Ryan Smethurst > McDermott Will & Emery LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

McDermott Will & Emery LLP
THE MCDERMOTT BUILDING, 500 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20001-1531
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
Ryan Smethurst photo

Work Department

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Position

Ryan S. Smethurst is co-head of McDermott’s Insurance Litigation & Counseling Team. He has tried numerous insurance coverage cases to judges and juries, has litigated insurance coverage appeals presenting questions of first impression, and has arbitrated reinsurance disputes to final award. For nearly two decades, Ryan has represented insurers in insurance coverage litigation and claims disputes with respect to their most difficult and high-profile exposures, including more than 11,000 personal injury actions against the City of New York and 140 of its contractors in In re World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation; approximately 750 childhood sexual abuse cases against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and other Roman Catholic, Episcopal and youth organizations nationwide; and nine-figure environmental and asbestos liabilities.

Please visit McDermott website for full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/smethurst-ryan-s/

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Insurance > Advice to insurers

(Leading lawyers)

Ryan Smethurst – McDermott Will & Emery LLP

With a consistent record of advising and representing clients in complex insurance matters, McDermott Will & Emery LLP demonstrates strength in handling diverse insurance and reinsurance disputes. These include cases related to bankruptcy appellate, insurance coverage, and inter-insurer contributions across various sectors such as sexual abuse claims, clergy abuse cases, precision manufacturing, and professional sports leagues. The practice, with the ability to handle both trial and appeal proceedings, securing first-chair trial and appellate victories for top names in the insurance sector, provides comprehensive expertise to industry stakeholders, emphasizing notable strength in healthcare sector. Serving as trusted advisors to significant clients like Allianz, Enstart, Marsh, and Nationwide, practice head Margaret Warner, based in Washington, brings deep experience to the table. Working alongside her in Washington, Ryan Smethurst, a litigation specialist, supports the practice across a broad spectrum of insurance litigation, from regulatory issues to high-profile class actions and ERISA disputes.