Patrick J. Hynes

Patrick Hynes is a Shareholder and Chair of the St. Paul Division. As a lobbyist, Patrick spends the majority of his time interfacing with legislators, executive branch officials, and clients — in addition to overseeing all business operations for the Government Relations office. He is also an attorney and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors.

Patrick focuses his work on educating and advocating. With nearly 20 years of legislative and private practice experience, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, and his time spent as an attorney grants him invaluable insight into both sides of the legislative equation — client-facing and legal-facing. Having served in the Minnesota Senate for six years in a number of key positions, including policy advisor to the Senate Majority Leader, Patrick understands the nuances of legislative procedure that can be the difference between success and failure during the crush of legislative activity. For instance, as the Intergovernmental Relations Counsel at the League of Minnesota Cities, Patrick represented the interests of over 800 cities at the Legislature, and was called to the testimony table many times to explain the potential impacts of bills and legislation.

As a private practice attorney, Patrick represented numerous clients in complex construction defect litigation and provided legal advice and counsel to small businesses, individuals, and local units of government. Patrick enjoys learning the details of his clients’ businesses and organizations and working with them to achieve their goals, whether they relate specifically to legislative work or to the overall success of the organization. He believes that a strong government relations practice is inextricably linked to successful organizations — and he loves being a part of both.