Patrick Muench

Partner ◼︎ Chicago, IL

OVERVIEW

Patrick Muench litigates complex commercial cases with emphasis on ERISA, antitrust, and oil and gas disputes. He handles all aspects of these matters from discovery through trial.

Clerkships

- Law Clerk, Hon. Robert M. Dow Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2007 – 2009)

Representative Matters

- Won a $30 million trial judgment in Brundle v. Wilmington Trust, a case involving multiple breaches of duty by the trustee and complex valuation issues in an ESOP transaction; won a complete affirmance by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, establishing new law on ESOPs that has been cited nationwide
- Represented the FDIC in its capacity as receiver of Colonial Bank; case resolved favorably to the FDIC as part of a multi-case, multi-agency settlement for $16.65 billion, the largest single-company settlement in U.S. history
- Brundle v. Wilmington Trust
- Bank of America, NA v. FDIC-Receiver

Community and Professional Activities

- Illinois State Bar Association

PRACTICE AREAS

- Business Valuation
- Commercial Litigation
- Energy – Oil & Gas
- ERISA, Employee Benefits & Trust Litigation

EDUCATION

- J.D., University of Illinois College of Law, 2006, cum laude, Rickert Award for Excellence in Advocacy, Best Brief at 2006 National Environment Moot Court Competition
- B.A., University of Texas at Austin, 2000

ADMISSIONS

- Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois