Ralph C. Mayrell handles complex commercial litigation and appeals, taking a lead role in bet-the-company disputes.

He has represented clients from many industries, including health care providers, pharmaceutical companies, food and consumer products manufacturers, venture capital funds, municipal and commercial lenders, and defense contractors. In addition to bringing and defending major commercial lawsuits between businesses from these industries, he has also defended multibillion-dollar antitrust claims, precedent-setting False Claims Act suits, and high-stakes civil anti-racketeering claims.

Ralph has particular experience representing lenders and borrowers in restructuring- and bankruptcy-related litigation. He recently represented a major borrower in defending a liability management transaction at a trial in Delaware Chancery Court, where he cross-examined the plaintiff’s key expert. Previously, he represented holders of more than $3 billion in revenue bonds in defending a lien challenge and litigating a three-day claim-estimation hearing. He has also successfully defended fraudulent transfer and preference claims, represented a debtor’s disinterested director at trial as independent counsel, and represented an indenture trustee in a contested hospital bankruptcy proceeding.

Ralph’s work involves all phases of litigation, from advising clients on pre-litigation strategy to managing the details of discovery and depositions to taking the case to summary judgment, trial, and appeal. He has a particular interest in cases involving complex statistical, economic, and technical issues, and has developed novel strategies for successfully challenging opposing experts in depositions and at trial. Ralph also advises clients on resolving cases outside of litigation, and has successfully negotiated settlements by identifying the key facts and arguments to persuade the other side to reach a reasonable result for the client.

Beyond his civil work, Ralph also conducts internal investigations and defends individuals in criminal cases. He has drafted pretrial and posttrial motions, sentencing papers, and appellate briefs in federal criminal cases.

In addition, Ralph has an active pro bono practice. He has represented prisoners seeking compassionate release, exonerees seeking compensation for wrongful convictions, veterans seeking disability benefits, public officials and rule of law organizations, and low-income tenants facing eviction, among others, and he recently won a $1 million trial victory for an exoneree in a Maryland court. 

Experience & capabilities

Selected matters

  • Bankruptcy and Restructuring Litigation
    • Represented Del Monte Foods, Inc., in defending a liability management transaction involving a drop-down against a Section 225 action brought in Delaware Chancery Court by minority lenders seeking control of the company, including presenting the key industry expert and crossing the plaintiff’s expert at trial.

    • Represented holders of more than $3 billion of PREPA revenue bonds during PREPA’s restructuring proceedings, including defending a lien-challenge adversary proceeding, litigating a three-day claim-estimation hearing, and investigating and briefing objections to a plan of reorganization.

    • Represented, as part of a team of special litigation and investigations counsel, upstream oil and gas company Alta Mesa Holdings in the company’s Chapter 11 case, including conducting a related-party-claims investigation and going to an expedited trial on the status of the midstream contracts.

    • Represented municipal bondholders in a potential Minnesota trust instruction proceeding (or TIP) with an energy company concerning the treatment of moneys held in a construction fund under an indenture and loan agreement, resulting in a favorable pre-litigation settlement.

    • Defended Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Trading, a buying agent, against fraudulent transfer and preference claims arising out of the Global Brands Group bankruptcy, resulting in a favorable settlement.

    • Represented a municipal bond indenture trustee in a successful pre-litigation effort to persuade a private equity entity to surrender control of the nonprofit hospital responsible for payment of the bonds.

    • Defending a foreign holding company against fraudulent transfer claims brought by a litigation trust for a U.S. branding company’s bankruptcy estate challenging a dividend and a loan repayment.  

    • Representing a municipal bond indenture trustee in litigating multiple disputes in bankruptcy court against the debtor, which is a nonprofit hospital, and the creditors’ committee.

  • Antitrust and Trade Litigation
    • Defended, as part of a team, a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company against antitrust claims brought by a competitor seeking billions of dollars on allegations related to the client’s rebate agreements with pharmacy benefit managers, obtaining summary judgment.

    • Defended, as part of a team, a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company against a consumer class action seeking billions of dollars based on an anticompetitive pay-for-delay agreement involving an alleged trade of settlements on two unrelated patent cases, resulting in a favorable settlement on the cusp of trial.

    • Defended, as part of a team, a manufacturer of plastic foam food service products in an antitrust case in which a potential competitor and supplier alleged a boycott, obtaining summary judgment and successfully defending the decision on appeal.

    • Defended on appeal, as part of a team, a snack food manufacturer against a Lanham Act claim brought by a competitor.

    • * Indicates matters handled prior to joining the firm.

  • False Claims and Government Contracts Litigation
    • Defended a government-supported health plan in an intervened qui tam alleging the plan was overpaid by the Department of Defense as a result of errors in the calculation of capitation payments by government actuaries, resulting in a favorable settlement.

    • Defended, as part of a team, a wartime logistics contractor against False Claims Act allegations in multiple cases brought by qui tam relators and directly by the United States alleging fraud and kickbacks in subcontract administration and cost-contracting in trial courts and on appeal.*

    • Represented, as part of a team, a wartime logistics contractor in bringing two successful mandamus petitions challenging district court rulings that would have compelled production of privileged internal investigation files to a False Claims Act relator.*  

    • Defended, as part of a team, a wartime prime vendor contractor based outside the United States against a False Claims Act action brought by a qui tam relator, successfully challenging service of process on appeal.*

    • Represented, as part of a team, a wartime prime vendor contractor seeking payment from the government on appeal from the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, obtaining a reversal and remand based on the argument that the government had breached its implied duty of good faith and fair dealing.*

    • Represented, as part of a team, a Medicaid dental plan provider in challenging a government contracts award to a competitor in state court.*  

    • * Indicates matters handled prior to joining the firm.

  • Health Care Litigation
    • Defended, as part of a team of litigation counsel, a national health care practice against fraud claims brought by a health insurer alleging upcoding in the provider’s billing based on statistical analyses of billing patterns.

    • Defending a hospital system, as part of a litigation team, against fraudulent transfer and unlawful dividend claims related to a spinoff transaction.

    • Represented a mental health care provider in challenging adverse OSHA and Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) administrative decisions on appeal.

    • Represented a national physician’s practice in an arbitration with a billing vendor concerning performance.

  • Pro Bono
    • Represented, as part of a team, a man convicted of a federal threat charge in the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in the invalidation of the negligence standard under the federal threats statute.*

    • Obtained a favorable settlement for a Baltimore, Maryland, man exonerated of a murder and a nonfatal shooting through litigation, communication with the media, and negotiations with the state.

    • Obtained a $1 million judgment for a Baltimore, Maryland, man exonerated of conspiracy to commit murder after briefing an appeal, supporting advocacy for the legislature to amend the law, and taking the case to trial on the man’s actual innocence.  

    • Represented an election official in a politically sensitive defamation case against a political candidate.

    • Obtained favorable settlements in mediation after litigation for low-income tenants facing eviction or wrongfully withheld deposits.

    • Representing two Baltimore, Maryland, men exonerated of conspiracy to commit murder, one in the administrative court and the other on appeal.  

    • * Indicates matters handled prior to joining the firm.

Background

Education

  • J.D., with honors, The University of Texas School of Law, 2013
    • Order of the Coif
    • Book Review Editor, Texas Law Review
    • Associate Editor, Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
  • A.B., cum laude, Social Studies, Harvard College, 2009

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia, 2014
  • Maryland, 2013

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S.C.A., 1st Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., 2nd Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., 3rd Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., 5th Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., 9th Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., 10th Circuit
  • U.S.C.A., Federal Circuit
  • U.S.C.A. for Veterans Claims
  • U.S.D.C., District of Columbia
  • U.S.D.C., District of Maryland
  • U.S.D.C., Central District of Illinois