W. Ryan Teague

BACK

Ryan focuses on litigation and regulatory affairs.  He has an extensive governmental background. Ryan served as Executive Counsel to Governor Nathan Deal of the State of Georgia from 2011 until January 2017, and earlier as Deputy Executive Counsel for Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to his service in state government, Ryan lived and worked in Washington, D.C. from 2007 to 2009, serving as the general counsel to a 501(c)(4) issue advocacy organization of national scope.

Ryan’s experience in government provides him with broad insight into how best to interact with government, avoid, and manage conflict with regulating entities, and best present complex legal matters to the judiciary. Ryan worked closely with the Georgia Attorney General and his office in managing litigation over water disputes between Georgia and certain of its neighboring states. Ryan continues to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General for Florida v. Georgia, a case of original jurisdiction before the Supreme Court of the United States. As Executive Counsel, Ryan handled re-negotiations of the the Jasper Ocean Terminal Project joint venture agreement between Georgia and South Carolina. Ryan served as the lead member of Governor Nathan Deal’s Appellate Jurisdiction Review Commission which made detailed recommendations for re-aligning the jurisdictional boundaries of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals. Legislation reflecting those recommendations and the expansion of the Supreme Court of Georgia to nine justices passed and became law in 2016. In addition, Ryan has drafted legislation on a wide variety of topics and worked with the legislative branch to pass numerous pieces of legislation.

Since leaving state government in 2017, Ryan has served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for Governor Deal and also serves as the chairman of the State Commission on Compensation.  

Ryan is the Finance Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.

Ryan is a summa cum laude graduate of Clemson University and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served on the Law Review. Ryan clerked for Chief Judge J. L. Edmondson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has received numerous recognitions to date: the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Ryan one of the 40 Under 40 of Atlanta’s Rising Business Leaders (2013); the Fulton County Daily Report named Ryan one of the 40 Under 40 attorneys in Georgia (2012); and the University of Georgia named him one of the 40 Under 40 UGA graduates.

Ryan currently serves on the University of Georgia Board of Visitors, the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta YMCA, the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of the Federalist Society, the Board of Directors of Great Heights Foster Care and the Board of Directors for the Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation.

Education

  • JD, magna cum laude, University of Georgia School of Law, 2003
  • B.A., summa cum laude, Clemson University, 2000
  • Order of the Coif
  • Georgia Law Review

Clerkship

  • The Honorable Judge J.L. Edmondson, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Bar Memberships

  • Georgia

W. Ryan Teague

Attorney Bio
BACK

Ryan focuses on litigation and regulatory affairs.  He has an extensive governmental background. Ryan served as Executive Counsel to Governor Nathan Deal of the State of Georgia from 2011 until January 2017, and earlier as Deputy Executive Counsel for Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to his service in state government, Ryan lived and worked in Washington, D.C. from 2007 to 2009, serving as the general counsel to a 501(c)(4) issue advocacy organization of national scope.

Ryan’s experience in government provides him with broad insight into how best to interact with government, avoid, and manage conflict with regulating entities, and best present complex legal matters to the judiciary. Ryan worked closely with the Georgia Attorney General and his office in managing litigation over water disputes between Georgia and certain of its neighboring states. Ryan continues to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General for Florida v. Georgia, a case of original jurisdiction before the Supreme Court of the United States. As Executive Counsel, Ryan handled re-negotiations of the the Jasper Ocean Terminal Project joint venture agreement between Georgia and South Carolina. Ryan served as the lead member of Governor Nathan Deal’s Appellate Jurisdiction Review Commission which made detailed recommendations for re-aligning the jurisdictional boundaries of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals. Legislation reflecting those recommendations and the expansion of the Supreme Court of Georgia to nine justices passed and became law in 2016. In addition, Ryan has drafted legislation on a wide variety of topics and worked with the legislative branch to pass numerous pieces of legislation.

Since leaving state government in 2017, Ryan has served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for Governor Deal and also serves as the chairman of the State Commission on Compensation.  

Ryan is the Finance Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party.

Ryan is a summa cum laude graduate of Clemson University and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served on the Law Review. Ryan clerked for Chief Judge J. L. Edmondson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has received numerous recognitions to date: the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Ryan one of the 40 Under 40 of Atlanta’s Rising Business Leaders (2013); the Fulton County Daily Report named Ryan one of the 40 Under 40 attorneys in Georgia (2012); and the University of Georgia named him one of the 40 Under 40 UGA graduates.

Ryan currently serves on the University of Georgia Board of Visitors, the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta YMCA, the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of the Federalist Society, the Board of Directors of Great Heights Foster Care and the Board of Directors for the Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation.

Education & Memberships

Education

  • JD, magna cum laude, University of Georgia School of Law, 2003
  • B.A., summa cum laude, Clemson University, 2000
  • Order of the Coif
  • Georgia Law Review

Clerkship

  • The Honorable Judge J.L. Edmondson, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Bar Memberships

  • Georgia
Selected cases & representations