Mr. Randy L. Dryer, Attorney

Randy Dryer is a member of the Litigation department. He has extensive expertise in media and internet law and has represented numerous e-commerce businesses, e-mail marketing providers and virtually every major news organization in the state of Utah and many national news organizations, including 60 Minutes, Scripps-League Newspapers, Redbook Magazine, The New York Times, CNN and the Associated Press.

Randy is a recognized expert in crisis management and crisis communications. He has advised numerous business clients in preparing their crisis management plans and in responding to a crisis when one occurs. He teaches a course in crisis management at the University of Utah College of Law.

Randy also has extensive experience in class action litigation and commercial litigation matters involving business torts and fraud, breach of contract, health care and defense industry qui tam and False Claim Act actions, unfair competition and infringement claims.

He has considerable experience and knowledge handling appeals having argued numerous cases before the Utah Supreme Court, the Utah Court of Appeals and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Randy has also filed various briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Randy lectures frequently on the subjects of the First Amendment and internet law and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Law, the Department of Communications and the Honors College at the University of Utah. He currently teaches a journalism law and ethics course in the University of Utah honors department and a Pre-trial Practice course at the law school. Randy was elected president of the Utah Bar in 1992.

He was a member of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee and chairman of the Utah Athletic Foundation, the Olympic legacy organization that owns and operates various Olympic facilities. He presently is chair of the board of trustees of the University of Utah and a national director of the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington D.C. based non-profit organization involved with campaign reform. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America each year since 1993.  Out of 1.1 million lawyers in the United States, Randy was one of 500 named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators Guide in 2006. Randy was awarded the Excellence in Teaching award by the Law School in 2010.

Related Activities and Skills:

• Utah State Bar Association, President, (former)
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section (current)
• Salt Lake County Bar Association, President, (former)
• University Hospital, Board of Directors (former)
• Repertory Dance Theater, Board of Directors (former)
• University of Utah Board of Trustees (current)
• Commission on Justice in the 21st Century, Board of Directors (former)
• Court ADR Panel Mediator and Arbitrator (current)
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 1993-2009, First Amendment Law
• Named one of Utah's 100 Elite Lawyers by Utah Business magazine
• Named a Mountain States "Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics

Publications

• "Emerging Ethical & Legal Issues in the Brave New World of Social Media and Corporate Transparency," Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute Journal  (scheduled for publication in July 2010)
• Utah State Bar Journal (scheduled for publication in June 2010) Advising Your Clients (And You!) In The New World Of Social Media: What Every Lawyer Should Know About Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Wiki
• "Social Media: Business Opportunity and Legal Risks," Utah CEO Magazine (April 2010)
• Protecting Your Intellectual Property in the World of Social Media, Utah CEO Magazine (May 2010)
• "Media Libel Law, MLRC 50-State Survey of  Libel and Privacy Law," Utah Chapter (2004-current)
• "Media Privacy and Related Law," MLRC 50-State Survey, Utah Chapter (2004-current)
• Amicus Curiae brief filed on behalf of Douglas Bailey in Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission, Case No. 04-1581 (U.S. Supreme Court, 2005).
• Amici Curiae brief filed on behalf of 42 former members of Congress in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, Case No. 02-1624 (U.S. Supreme Court 2003).

University Courses Taught

• "Pretrial Practice," S.J. Quinney College of Law, Utah Chapter (2007-current)
• "Social Media Law," Communications Department, University of Utah (2010)
• "Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Law," Honors College, University of Utah (2010)
• "Crisis Management," S.J. Quinney College of Law (2008 current)

Recent Seminars/Lectures/Speeches

• "Emerging Ethical and Legal Issues in the Brave New World of Social Media and Corporate Transparency," 56 Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst. (2010)
• "What Every Lawyer Should Know About Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Social Media," Utah State Bar Conference (2010)
• "Campaign Finance Reform: The Aftermath of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commissioners," Salt Lake County Bar (2010)
• The Informed Leader: Navigating Information in the Decision-Making Process, Utah Community Leadership Lecture Series (2009)
• Commencement Address, College of Science, University of Utah (2009)
• Crises and Trustee Involvement, Association of University Governing Bodies national conference (2009)
• Engaging Trustees in University Capital Campaigns, Association of Governing Bodies national conference (2009)
• Reporters and Confidential Sources, MLRC/American Bookseller Association Lecture series (2009)
• Sarbanes-Oxley and Board Audit Committees, Association of Governing Bodies national conference (2008)
• What You Need to Know About Public Records And Open Meetings In Utah, Lorman Education Services Seminars (2008)
• "Media Relations for Government Officials," Lorman Education Services Seminars (2008)