Bio

Ryan E. Dempsey is a Partner in the New York City and Westchester, New York offices. As a member of Gordon & Rees’s Employment Law, Construction, Tort & Product Liability, Trucking & Transportation, Professional Liability and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups, Mr. Dempsey handles general liability and casualty claims, as well as other complex civil litigation and excess matters. Mr. Dempsey defends corporate and insured clients in both state and federal courts, including municipalities, commercial property owners, trucking and bus companies, health clubs, grocery distributors, pharmacies, airlines, retail establishments, manufacturers, distributors, construction managers, restaurants, security companies, and both general contractors and subcontractors. Mr. Dempsey handles all aspects of civil defense, with an emphasis on high exposure litigation, including catastrophic construction site, product liability, motor vehicle, transportation, aviation, premises, and commercial liability claims. He also specializes in employment discrimination litigation, handling claims made with the New York State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has also successfully defended numerous discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuits filed in both federal and state courts under Title VII (which bars job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mr. Dempsey has tried cases in multiple jurisdictions. He represents clients in all phases of litigation, from the pre-suit phase through trial, and has also drafted and orally argued multiple appeals. He has developed extensive negotiating and trial experience, and has brought countless matters to dismissal, defense verdict or favorable settlement. Mr. Dempsey is also a member of one of Gordon & Rees’s high exposure trial teams, which is often “parachuted in” on the eve of trial at the request of excess insurers to take over the representation of defendants in high exposure cases with potential damages exceeding seven figures. Clients commend him for maintaining a high level of responsiveness, giving each claim and corresponding defense a thorough analysis to identify opportunities for early resolution. He exhibits professionalism in the courtroom and with his colleagues, while working closely with clients to develop aggressive defense strategies that achieve favorable outcomes in the most cost-effective manner. An avid runner and skier, Mr. Dempsey lives in Montebello, New York with his wife and two children. Mr. Dempsey also coaches youth soccer and Little League.