Ryan M. Lockman

Ryan represents homeowners, property owners and businesses in construction defect and consumer protection litigation. His practice focuses primarily on residential construction defect matters involving water intrusion, mold and building code violations, as well as related consumer protection claims arising from deceptive or unfair practices by builders and developers. Ryan also advises businesses and closely held companies on disputes and risk management issues.

Ryan approaches construction defect litigation through a consumer protection lens, helping clients evaluate not only the legal merits of a case, but also the financial and practical realities of pursuing it. Clients turn to Ryan when their largest investment—their home—is unsafe, leaking or not built as promised, and far more than money is at stake. He counsels homeowners on risk, cost and expected outcomes, helping them decide when litigation is necessary and when alternative resolutions better serve their goals, while advocating forcefully on their behalf.

A seasoned trial lawyer, Ryan has tried cases to verdict in court and in arbitration, securing significant jury verdicts and arbitration awards for homeowners. He is known for his strategic approach to litigation, careful preparation and ability to distill complex legal and factual issues into clear, persuasive advocacy.

In addition to representing individual homeowners and groups of property owners, Ryan advises businesses and closely held companies in commercial disputes, employment matters and risk management issues. Drawing on his background in civil rights and employment litigation, as well as his business training, he helps business clients assess exposure, navigate disputes and make informed decisions grounded in risk and return.

As managing partner of Horn Williamson, Ryan leads the firm’s day-to-day operations and strategic growth. Under his leadership, the firm expanded its footprint with the opening of a Wilmington, Delaware office and relocated its Philadelphia headquarters to a larger space at One Commerce Square to support continued growth and collaboration. The firm has also experienced significant growth as part of a strategic plan to meet increasing client demand and strengthen its construction-focused practices.

Outside the courtroom, Ryan enjoys cooking, cycling through Philadelphia, and spending time with his wife, Lauren, and their son.

Representative Experience

• Served as lead counsel for homeowners in a residential construction defect matter involving new-construction housing, successfully reversing a summary judgment dismissal on statute of repose grounds on appeal before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, allowing claims against the builder, developer and design professionals to proceed.
• Secured a $3.2 million jury verdict on behalf of four homeowners in a construction defect trial in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
• Obtained multiple seven-figure arbitration awards for new-construction homeowners, including an award exceeding $3 million arising from a homebuilder’s deceptive practices.
• Achieved more than $20 million in verdicts and arbitration awards against a single Philadelphia-area homebuilder across multiple matters.
• Negotiated more than $10 million in settlements in construction defect, employment discrimination and retaliation cases.
• Served as co-counsel in Heffernan v. City of Paterson (2016), a landmark First Amendment case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Ryan drafted the district court and Third Circuit briefs, supported Supreme Court briefing and coordinated strategy with national amici. The Court ruled 6–2 in favor of his client.
• Served as co-counsel in a successful zoning appeal before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Publications

• “Loss of Quiet Enjoyment as an Oft Overlooked Remedy in Construction Defect Cases,” The Legal Intelligencer (Aug. 2024).
• “Court Rejects Toll Brothers’ Bid to End Case with Statute of Repose Defense,” Law.com (Dec. 2022).
• “Preparing and Arguing in the U.S. Supreme Court,” The Legal Intelligencer (July 2016).

He also provided national legal commentary on constitutional law issues, including analysis of Los Angeles v. Mendez (2017) for WNYC’s “The Takeaway.”