Richard Ryan Rivas

Ryan Rivas is Managing Partner at Hall Booth Smith’s Tampa, Florida, office. He has over a decade of legal experience and specializes in defending high exposure cases involving hospitals, physicians, dentists, nurses, and other health care providers in a broad spectrum of complex professional negligence cases on national, regional, and local levels. He is also a member of the firm’s National Trial Counsel Team.

In addition to his work in the field of health care litigation, Ryan also devotes a large part of his practice to defending national retailers in high exposure premises liability, negligent security, Dram shop/liquor liability, transportation/trucking matters, and other general liability matters throughout the state of Florida. Amongst his peers he is recognized as an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.

Prior to joining HBS, Ryan worked as a trial attorney in a large national insurance defense firm, where he represented multiple hospital systems, dental practices, physicians, and other health care providers in a wide range of complex medical negligence matters, including birth-related trauma, brain injury, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. Ryan has also represented long-term care facilities, psychiatric facilities, and individual physicians and health care providers in connection with disciplinary proceedings in front of the Florida Department of Health.

Ryan earned a Juris Doctor from Barry University and holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Criminology with minors in both Communications and Psychology from Florida State University.

Ryan is also actively involved in numerous professional organizations including DRI, The Florida Defense Lawyers Association, The Florida Bar, and the Hillsborough County Bar Association.

Ryan was born and raised in Tampa where he resides with his wife Melissa and their daughter Charlotte. In his spare time Ryan enjoys traveling, boating, golfing, and spending time with his family.

Recognition

•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, High Ethical Standing, by Martindale-Hubbell

Publications

•Proper Medical Charting is Critical to Protecting Against Legal Risk
Physicians Practice; August 21, 2021
•Unionization Efforts in the Time of COVID-19
Tampa Bay Business Journal; April 16, 2021

Presentations

•Defending the Ground: Strategies for Premises Liability Cases
FDLA 28th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference; June 19, 2025

In the Press

Hall Booth Smith Adds Four Attorneys in its Tampa Office

January 31, 2022

TAMPA, FL - January 28, 2022 - Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) has added four attorneys to its Tampa office as the firm expands to serve its health care clients in the state of Florida. Frances G. Prockop is a Partner in our Tampa office with more than three decades of legal experience. She represents