Ryan Blay | Madison Bankruptcy Lawyer

Ryan Blay is an associate with the firm, where he is board certified by the American Board of Certification in consumer bankruptcy. Ryan joined Krekeler Strother after six years of practice in Kenosha and southeastern Wisconsin. He concentrates his practice on bankruptcy law, consumer law, and foreclosure defense, with the tools to assist individuals and businesses in financial distress. Ryan is involved with bar associations on the local, state, and national level He has been a frequent speaker for the Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) Program and a volunteer at the US Bankruptcy Court’s pro se help desk in Milwaukee. Outside of his passion for his work and for his family, Ryan is most proud of serving as the president of the Wisconsin State Bar’s Young Lawyers Division and being the youngest member of the State Bar’s BICR Section Board.

Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire

Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference.
We were able to save our client’s property, address tax liabilities, and eliminate a substantial amount of debt while providing her an income through rents. She now has the opportunity to pass along land to her family instead of losing it to a creditor via foreclosure.

How did you build a successful practice?
Networking and being willing to speak and write on topics of interest, plus general accumulation of knowledge over time.

What should clients look for in a lawyer?
Someone who can understand their goals, analyze the facts, and make a recommendation about a proper course of action.

How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases?
It’s very important, especially because our area of law (bankruptcy) is practiced differently in different parts of our state and the country. Knowing what local judges and trustees want is useful as well.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?
We can provide general guidelines about different debt relief options, including bankruptcy and state law remedies. We don’t generally feel comfortable making a recommendation about filing a bankruptcy or not without a more thorough analysis of the facts and our client’s goals.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation?
Very little, since most of what we’d do in a free phone consultation is simply give general background on debt relief options. Beyond that, we would want a meeting, preferably in person, to dig deeper and make the right call.

What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community?
Our creativity and determination. We are not willing to pigeonhole ourselves to one strategy or one philosophy, and we are willing to try complex and challenging cases to serve our clients.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Finding solutions that lead individual and business clients to improve their financial situations and thrive.

What are your other interests in addition to law?
Cooking, trivia, reading, sports, and chasing around two toddlers.

Are you involved in your community?
In our legal community, yes.

Position	Organization	Location	Duration
Attorney	Krekeler Strother, S.C.		Present

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
Loyola University Chicago School of Law	J.D.	Law School	2006
University of Michigan	B.A.	Psychology/English Literature	2003

State / Court	Date
Wisconsin	2009

• Young Lawyers Division Board Member | State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division | 2012 - 2017
  2016-2017:  Past-President and representative to the State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors
  2015-2016:  President
  2014-2015:  President-Elect
  2013-2014:  Secretary
  2012-2013:  Board member
  Member | American Bankruptcy Institute | 2010 - Present
  Member | State Bar of Wisconsin | 2009 - Present
  Member | U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois
  Member | U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  Member | U. S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  Member | Dane County Bar Association

• State Bar of Wisconsin Public Education Committee Volunteer of the Year | 2015 - 2016
  Super Lawyer Rising Star in Consumer Bankruptcy | Illinois, 2014
  Super Lawyer Rising Star in Consumer Bankruptcy | Wisconsin, 2015 - 2016
  Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification | 2014 - Present

• American Bankruptcy Institute Journal | The Effects of Bullock on Nondischargeability | 2014
  American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Journal | The Extraterritorial Effect of Bankruptcy Exemption Schemes | 2012
  Milwaukee Bar Association Messenger | Chapter 12: The Underused and Hard to Use – Chapter of Bankruptcy | 2010

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