Mr. Patton's primary areas of practice are trial work and complex commercial litigation, labor and employment law, class actions, consumer finance, construction and health care law.
Representative Experience
· Lead trial counsel in commercial litigation covering all aspects of contract and commercial disputes and intellectual property
· Regularly provides advice and representation to employers and businesses associated with H2A and H2B workers programs, including defense of class and collective actions
· Involved in all types of employment litigation, as well as advising management on compliance issues in an effort to avoid or protect against lawsuits
· Provide strategic advice and counseling to companies dealing with the full array of employment and labor issues, including EEO policies and practices
· Represents management in dealings with unions and union avoidance campaign
· Conducts investigations of employee complaints and advises in all aspects employment law
· Conducts internal audits of employment practices with a focus on noncompete agreements, handbooks and protection of trade secrets
· Speaker at national programs such as Tulane University School of Law's National Employment and Labor Law Conference and the American Bar Association
· Experience in consumer finance litigation, including consumer protection laws and payment systems
· Experience in advising and investigating loan fraud on behalf of financial institutions
· Experience in loan and mortgage litigation
Affiliations
· American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Employment Rights & Responsibilities Committee
· North Carolina Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
Other
· Former Law Clerk, United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina