Experienced in both state and federal courts, Patrick practices employment law and litigation primarily on behalf of management in a variety of complex workplace public sector and business disputes. He has an extensive background representing a variety of governmental entities and public sector employees in Florida, including in law enforcement, fire and rescue, and education. Patrick is one of three Shumaker lawyers who represent the School Board of Sarasota County.
Patrick routinely advises employers regarding a wide range of workplace concerns, such as discrimination, public sector collective bargaining, harassment, retaliation, and other hiring and contractual matters. He also represents employers in pre-litigation matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. His specific litigation practice areas include:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Florida Civil Rights Act
- Florida Whistleblower Act
- Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
- Open government and open meeting laws
- Title VII
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)
- Law enforcement use of force
After earning his law degree from the Stetson University College of Law, Patrick served as an Assistant State Attorney in Sarasota and Manatee counties, where he prosecuted some of the area's most notorious criminals. He also served as in-house counsel for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for eight years. As a result, Patrick possesses extensive knowledge of governmental affairs, constitutional law, and criminal law, and he was formerly a registered lobbyist before Florida's executive branch and the state's Constitutional Revision Commission. In his free time, Patrick enjoys spending time with his family.
Education
J.D., Stetson University College of Law, 2004
B.A., with honors, History, University of Florida, 2000
Professional Associations
- Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC), Board Chair
- Sarasota County Gator Club, Board Member
- Sarasota Tiger Bay Club. Board Member
- Judicial Advisory Commission, Middle District of Florida (118th Congress)
- Sarasota County Bar Association
- The Federalist Society – Sarasota Chapter Executive Committee Member
- The Florida Association of Police Attorneys, Member
- Florida School Board Attorneys Association, Member
- The Ringling College Library Association, 2017 Town Hall Lecture Series Chair
Honors
- SRQ Magazine: Elite Top Attorneys, Labor and Employment, 2020 – 2022
Representative Matters
- As first chair, litigated more than 30 jury trials to verdict, achieving the winning verdict in the overwhelming majority
- As first chair, won all five litigated employment termination appeal hearings, all on behalf of management
- As first chair, authored legal briefs and made oral argument before Florida's Second District Court of Appeal
- Regarding legislative initiatives, either co-wrote or significantly contributed to the drafting of the final version of five different enacted county ordinances and contributed to drafting and revising numerous bills presented to the Florida legislature, including some that became law
- As a registered lobbyist, appeared on the record before Florida's Constitutional Revision Commission in furtherance of client interests
- As in-house counsel, helped manage a legal team for high liability entity with nearly 1000 employees and operating budget exceeding $110 million dollars