Ryan J. Harrington

Ryan has been in practice for over 25 years, having worked in both Wisconsin and Illinois while focusing on criminal defense, personal injury, Chapter 7 bankruptcies, and temporary restraining orders due to domestic abuse, harassment, and child abuse.

Ryan joined Halling & Cayo as a partner on March 1, 2017, after having practiced for 15 years with another highly respected firm, where he spent his last 10 years as partner.  Ryan has practiced in more than twenty counties throughout the State of Wisconsin and was praised for his trial skills by the Wisconsin State Public Defender in an issue of its monthly publication after winning an acquittal in his very first felony jury trial back in 1998. 

Ryan has won acquittals at trial for clients facing a wide range of criminal charges, including Reckless Homicide, Delivery of Cocaine, Reckless Endangerment, Battery to a Police Officer, OWI, and Battery (Domestic Abuse).  

He is a former elected member and Secretary of the Waukesha County Bar Association's Board of Directors, is a current member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Community Advisory Board, serves on the board of the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation, and is a former adjunct instructor in the Criminal Justice program at Bryant & Stratton College.  

Ryan has been recognized as a "Rising Star" and "Super Lawyer" by Wisconsin Super Lawyers, as published in Milwaukee Magazine.  The "Rising Stars" selection process is strictly merit-based and includes peer nominations and independent research of candidates.  His distinction as a "Rising Star" was an honor given to no more than 2.5% of Wisconsin's lawyers while his "Super Lawyers" recognition is awarded to no more than 5% of Wisconsin's lawyers.

Ryan has been included on Milwaukee Magazine's Best Lawyers List for 5 consecutive years.  Milwaukee Magazine's Best Lawyers List recognizes roughly the top 2% to 5% of lawyers in each practice area.  

Ryan has also been voted multiple times as being among Greater Milwaukee's best criminal defense lawyers and bankruptcy lawyers by readers of The Shepherd Express in its annual "Best of Milwaukee  Readers' Choice Awards" and is also a recipient of Martindale-Hubbell's Client Distinction Award, which is given to less than 4% of the over 900,000 attorneys listed on and .

The American Society of Legal Advocates has selected Ryan as one of the top 100 criminal defense lawyers in Wisconsin after a 6-month selection process involving tens of thousands of attorneys.  Inclusion comprises less than 1.5% of lawyers.

Ryan was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the first of two children. He attended Marquette University and received a bachelor of arts degree in English and history in 1992, graduating as a member of both the English and history National Honor Societies.

Ryan obtained his doctor of jurisprudence in 1995 from Marquette Law School, where his maternal grandfather, Kenneth K. Luce, had taught as a law professor for over thirty years while also maintaining a private practice. Ryan accepted a nomination to serve as a member of the Moot Court Board and, during portions of both his undergraduate and law school studies, worked as an intern at the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. In addition, Ryan was employed by Marquette's Educational Opportunity Program as a university tutor for economically underprivileged students during his final three years of undergraduate study and also for one year while in law school.

Ryan is licensed to practice in the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, as well as the Northern District of Illinois, and is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee and Waukesha County Bar Associations, the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Justinian Society of Lawyers, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association.  He is also a former member of the Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association and the private bar panel for the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office.