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Patrick Hodan is a shareholder in Reinhart’s Litigation Practice with decades of uniquely focused experience and a pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of commercial and product liability litigation.
Much of his practice centers on helping major manufacturers in the United States and Canada with fire-related claims. His extensive experience handling product recall issues with both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada make him especially skilled in resolving issues efficiently. He’s been involved in ground-breaking fraud cases before the Wisconsin appellate courts and has developed a keen understanding of the duty to disclose in business transactions. Patrick also counsels and defends banks, lenders and investors involved in commercial disputes, including Wisconsin Chapter 128 litigation. More recently, Patrick has devoted substantial time assisting clients concerning contaminants, including Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS (including PFOA and PFOS).
Patrick excels in helping companies protect their image and brand so they can succeed in the marketplace. He is a solutions-centered attorney who carefully evaluates the impact of litigation on a client's long-term goals and brand. Thanks to his reliably sound advice, he enjoys client relationships that span decades. He sees each challenge as an opportunity to both learn and share strategies gleaned from long experience.
Before entering law, Patrick managed congressional campaigns in Idaho, Missouri and Oregon, and served as a legislative aide in Washington, D.C. He remains active in politics and was retained by the Wisconsin Assembly and the State Elections Board in the 2000 and 2010 legislative and congressional redistricting disputes in federal court. The skills he learned in politics continue to shape his practice, helping him devise efficient, cost-effective solutions for clients.
Patrick enjoys spending time with family, reading, running daily and traveling.
Education
- J.D., cum laude, Marquette University Law School
- B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, Georgetown University (Business Administration)
Bar Admissions
Wisconsin
Court Admissions
- State of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- Served as national counsel for North America’s largest manufacturer of residential ventilation products in fire litigation and fire investigations throughout the United States and Canada
- Guided national consumer product and motor vehicle equipment manufacturers through recalls and reporting obligations with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
- Recovered millions of dollars for a national bank arising from problematic loans in the construction and energy industry
- Retained by national bank in a $20 million bond collection dispute
- Served as trial counsel for the Government Accountability Board in the Congressional and State Legislative Redistricting that followed the 2010 Census, Baldus, et al. v. GAB, et al., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Civil Action No. 11-CV-1011 (2012)
- Served as trial counsel for the Wisconsin Assembly Republican Caucus in the Congressional and State Legislative Redistricting that followed the 2000 Census, Arlington, et al. v. Baumgart, et al., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Civil Action No. 01-C-0121 (2002)
- Resolved a significant lien foreclosure action and construction dispute brought against a real estate developer and big box retailer
Honors
- Best Lawyers, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Law "Lawyer of the Year" (2022)
- Best Lawyers in America (Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Law)
- Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers
- Wisconsin Top Rated Lawyer Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Former member of the Wisconsin Elections Board, where he oversaw Wisconsin's campaign finance and election laws
News & Insights
Reinhart Adds New PFAS Group
Press Releases
Gathering Clouds: Emerging Product Liability Risks
Webinars & Presentations
36 Reinhart Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers
Press Releases
40 Reinhart Attorneys Recognized by Wisconsin Super Lawyers
Press Releases
43 Reinhart Attorneys Recognized by Wisconsin Super Lawyers
Press Releases
- "PFAS Compounds a Problem for Wisconsin Businesses," interviewed, In Business magazine, September 27, 2023
- "The Coming Wave of PFAS Litigation? The Landmark Trial That Wasn't" co-author, Milwaukee Business Journal, September 19, 2023
- "Reinhart Launches PFAS-Focused Practice Group" quoted, Law 360 Pulse, July 3, 2023
- "The Coming Wave of PFAS Litigation?" co-author, Wisconsin Law Journal, July 13, 2023