Summary

Patrick focuses his practice on providing legal representation to numerous large and small commercial, industrial, renewable energy and residential construction contractors and real estate developers. Patrick also serves as outside general counsel to a variety of clients and industries advising owners in all aspects of the business operations.

Patrick’s construction and development experience includes nearly every facet and phase of the process including contract drafting, labor and employment disputes, insurance and bonding, and contract administration. If, despite the best efforts of everyone involved in the project, any challenges or disputes arise, Patrick is well versed to take whatever steps are necessary to resolve the dispute in favor of his clients. Patrick has successfully defended and prosecuted numerous jury and bench trials as well as private arbitration proceedings.

Patrick regularly represents commercial contractors, developers, lenders, residential builders, subcontractors, and owners in areas such as:

  • Construction contract and joint venture drafting and negotiation
  • Risk management
  • Filing and litigating mechanic’s lien foreclosures
  • Construction and design defect cases
  • Public construction bid disputes
  • Disputes between owner/contractor and contractor/subcontractor
  • Delay claims and change order disputes
  • Insurance disputes
  • Municipal challenges to zoning and platting decisions
  • Performance and bond cases

Whether it is negotiating an engineering, procurement, and/or construction contract for a power plant, filing a mechanic’s lien, pursuing a bond claim, or enforcing the contractual rights of the client, Patrick has the knowledge, experience and attention to detail necessary to guide his clients through the complexities of construction and development law.

Patrick received his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Colorado College in 2004.

Awards

  • Honoree, Super Lawyers Rising Stars for Construction Litigation (2012-present)

Education

  • William Mitchell College of Law (2007)

    cum laude

  • Colorado College (2004)

    B.S., Political Science
    cum laude, with Distinction

Admissions

  • State - Minnesota
  • Federal - 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Federal - District of Minnesota

Notable Matters

  • Obtained trial verdict, which was subsequently upheld by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, on a mechanic’s lien foreclosure for a subcontractor that provided labor and materials for the construction of a hotel for which it was never paid.
  • Obtained a complete defense verdict in a two week jury trial where the general contractor alleged Patrick’s client, a framing subcontractor, allegedly installed defective lumber in numerous multi-family housing projects.
  • Counsel to industrial developer in all facets of entity formation, land acquisition, development, and leasing.
  • Numerous representations of large Midwest EPC contractor related to change order disputes, delay claims, and breach of contract.
  • Negotiation of numerous multi-million dollar engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for turnkey industrial facilities.
  • Counsel to a large renewable energy EPC contractor in lawsuits and arbitration related to subcontractor and project owner disputes.

Speeches and Publications

Author, “It’s My Construction Contract, I Can Arbitrate Where I Want,” Taft Law Bulletin, April 19, 2021

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association

    Member

  • Minnesota State Bar Association

    Member

  • Hennepin County Bar Association

    Member

Community Involvement

  • Minnesota Chapter of the Association of General Contractors

    Member