Pat's Bio
Pat has a highly-successful commercial litigation/trial practice representing clients throughout the country. His approach, regardless of the size of the case, is simple: provide focused, smart, aggressive representation aimed at achieving the client’s goals in the quickest, most cost-efficient manner possible. With Pat, the client always comes first.
In the 30+ years, he has been practicing Pat has represented virtually every type of client—from Fortune 50 companies and large, privately—held corporations, to individuals and single-owner LLCs. His cases have run the gamut, from shareholder and employee matters concerning contract disputes, non-competition agreements, and discrimination, to high-stakes, bet-the-company commercial claims involving allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark, copyright and patent infringement, products liability, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. He has appeared and is licensed to practice in the state courts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts, and has first-chaired cases in the United States District Courts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Delaware, New York and others. He has also briefed and/or argued numerous cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In conjunction with his litigation practice, since 2001 Pat has served on the board for The Fund for the Legal Aid Society, an organization whose primary task is to raise money to support The Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis. Pat has been named a top lawyer in Minnesota in the area of business litigation and has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer every year since 2001 – a distinction received by less than 5% of the lawyers in Minnesota.
University of Vermont (BA cum laude 1982)
Duke University (MA Economics 1986)
Duke University School of Law (JD 1986)
State of Massachusetts (1986)
State of Minnesota (1989)
State of Wisconsin (1994)
US District Court, District of Massachusetts (1987)
US District Court, District of Minnesota (1989)
US District Court, District of Colorado (2008)
US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (2014)
US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan (2014)
US District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (2015)
US District Court, Western District of Michigan (2017)
US Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit (1987)
US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit (2019)
US Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit (2015)
US Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit (2016)
- American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Board Member, The Fund for the Legal Aid Society
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- The Minnesota Supreme Court Formally Adopts the Common-Interest Doctrine, Which Protects Against Waiver of the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine, FMJ Newsroom, October 2022
- Freeze-Out Mergers and The New Minnesota LLC Act, Bench & Bar of Minnesota, December 2017
- Joint Representation in Litigation Involving Closely Held Companies, Minnesota Lawyer, April 2013
- Pros and Cons of SLCs, Law360.com, May 2012
- Take These Steps Before Adding New Shareholders, Upsize Minnesota, February 2005
- RG Golf Warehouse, Inc. v. The Golf Warehouse, LLC, —F. Supp. 3d —, LEXIS 158758 (D. Minn. Sept. 2, 2022); obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims in a multi-million dollar contract claim arising out of a terminated referral agreement.
- Karon v. Elliott Aviation, 937 N.W.2d 334 (Iowa 2020), Iowa Supreme Court (1/10/20); affirming the District Court’s dismissal of a potential multi-million dollar claim against client, and establishing new Iowa law that forum selection clauses in written contracts are enforceable notwithstanding generalized allegations of fraud with respect to the contract as a whole.
- Groschopf v. Northern Tool & Equipment Catalog Company, Inc., 81 F. Supp. 3d 686 (E.D. Wis. 2014); obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims in a $19 million products liability case arising out of an exploding target product sold by defendant.
- Miller v. Elliott Aviation Aircraft Sales, Inc., 4:13-cv-161, Federal District Court, Southern District of Iowa (12/10/14); obtained a stipulation of dismissal of all claims on behalf of defendant with no monetary payment to plaintiff in a multi-million dollar claim arising out of the sale of a used $2.9 million Hawker Beechcraft Jet Aircraft.
- Local Government Property Insurance Fund v. OPS America, Inc., 13-cv-648, Wisconsin Circuit Court, Waukesha County (6/27/14); obtained a stipulation of dismissal of all claims on behalf of importer-defendant with no monetary payment to plaintiff in a substantial fire case involving an allegedly defective industrial fan.
- Ehrman v. Adam, et al., A08-2120 (Unpublished Opinion), Minnesota Court of Appeals (09/01/09); affirming District Court dismissal of plaintiff’s defamation lawsuit based on comments made by attorney during settlement discussions upheld.
- Powell v. Anderson, A05-734 (Unpublished Opinion), Minnesota Court of Appeals (01/10/06); affirming District Court’s dismissal of shareholder’s claims in closely-held business based on terms of a shareholder agreement signed by a minority shareholder.
- Bolander v. Bolander, 703 N.W.2d 529 (Minn. App. 2005); obtained partial reversal of jury verdict on grounds that, when president of a closely held company admits to actions, not in the best interests of the company, some form of equitable relief under Minnesota Statutes is required.
- Nelson Design Group. L.L.C. v. Scoville Press. Inc., A04-1603 (Unpublished Opinion), Minnesota Court of Appeals (06/21/05); summary judgment for defendant inappropriate if plaintiff able to raise even minimal fact issue concerning material issue of fact.
- Crenlo, Inc. v. Austin-Romtech, A03-851 (Unpublished Opinion), Minnesota Court of Appeals (05/04/04); summary judgment in breach of contract claim not appropriate if there are factual disputes regarding what was bargained for and received as part of the contract.
- In re Estate and Trust of Walter G. Anderson, 654 N.W.2d 682 (Minn. App. 2002); affirming District Court’s decision denying petitioner’s claim to remove trustee on grounds that prior decision is preclusive on all issues decided in first matter.
- Raines v. Sony Corporation of America, 523 N.W.2d 495 (Minn. App. 1995); obtained reversal of jury verdict on grounds that trial court erred in submitting case to jury on theory of res ipsa loquitur when evidence would sustain other theories of causation.
- Fire Insurance Exchange v. Adamson Motors, 514 N.W.2d 807 (Minn. App. 1994); affirming jury verdict in favor of client and establishing proper calculation of prejudgment interest; party not obligated to advise opponent prior to trial of opponent’s witnesses’ perjury conviction, and trial court did not err in not granting a continuance when witness failed to appear to testify.
- Rennick v. Minnegasco, et al., C5-90-917 (Unpublished Opinion), Minnesota Court of Appeals (11/20/90); affirming District Court decision that, absent notice of a problem, prior owner of real estate is not liable for injury to purchaser or third party caused by conditions existing at the time the purchaser took possession.
Pat lives with his wife, Laura, in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Pat is a season ticket-holder for the University of Minnesota Gopher football team. He also enjoys baseball, movies, reading and traveling with his family.