Geraldine Ryan leads the litigation and arbitration practice at CMS. Ryan brings over three decades of experience handling complex litigation, with a focus on commercial dispute resolution, alongside reputation risk, defamation, and contractual termination advice. She is supported by Daniel Keating, who is active in the developing area of class and group actions, currently advising on several high-profile group defence matters with multi-jurisdictional elements.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Kelly Heath is a pleasure to work with. She combines a deep knowledge of litigation procedures with a pragmatic, hands-on approach. She’s very easy to deal with and understands what we, as a client, need – excellent quality legal advice delivered in an efficient, straightforward manner.
- The team is technically excellent while also being pragmatic and commercial. They take time to really get to know their clients, and that permeates all aspects of the relationship - from how advice is presented to streamlined billing processes and value-added offerings.
- Kelly Heath is a brilliant lawyer. Personable but tenacious, she does the very best for her clients. She has sharp legal insight and exceptional judgment. Her advice is very practical, commercially astute, and she is calm and confident even under pressure. Geraldine Ryan is also really knowledgeable, very responsive, and committed to the best outcomes for her clients.
- Daniel Keating stands out for his calm authority, sound judgment, and strategic approach to disputes. He provides clear, commercially focused advice and is particularly effective at managing complex and sensitive matters.
- CMS Manchester’s commercial litigation practice combines the depth, resources, and sophistication of an international disputes platform with a strong understanding of the needs of UK-based businesses.
- The practice has an enviable level of experience and resources available to provide clients with first-class service.
Key clients
- International Tin Association
- Serco Europe and UK plc
- Trend Up Ltd
- Auto Trader Group plc
- SSE plc
- Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd
- Forged Solutions Ltd
- Easyjet Airline Company Ltd
- Shared Services Connected Ltd
- Ministry of Justice
- Honeywell Aerospace UK
Work highlights
Advising Shared Services Connected Ltd and the Ministry of Justice on a class action claim relating to a data incident.
Representing Shared Services Connected Ltd in a high-profile data breach class action claim involving over 2,500 claimants.
Represented the International Tin Association in the CAT, with a complete strikeout of a USD25m claim and a £1.93m interim costs award.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
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Practice head
Geraldine Ryan
Other key lawyers
Daniel Keating; Kelly Heath