Patrick G. O'Brien
Senior Counsel
Areas of Focus
- Class Actions
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Insurance Litigation
- Investment Funds Litigation
- Labor & Employment
- Disputes & Investigations
- Securities Enforcement & Litigation
- Supreme Court & Appellate
- Pro Bono
- Consumer Protection
- Private Capital
- Represents public and private companies in complex commercial and employment litigation in federal, state and appellate courts.
Patrick’s practice involves:
- Complex fiduciary-duty litigation
- Shareholder class actions and derivative lawsuits
- Commercial contract disputes
- Commercial real estate litigation
- Business torts
- Employment discrimination matters.
Patrick has successfully obtained dismissals and judgments on behalf of numerous clients in litigation and appellate matters. He regularly represents:
- Real estate investment trusts
- Commercial mortgage providers
- Financial services companies
- Investment funds
- Insurance companies
- Technology companies
- Directors and officers of public and private companies.
Patrick also represents clients on corporate governance matters and regulatory investigations. In addition, he is actively involved in appellate and pro bono representations.
Prior to joining Akin, Patrick served as a law clerk from 2004 to 2005 for the Honorable Xavier Rodriguez of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. He also served as a judicial intern for the Honorable David Puryear of the Texas 3rd District Court of Appeals in Austin. From 1999 to 2001, he worked in Burnet, Texas, as a chemist for a chemical supplier in the semiconductor industry.
- Successfully obtained dismissal and summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 100 company in multiple federal court actions eventually affirmed on appeal.
- Defended Texas and Delaware companies and directors in shareholder class action and derivative lawsuits in federal and state court.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a financial services company on an affirmative claim for breach of an exclusive agent agreement.
- Led successful pro bono efforts in the Texas Supreme Court to overturn a dismissal of a restricted appeal in a case, which established standards for timeliness of notices of appeal in restricted appeals in Texas state courts.
- Successfully argued a pro bono divorce appeal to the Austin Court of Appeals in 2010.
EducationJ.D., University of Texas School of Law, with honors, 2004
B.S., University of Washington, 1999
B.A., University of Washington, 1999
J.D., University of Texas School of Law, with honors, 2004
B.S., University of Washington, 1999
B.A., University of Washington, 1999
ClerkshipsU.S.D.C., Western District of Texas
U.S.D.C., Western District of Texas
Bar AdmissionsTexas
Texas
- Texas Lawyer, Rising Star – Business Litigation, 2012 and 2013.
- Law360, Employment Practice Group of the Year, four times in seven years: 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
- Member, Dallas Bar Association.
- Member, Recruiting Committee, Akin Dallas office.
- Member, Pro Bono Committee, Akin Dallas office.
