MEMBERS OF FIRM
Thomas E. Patterson (Manager) admitted to bar, 1979, Illinois; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Illinois Wesleyan University (B.A., 1975); DePaul University (J.D., 1979). Editor, DePaul Law Review, 1978-1979. Law Clerk to Justice William G. Clark, Illinois Supreme Court. Associate and Equity Partner, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon. Author: Note, Ex Parte Contacts in Informal Rulemaking Proceedings: Home Box Office v. FCC, 27 DePaul Law Review 489, 1978; "Handling the Business Emergency: Temporary Restraining Orders and Preliminary Injunctions," published by the American Bar Association, 2009. Speeches or Publications: Do You Make These 7 Pleading Mistakes in Breach of Contract Litigation; How to Keep Secrets: The Attorney-Client Privilege, April 1999; When is an Expert Not an Expert, April 2000; How to Avoid the Legal Pitfalls of E-Commerce, May 2, 2001. Member: DuPage County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations; Federal Trial Bar. Reported Cases: In re: Marriage of Bennett, 131 Ill.App.3d 1030, 476 N.E.2d 1297 (2d Dist. 1985); Chemical Bank v. Paul, 244 Ill.App.3d 772, 614 N.E. 2d 436 (1st Dist. 1993); Franklin v. FMC Corp., 150 Ill.2d 162, 510 NE 2d 889 (1987); Interfaith Medical Center v. Sabiston, 527 N.Y.S.24 48, 136 A.D.2d 238 (NY AD 1988); McKenzie v. Romeiser, 205 Ill.App. 3d 563 N.E.2d 837 (1990); Stofer v. First National Bank of Effingham, 212 Ill.App.3d 530, 571 N.E.2d 157 (5th Dist. 1991); Hinc v. Lime-O-Sol Co., 382 F.3d 716 (7th Cir. 2004); Welsh v. Boy Scouts of America, 993 F.2d 126 (7th Cir. 1993). Practice Areas: Banking; Loan Agreements; Guaranty Contracts; Class Actions; Commercial Contracts; Construction; Corporate Issues; Partnership Issues; LLC Issues; Defamation or Product Disparagement; Emergency Litigation; Employment; Insurance and Contractual Indemnity; Intellectual Property/Technology; Personal Injury; Professional Negligence; Real Estate; Sales of Goods; Unfair Competition.Email: Thomas E. Patterson
James T. Nyeste (Partner) admitted to bar, 1979, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1984, Trial Bar; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; 1987, U.S. Claims Court; 1992, U.S. Supreme Court; 1994, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois; 1995, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin. Education: Michigan State University (B.S., 1976); University of Chicago School of Law (J.D., 1979). James T. Graduated from The University of Chicago Law School in 1979. He is "of counsel" to the Patterson Law Firm. Previously, he was the associate and then equity partner with Mr. Patterson at a large Chicago law firm.
Mr. Nyeste has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, trial practice and appeals involving contracts, fraud and deceptive practices, shareholder/member disputes, corporate dissolution, injunctions and other equitable relief. He has also tried personal injury and property damage cases for both plaintiffs and defendants.
A substantial portion of Mr. Nyeste's practices also involves representing corporate and individual policyholders and claimants in matters of insurance law and litigation, including declaratory judgments, coverage and defense cost claims, ERISA benefits, bad faith penalties, reformations and rescissions.
He is a co-author of Manual for Complex Insurance Coverage Litigation, Prentice Hall Law and Business, (1993), Illinois Automobile Insurance Law (Chapter of Bad Faith Claims against Insurers), Thomson West (2007), and of several articles in "The Policy," the newsletter of the ISBA's section of Insurance Law and in the Illinois Bar Journal.
Member: Illinois State Bar Association (Member, Governing Council, Insurance Law Section).
Practice Areas: Insurance Law; Litigation.Email: James T. Nyeste
Kristi L. Browne (Member) admitted to bar, 1987, Illinois; 1988, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; 1989, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: University of South Dakota (B.A., English and Philosophy, cum laude, 1984); Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 1987).
Ms. Browne has spent most of her career as a plaintiff's class action attorney representing individuals in consumer fraud, securities, mortgage fraud, antitrust, ERISA and employment cases. She has also represented businesses in breach of contract cases, control disputes and trademark infringement actions. Class action work has provided her with the opportunity to hone her skills at complex litigation as well as learn everything from how orange juice is made to the intricacies if the mortgage backed securities marker. Ms. Browne also practices in the area of education advocacy, representing parents of children with special needs to obtain services from their school districts.
