Ryan Thomas Holte

Professional career

• held the role of general counsel, partner, and co‑inventor of an electrical engineering technology company (Counter Echo Solutions)
• held a position as a trial attorney at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (2012–2013)
• Jurist-in-Residence Professor of Law; David L. Brennan Professor of Law and IP Center Director, University of Akron Main Campus, Cleveland/Akron, OH, 2017-2019
• Assistant Professor of Law; Director of Judicial Clerkships & Special Placements, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, 2013-2017
• Non-Active Partner (Since June 2019); General Counsel & Co-Inventor, Counter Echo Solutions, Atlanta, GA, 2012-present
• Practitioner, Federal Trade Commission, Atlanta, GA, 2012-2013
• Practitioner, Jones Day, Atlanta, GA, 2010-2012
• Law Clerk, United States Court of Federal Claims, 2008-2009

Judicial service

• Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2009-2010
• Judge, United States Court of Federal Claims, 2019-present
• As of 2025, Holte has been active in over 20 cases annually, with a caseload that includes disputes involving tribes, construction companies, environmental chemical firms, and other entities.
• Ryan Thomas Holte (born October 3, 1983, in Napa, California) is an incumbent judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 2019.
• Holte was nominated on January 23, 2019, to replace Judge Nancy B. Firestone, who had assumed senior status in 2013. The Senate confirmed his nomination on June 10, 2019, and he was sworn in on July 11, 2019. He presides over cases involving claims against the U.S. government, including contract, property, and tort claims, and has handled a variety of matters such as construction disputes, environmental issues, and government contracts.
• In summary, Judge Ryan T. Holte is a seasoned federal judge with a background in law, academia, and technology, now serving on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims since 2019, handling a broad range of claims against the federal government.
• Judge Stanley F. Birch Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (2009–2010)

Education

• California Maritime Academy · Engineering, cum laude, 2005
• University of California-Davis · JD, 2008
• Jesuit High School
• University of California Davis School of Law where he served as a staff editor of the UC Davis Business Law Journal · JD
• Cal Poly Maritime Academy
• Southern Illinois University
• California State University

Personal record

Born October 3, 1983 · Napa, CA