Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC

What Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC does

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a privately-held, full-service law firm headquartered at 401 Union Street in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1897 by John Ryan, Sr. The firm operates as a traditional professional services partnership under the leadership of Managing Director Bryan C. Graff and is organized around 13 distinct practice groups, each chaired by a dedicated partner covering Business Law, Creditors' Rights and Receivership, Employment Law, Estate Planning and Probate, Healthcare, Immigration, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Real Estate Development and Finance, Startups and Emerging Companies, Trust and Estate Litigation, and Workers' Compensation.

The firm serves a diversified client base spanning businesses (the primary segment, from startups to established corporations), high-net-worth individuals, healthcare providers, employers, and financial institutions across the Pacific Northwest — particularly Washington and Oregon — with extended reach via membership in the TAGLaw International Law Alliance, a network of 160 law firms in over 90 countries. Revenue is generated through professional services billing across hourly rates, fixed fees, contingency arrangements, and flat-fee project pricing, with no proprietary technology products or AI-driven capabilities. Distribution relies on direct attorney-client engagement, professional referrals, and TAGLaw network referrals, supplemented by a digital content presence including blog insights and video series for top-of-funnel thought leadership.

The firm has no disclosed external ownership, no funding history, and no M&A activity, consistent with the traditional independently-owned partnership structure typical of legacy US regional law firms. Growth and operational capacity are supported by a formal infrastructure of practice-specific committees covering professional recruiting, associate hiring, diversity and inclusion, and charitable giving, indicating a mature governance model oriented toward continuity rather than rapid scaling.

Name

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC

Legal name

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC

Website

https://ryanswansonlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a Seattle-based full-service law firm founded in 1897, with 35+ attorneys organized across 13 practice areas serving businesses, individuals, healthcare providers, employers, and financial institutions throughout the Pacific Northwest and internationally via TAGLaw.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Collections & Litigation Support (Judgments, Garnishments) (FSAKAJAD), Legal Collections Support (Pre-Lit, Litigation Admin, Judgment Recovery) (BPAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Corporate law firm
• Litigation defense
• Estate planning services
• Business legal counsel

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Professional legal services billed through hourly rates, fixed fees, contingency arrangements, and flat-fee project pricing depending on practice area and matter type. Revenue generated from serving businesses and individuals across multiple legal disciplines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a Seattle-based full-service law firm delivering legal representation and counsel across 13 practice areas, including business law, litigation, employment law, healthcare, estate planning, immigration, intellectual property, real estate, insurance, creditors' rights, startups, trust & estate litigation, and workers' compensation. The firm serves businesses, entrepreneurs, healthcare providers, employers, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals through experienced attorneys. Services are billed via hourly rates, fixed fees, contingency arrangements, and flat-fee project pricing depending on the matter.

Product overview

Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a Seattle-based full-service law firm established in 1897, offering comprehensive legal services through multiple distinct practice areas rather than a unified technology product. The firm operates as a traditional legal services provider with 35+ attorneys serving clients across business law, creditors' rights, employment law, estate planning, healthcare, immigration, insurance, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, startups, and workers' compensation. The firm's practice areas function as distinct service lines rather than modular software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Legal Services Entity formation, business compliance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial finance, and tax planning for businesses of all sizes.
• Creditors' Rights, Receivership & Finance Bankruptcy litigation, loan workouts, collateral recovery, receiverships, and debt restructuring for lenders and commercial borrowers.
• Employment Law Advising & Defense Litigation Employment advising, defense of discrimination and wrongful termination claims, workplace investigations, OSHA compliance, and workers' compensation defense.
• Estate Planning & Probate Wills, trusts, probate administration, business succession planning, guardianship, and fiduciary guidance for individuals and families.
• Healthcare Legal Services Healthcare business counseling, litigation support, staff licensure, HIPAA compliance, and regulatory defense for healthcare providers.
• Immigration Services Visa solutions (H-1B, L-1, E-1/2, EB-1-3), permanent residence applications, naturalization, and employer immigration compliance.
• Insurance Law Insurance claims and coverage disputes, CGL, D&O, E&O matters, title insurance defense, and regulatory representation.
• Intellectual Property Trademark registration and enforcement, copyright protection, trade secret counseling, and IP litigation.
• Litigation Commercial disputes, appellate advocacy, construction defects, employment litigation, insurance litigation, and real estate disputes.
• Real Estate, Development & Finance Property acquisitions, commercial leasing, real estate financing, development projects, and title insurance matters.
• Startups & Emerging Companies Entity formation, financing structures, intellectual property protection, employment solutions, and business exit planning for startups.
• Trust & Estate Litigation Will and trust contests, fiduciary breach claims, capacity disputes, and probate litigation.
• Workers' Compensation, Industrial Safety & Audits Workers' compensation defense, WISHA citation defense, safety investigations, and state agency audit representation.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TAGLaw International Law AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRyan, Swanson & Cleveland is a member of TAGLaw, a global alliance of high-quality independent law firms. TAGLaw comprises 160 member firms based in over 90 countries worldwide. This membership provides the firm with global reach to serve clients with cross-border legal needs and enables referrals and collaboration with other member firms internationally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Summit Law Group PLLC: Seattle-based law firm serving business clients, with comparable mid-sized positioning and overlap in employment, business, and litigation practices.
• Lane Powell PC: Seattle-based full-service law firm serving Pacific Northwest business and litigation clients. Comparable in regional positioning, practice breadth, and mid-sized firm competitive tier.
• Foster Garvey PC: Seattle-based full-service law firm of comparable size serving similar Pacific Northwest business, real estate, and litigation clients. Foster Garvey is the closest direct peer in geography, practice breadth, and target market.
• Stoel Rives LLP: Pacific Northwest-based full-service law firm with offices in Seattle and Portland. Directly comparable in regional concentration, business law depth, and similar practice mix including energy, real estate, and litigation.
• Cairncross & Hempelmann PS: Seattle-based business and real estate law firm of similar mid-sized scale. Overlaps with Ryan Swanson in commercial real estate, business transactions, and related practice areas for Pacific Northwest clients.
• Miller Nash LLP: Pacific Northwest-based law firm with Seattle and Portland offices. Comparable mid-sized full-service firm serving business clients, with similar practice area breadth and regional market focus.
• Inslee Best LLC: Seattle-based mid-sized law firm focused on business, real estate, and employment law for Pacific Northwest clients. Comparable size and regional positioning to Ryan Swanson.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins Coie LLP: Large national full-service law firm headquartered in Seattle. Operates broadly in the same practice areas (business, IP, litigation, real estate) but at significantly larger scale, competing for the same Pacific Northwest clients with greater resources.
• K&L Gates LLP: Global law firm with substantial Seattle presence. Competes in business law, IP, litigation, and healthcare regulatory matters with broader geographic reach than Ryan Swanson.
• Davis Wright Tremaine LLP: Large national law firm with major Seattle office. Overlaps with Ryan Swanson across business, employment, healthcare, and litigation practices while serving as an incumbent competitor for Pacific Northwest clients seeking broader geographic coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ryanswansonlaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5zu2u6Ae_h_VJL_P7JEFVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ryanswansonlaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ryan-swanson-&-cleveland-pllc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ryanswansonlaw/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC