texas Oil & Gas Association on Sept. 16, 2020)
  • Yowell v. Granite Operating Co., No. 18-0841 (opinion issued May 15, 2020) (represented Respondents)
  • Concho Resources, Inc. v. Marsha Ellison, No. 19-0233 (filed amicus brief for Ganador Operating, LLC on June 24, 2019)
  • In re Travis Central Appraisal Dist., No. 18-0846 (petition for writ of mandamus denied Jan. 25, 2019) (represented Real Party in Interest)
  • Double Eagle Development, LLC v. Apache Deepwater, No. 17-0756 (petition for review denied Dec. 14, 2018) (represented Respondent)
  • XOG Operating, LLC v. Chesapeake Exploration Ltd. P’ship, No. 15-0935 (opinion issued Apr. 13, 2018) (represented Respondent)
  • Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. v. Discovery Operating, Inc., No. 15-0155 (opinion issued Apr. 13, 2018) (represented Respondent)
  • BMT O&G TX, L.P. v. Chesapeake Exploration, No. 15-0780 (petition for review denied Oct. 21, 2016) (represented Respondent)
Professional Associations and Memberships:
  • Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Member, Texas Bar College
  • Member, State Bar of Texas Appellate Section
  • Member, State Bar of Texas
  • Member, Austin Bar Association
  • Member, Austin Bar Association Civil Appellate Section
  • Former Member, Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court
Bar Admissions:
  • Texas, 2000
  • U. S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Austin Office

515 Congress Ave., Suite 1510

Midland Office

400 W. Illinois Avenue, 400 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 1400