Ryan Caughey, a Susman Godfrey Partner and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, is a first-chair trial lawyer who has consistently been recognized on Lawdragon’s list of America’s Top 500 Litigators. He has also been perennially named one of America’s 500 leading Plaintiff’s Financial Lawyers.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Complex Litigation, Plaintiff |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2025 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2025 | Complex Litigation, Plaintiff |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2024 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2024 | Complex Litigation |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2023 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2022 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2022 | Complex Litigation, Plaintiff |
| The 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2021 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
| The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2020 | Commercial Litigation, esp. Antitrust, Technology, Oil & Gas |
Caughey has recovered more than $1 billion for his clients. For example, in 2023, Caughey was part of a team that successfully obtained a nearly $160 million arbitration award for Black Knight—while simultaneously defeating a $60 million counterclaim—following a two-month trade secret-antitrust arbitral hearing.
Not long before that, Caughey was co-lead trial lawyer representing Linde Engineering in a 5-week jury trial that resulted in a more-than $42 million judgment for his client, in addition to more than $22 million in pretrial recoveries. Caughey’s team also defeated more than $40 million in counterclaims.
Caughey’s client list is wide-ranging. While he regularly represents some of the world’s largest companies—such as Chevron, Walmart, and Live Nation—he has also won courtroom victories and valuable settlements for small businesses and individuals. Caughey typically represents his clients on a fixed fee, contingency fee, or other alternative fee arrangement.
Caughey has particular experience in the areas of antitrust and competition, technology and trade secrets, construction, oil and gas, and business and partnership disputes. Caughey also handles federal and state appeals.
Caughey joined Susman Godfrey after starting his career at Gibson Dunn in Washington, D.C. and clerking for the Honorable Timothy Tymkovich on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he was Managing Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. Caughey received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.
