Ryan M. Walters
Ryan M. Walters
Ryan’s legal practice focuses on commercial and business litigation, including civil appeals.
He represents real estate investors and financial institutions in various types of disputes, including commercial real estate litigation, contested business collections, and contested residential foreclosures. Ryan has handled the defense and prosecution of a variety of commercial disputes, including employment defense cases, disputes between businesses, and internal disputes among business owners.
Ryan has handled various jury trials and final arbitration hearings involving commercial tort and employment claims. Over the years, he has also assisted many businesses with their outside general counsel and local counsel needs, including employment advice and contract negotiation matters.
Early in his legal career, Ryan served as a law clerk with U.S. District Court Judge James O. Browning of the District of New Mexico. Prior to joining JKW, he spent collectively over seven years as a litigation associate with a national Am Law 100 firm and a regional Am Law 200 firm. Ryan joined JKW in 2020 and was elected partner in 2022. He is a published legal scholar who in his spare time authors law review articles for law journals and other shorter publications.
Bar Admissions
New Mexico
Texas
Pueblo de San Ildefonso Tribal Court
U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
Education
University of Texas at Austin, B.A. (2008)
Baylor Law School, J.D., magna cum laude (2011)
- Baylor Law Review, Technical Editor (2010–2011)
Professional Associations & Memberships
New Mexico State Bar, Member
- Business Law Section, Board Member
H. Vearle Payne American Inn of Court, Member
New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association, Member
Published Works
- Author, The New King of the Entertainment Industry? The Unlikely Story of Video Games and the First Amendment, Ohio State Technology Law Journal, Vol. 19, Issue 1 (Fall 2022)
- Author, How to Tell a Fake: Fighting Back Against Fake News on the Front Lines of Social Media, 23 Tex. R. L. & Pol. 111 (2018)
- Author, When Can You Shoot the Messenger? Understanding the Legal Protections for Entities Providing Information on Business Products and Services in the Digital Age, 96 Or. L. Rev. 185 (2017)
- Author, Provoking Preemption: Why State Laws Protecting the Right to a Union Secret Ballot Election Are Preempted by the NLRA, 52 Santa Clara L. Rev. 1031 (2012)
- Author, Comment, Raise It or Waive It? Addressing the Federal and State Split in Authority on Whether a Conviction Under an Unconstitutional Statute Is a Jurisdictional Defect, 62 Baylor L. Rev. 909 (2010)
- Author, Comment, Worth the Toll? The Dormant Commerce Clause’s Effect on Statutory Tolling Based on a Defendant’s Absence from the State in Texas and Other States, 62 Baylor L. Rev. 628 (2010)
Honors & Awards
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Commercial Litigation
