C. Ryan Stinnett

Ryan Stinnett was appointed general counsel effective May 8, 2020. He began serving in an interim role in October 2019. He has worked in the Office of General Counsel since 2008, having served as assistant general counsel and associate general counsel before being promoted to deputy general counsel in July 2018. During his time at the university, Ryan has worked extensively on both transactional and litigation matters. He has provided advice, representation, and supervision of legal work in several areas, including business transactions and contracts; sponsored research contracts; research compliance, including animal subjects, human subjects, and export controls; information technology; health care; athletics; procurement; financial aid; privacy; construction; accounts payable/collections; intellectual property; bankruptcy; real estate; conflicts of interest; occupational safety; records management; and tax.

Ryan received a B.A. in political science from Furman University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from the College of Law at The University of Tennessee, where he served as executive editor for Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law. After law school, he practiced law at Smith, Gambrell, and Russell, LLP in Atlanta, and Leibowitz and Cohen in Knoxville.

Ryan also has served the university as an adjunct professor, teaching contract drafting and construction law in the university’s College of Law.