Thomas B. Ridgley
Mr. Ridgley is a retired partner in the Vorys Columbus office. During his career, he defended clients in numerous class action lawsuits arising from alleged securities violations, employment practices, wage and hour practices, environmental toxic torts, and claimed violations of consumer protection laws. Mr. Ridgley has also represented the interests of offerors and offerees in connection with contests for corporate control, and has been involved as counsel in most hostile takeover disputes in Ohio in the last 25 years. In addition, he has represented corporations in commercial disputes and advises boards of directors on various corporate governance issues.
Career highlights include:
- Serving as lead counsel in a nationwide race/ethnicity class action which settled and in which a consent decree was negotiated
- Serving as lead counsel in a putative nationwide collective and class action under the Fair Labor Standards Act and various state wage and hour laws in which the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a summary judgment ruling
- Representing more than a dozen offerors or offerees in contested takeovers of corporations
- Successfully representing corporate defendants in a potential federal court environmental class action in which he obtained a dismissal of most claims on a pretrial motion and a voluntary dismissal of the balance of claims by the plaintiffs
- Successfully representing a company sued in a statewide consumer class action
- Representing a financial institution sued by a large multi-national organization in a matter arising from the sale of financial derivatives
Mr. Ridgley is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the Ohio State Bar Foundation, and the Columbus Bar Foundation.
Mr. Ridgley received his J.D. with distinction from the University of Michigan Law School where he was the Assistant Editor of the Michigan Law Review. He received his A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University.
Professional and Community Activities
- The Columbus Bar Foundation, Past President and Board Member, 1991-1999
- The Community Shelter Board, Past Chair and Board Member, 1989-1999
- The United Way of Franklin County, Vice Chair and Board Member, 1987-1997
Honors & Awards
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1981
- The Best Lawyers in America, Columbus Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2012
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2006-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, “Bet-the-Company” Litigation, 2007-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation, 1993-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Litigation, 2007-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Banking & Finance, 2012-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor & Employment, 2012-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions, 2012-2013
- The Best Lawyers in America, Business Litigation, 1983-2008
- Lawdragon, Leading 500 Litigators
- Lawdragon, Top 3000, 2010
- Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer Litigation: General Commercial, 2003-2012
- Ohio Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense, 2004-2013
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2012
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
News
- Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2013 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- 126 Vorys Attorneys included in the 2013 The Best Lawyers in America® List
- Thirty-five Vorys Attorneys Listed in 2012 Edition of Chambers USA
- 75 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2012 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Eleven Vorys Attorneys Named 2012 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers®
- More than 100 Vorys Attorneys named on 2012 The Best Lawyers in America® List
- 26 Vorys Attorneys Featured in 2011 Edition of Chambers USA
- 72 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2011 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Vorys Ranked #1 Law Firm in Ohio on 2011 Best Lawyers in America® list
- 27 Attorneys Recognized in 2010 Chambers USA
- 27 Vorys Attorneys Recognized in 2010 Chambers USA
- 54 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2010 Ohio Super Lawyers
- Vorys ranked #1 law firm in Ohio on 2010 Best Lawyers in America® list
- 27 Vorys Attorneys Recognized in 2009 Chambers USA
- 70 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2009 Ohio Super Lawyers
- Vorys Attorneys Named on 2009 Best Lawyers in America List
- 28 Vorys Attorneys Named Leading Practitioners in Ohio
- Vorys named the "2008 Leading Ohio Law Firm" by Best Lawyers
- 28 Vorys Attorneys Named Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers USA