Representative Experience and Credentials

Attorney Patrick O'Connor focuses on employment law, civil rights, wage and hour disputes, and complex civil litigation. His background includes experience with labor organizations, government, legal aid, private litigation firms, and employee-side employment law practices.

Education

University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D. (2015)

• Certificate in Labor and Employment Law (Honors)
• Completed curricular concentration in labor and employment law studies

University of Massachusetts Amherst, B.A., cum laude (2010)

• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
• Majors in English and Communication
• Certificates in American Studies and Creative Writing

Admissions

• Wisconsin, 2015
• Rhode Island, 2016
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, 2017
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2023

Professional Experience

National Labor Relations Board – Milwaukee Subregional Office

• Researched and presented matters involving unfair labor practices and protected concerted activity

Laborers' International Union – Washington, D.C.

• Peggy Browning Fellow
• Researched labor and employment issues and proposed federal legislation

Union-Side Labor Law Practice (Rhode Island)

• Represented private and public-sector labor organizations and individual employees before arbitrators, administrative agencies, and courts
• Conducted legal research and advocacy involving unfair labor practices, wage and hour violations, and employee benefits disputes

Employee-Side Employment Law Practice

• Represent employees in discrimination, retaliation, harassment, disability accommodation, wage and hour, and wrongful termination matters
• Advise clients regarding claims before the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, Madison Equal Opportunities Division, EEOC, and federal courts

Civil Litigation Experience

• Litigated employment, civil rights, consumer protection, business, contract, defamation, trade secret, landlord-tenant, construction, and probate disputes
• Drafted pleadings, argued motions, conducted discovery, negotiated settlements, and represented clients through trial and judgment

Representative Results

Employment Law

• Krantz v. Shutter Zone Media LLC, No. 24-cv-647 (W.D. Wis. 2025) – Defeated motion to dismiss Fair Labor Standards Act claims based on mootness arguments

• Phillips v. Mega Concrete Construction LLC, No. 20-cv-658 (W.D. Wis.) – Defeated motions to dismiss and for summary judgment in workplace racial discrimination litigation that proceeded to jury trial

Appellate Litigation

• Trojan v. Trojan, 208 A.3d 221 (R.I. 2019) – Successfully represented appellant before the Rhode Island Supreme Court in a precedential decision involving child support calculations

Civil Litigation

• Obtained summary judgment on negligent hiring, negligent supervision, landlord-tenant, and invasion of privacy claims

• Successfully obtained reconsideration resulting in an award of attorney fees under Wis. Stat. § 995.50

• Defeated insurance company declaratory judgment claims in Wisconsin consumer protection litigation

• Successfully obtained discovery orders and dismissals of adverse claims in Wisconsin circuit courts

Settlements and Resolutions

Successfully negotiated settlements involving:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• Wisconsin Fair Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• 42 U.S.C. § 1981 discrimination claims

Also resolved disputes involving:

• Wisconsin Consumer Act
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
• Home Improvement Practices Act
• Deceptive Trade Practices
• Civil theft and theft-by-contractor claims
• Public accommodations discrimination claims

Publications

Patrick O'Connor, "Political Beliefs" and Employer Mask Mandates, WisLawNOW Blog (State Bar of Wisconsin Labor & Employment Law Section), Mar. 7, 2022.

Co-author, “Chapter 8: Collective Activity,” A Practical Guide to Employment Law in Rhode Island (2016) (with Elizabeth Wiens, Esq.).