Ryan B. Denk

Ryan Denk's practice focuses on labor, planning and zoning, employment, and real estate law. His successes include lead negotiation in collective bargaining agreements with several public employer bargaining units, as well as defense of public employers in charges of prohibited labor practices. Mr. Denk has defended public employers in grievance-arbitration proceedings involving discipline, demotion, discharge, conduct, contract interpretation, work schedules and hours, job bidding, overtime, arbitrability, assignment of work, bargaining unit work, holiday and holiday pay, job classification, management rights, past practices, promotions, rate of pay, seniority, shift hours, transfer, work week changes and work performance.

Mr. Denk has successfully represented property owners before municipal planning commissions, city councils and county commissions regarding changes in zoning and planning, and he has been responsible for handling rezoning matters, opposition to down-zoning, zoning variances, nonconforming uses, accessory uses, development of planned districts, special use permits, subdivisions, and platting. His property development work includes industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, rural, rural residential and historic. He has effectively petitioned and received approval for different government-supported funding mechanisms, including tax increment financing and housing tax credits, and has represented municipalities in land use litigation, including zoning and planning appeals to federal and state trial courts.

Mr. Denk is recognized for successfully defending public and private employers against claims of discrimination based on race, gender, age and disability. He is noted for his strong defense of public and private employers against claims under Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Section 1983, retaliation and whistleblower claims, and state employment law statutes.

Mr. Denk adeptly handles real estate transactions, including site identification, negotiation, acquisition, document preparation, inspection, and closing. He has successfully defended matters in real estate litigation, including partition, quiet title, fraudulent conveyance, covenants, ejectment, possession, liens, slander of title and construction litigation.
Mr. Denk is a past member of the Wyandotte County United Way Board of Directors, the YMCA Caring for People's fundraising campaign and the Educational Talent Search. Mr. Denk has been recently been listed in Ingrams Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Kansas City.