Patrick is a senior associate in the firm's Appellate Group. His practice encompasses a wealth of substantive areas including financial services,, class actions, aviation, medical devices, insurance disputes, arbitration clauses, credit reporting, elections, and the False Claims Act. He is experienced in matters before the Supreme Court of the United States and has successfully briefed and argued cases across the country. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has expressly noted Patrick’s “excellent representation” and “excellent briefing and argument” in multiple opinions.
Prior to joining Reed Smith, he taught as a Visiting Lecturer at Moi University School of Law in Kenya, and clerked for Judge D. Michael Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
In addition to litigating cases, Patrick has spoken at conferences and symposia throughout the country and abroad, and his writings have been published in the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality, Dublin University Law Journal, Cleveland State Law Review, Duquesne Law Review, University of Baltimore Journal of International Law, U.S. Law Week, BNA, Jurist, Corporate Counsel, For The Defense, and The Legal Intelligencer. He also edits and publishes the Third Circuit Bar Association’s quarterly newsletter "On Appeal."
Patrick has developed an extensive pro bono practice and obtained victories for indigent clients in the following areas:
LGBTQIA Rights
Patrick has paved a path for couples to obtain recognition of their same-sex common law marriages. He litigated the case resulting in Pennsylvania’s first same-sex common-law marriage as well as the case requiring Social Security to recognize Pennsylvania same-sex common-law marriage court declarations.
Patrick has successfully represented eight transgender individuals in their efforts to obtain name changes, both in Pennsylvania and Illinois. He is currently litigating a constitutional case on behalf of three transgender individuals who are challenging Pennsylvania’s ban on name changes for people with felony convictions.
Immigrants’ Rights
Patrick has represented individuals in immigration proceedings before the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and Board of Immigration Appeals. He recently won a case in the Third Circuit resulting in a judgment vacating an indigent individual’s order of removal.
Prisoners’ Rights / Capital Punishment
Patrick has vindicated the rights of prisoners. He obtained a Third Circuit reversal of an order dismissing an inmate’s First Amendment retaliation claims, and is currently litigating a case in the Seventh Circuit for a prisoner who was held 97 days past his true release date. In addition, Patrick authored and submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on behalf of the ACLU of Pennsylvania in support of the governor’s reprieve of a death row inmate
Veterans’ Rights
Patrick has filed three amicus briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of the Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (formerly, CLASV) in support of veterans who wish to bring suit against the Veterans Administration under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