Member: Chicago, Illinois State and American Bar Associations; Federal Trial Bar; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago (Member, Judicial Evaluation Committee).
Practice Areas: Class Actions; Securities; Civil RICO; Litigation; Business Law; Business Litigation; Franchise Law; Breach of Contract.Email: Kristi L. Browne
Raymond A. Regner, Jr. (Member) admitted to bar, 1989, Michigan and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan; 1990, Illinois and District of Columbia; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth and Seventh Circuits. Education: Michigan State University, James Madison (B.A., 1986); Wayne State University (J.D., 1989). President, Student Board of Governors, Wayne State University Law School. Legal Intern, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington D.C., Top Oralist Moot Court Program 1988. Trial Attorney, Cook County State's Attorney's Office Gang Crimes Special Prosecutions Bureau and Felony Trial Division, 1990-1995 and 2001-2004. Former Shareholder, Cross Wrock, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, 1995-2000. Former General Counsel for Large Chicago Real Estate Developer, 2005-2009. Practice Areas: General Business Practice; Commercial Litigation; Employment; Real Estate; Litigation.Email: Raymond A. Regner, Jr.
ASSOCIATES
Christine Anne Giovannelli (Associate) admitted to bar, 2002, Illinois; 2003, New York; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: Northern Illinois University (B.S., with honors); Loyola University (J.D., 2002).
While in law school, Ms. Giovannelli served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Ronald A. Guzman, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois.
After law school, Ms. Giovannelli moved to New York to volunteer with Trial Lawyers Care, a non-profit organization created to provide free legal advice to victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. In April 2003, Ms. Giovannelli took employment with a New York class action boutique firm specializing in plaintiff's class action and derivative litigation. In April 2005, Ms. Giovanelli moved back to Chicago to begin employment with the Patterson Law Firm.
She is experienced in franchise and lease agreements, federal section 8 housing, federal securities laws, federal privacy laws, state and federal contract laws and various other complex commercial matters.
Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Class Actions.Email: Christine Anne Giovannelli
Scott Berends (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Education: University of Illinois (B.S., Philosophy and Political Science, cum laude, 2000); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2003).
While in law school, Mr. Berends served as a judicial extern for the Honorable David Bernthal, Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois.
Practice Areas: Breach of Contract; Close Corporation Shareholder Disputes; Commercial Litigation.Email: Scott Berends
Ryan Sawyer (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Illinois. Education: University of Illinois (B.A., Political Science, 2004); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007).
While in law school, he participated for three semesters on the Frederick Green Moot Court Competition and was recognized as having the best oral argument during the Midwest Regional Moot Court Competitions preliminary round in March 2007.
During law school, Mr. Sawyer worked at a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Charles Reynard at the Mclean County Circuit and then worked at the law firm of Frederick & Hagle in Champaign, Illinois in the field of personal injury law.
Ryan Sawyer joined the Patterson Law Firm in August 2007.
Member: Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations.
Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Law.
Maureen Cole (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Illinois. Education: University of Illinois (B.S., 1995); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007).
Before attending law school, Ms. Cole was a Human Resources professional working in various management positions including Vice President-Human Resources for Liberty Group Publishing.
Ms. Cole joined the Patterson Law Firm in November of 2007.
Order of the Coif. Harno Scholar. Member: Chicago, Illinois State and American Bar Associations.
Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Breach of Contract; Personal Injury Litigation.
Betsy Ruth Palathinkal (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Illinois. Education: University of Alberta (B.A., Political Science, with honors, 2001; LL.B., 2004); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007).
She previously worked at a law firm in Alberta, Canada concentrating in oil and gas matters. While in law school at the University of Illinois, she worked at a title insurance company.
Prior to law school, Ms. Palathinkal worked with Canada Border service as a student customs inspector.
Ms. Palathinkal joined the Patterson Law Firm in November of 2007.
Member: Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations.
Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Emergency Business Litigation.
Joseph Barber (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, Illinois. Education: Northwestern University (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 2002); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2008).
While in law school, Mr. Barber was the Editor-in-Chief of the Elder Law Journal. As Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Barber worked with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to hold an elderly creditors rights conference in May of 2007 at the Federal Reserve in Chicago. Mr. Barber also published an article entitled The Kids Aren't All Right: The Failure of Child Abuse as a Model for Combating Elder Abuse in The Elder Law Journal. Mr. Barber also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Matthew F. Kennedy of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Prior to law school, Mr. Barber served as U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa.