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Ryder Thomas

Of Counsel

San Diego

[email protected] 619.923.3939

Ryder combines his deep legal experience with a diverse background in finance to maximize recoveries for institutional investors.

Overview

Ryder Thomas counsels hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and large multi-class asset managers on matters related to corporate fraud, investor rights, and securities-related litigation in the U.S. securities markets and abroad.

Ryder began his career as a lawyer in the San Diego and San Francisco offices of a national law firm, where he focused on securities, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), antitrust, and consumer class action litigation. He subsequently joined a highly esteemed San Francisco complex litigation boutique, where he litigated complex financial cases on behalf of private and public companies, bankruptcy trustees, and creditors’ committees as both plaintiffs’ and defense counsel.

In addition to his deep legal experience, Ryder has a diverse financial background. As an investment banker in the San Francisco office of GCA Savvian (since acquired by Houlihan Lokey), he specialized in M&A and private capital transactions on behalf of high-growth technology companies. Later, as a founding member of the hedge fund coverage group at Houlihan Lokey, he worked with multi-strategy hedge funds on idea generation as well as M&A, public and private financings, complex valuations, and financial restructuring engagements across industry verticals.

Practice Areas

Education

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D.

Cornell University, M.B.A.

University of Georgia, B.A.

Representative Matters

In re Grafton Partners (N.D. Cal.). Represented an investor class victimized by a Ponzi scheme. Worked with the SEC, its receiver, and a bankruptcy trustee to craft litigation strategies, recovering more than $100 million in settlements.

In re Mayan Networks (N.D. Cal.). Represented bankruptcy trustee in a matter alleging bad faith and self-dealing against its investment bank, resolving the matter on favorable terms before litigation.

In re Marcos Human Rights Litigation (9th Cir.). Represented the Estate of Ferdinand Marcos, in coordination with class counsel, to facilitate the collection of a decade-old, litigation-related judgment opposed by the Republic of the Philippines and the Philippine National Bank.

Gold Fields Ltd. v. Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd. Provided strategic advice to a South African mining company in connection with a highly publicized hostile takeover bid.

Thompson v. 1-800 Contacts Inc. (D. Utah). Served as co-counsel for the class in an antitrust litigation resulting in the recovery of $40 million in settlements from various contact lens retailers.

Direct Action Securities Litigation (S.D.N.Y.). Provided strategic advice to several large U.S. hedge funds regarding individualized litigation strategies related to ongoing securities class actions.

Pharmaceutical Litigation. Counseled a leading Silicon Valley pharmaceutical company and its CEO regarding claims against a joint-venture counterparty, which settled on favorable terms before litigation.

Admissions & Memberships

Bar Admissions

California
Hawaii

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Hawaii

Practice Areas

Education

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D.

Cornell University, M.B.A.

University of Georgia, B.A.