Perspectiva General

Patrick is the founding shareholder of Littler’s Nevada offices. He has litigated more than 500 employment lawsuits to conclusion. A highly-experienced trial attorney, he has successfully defended scores of jury trials and has handled numerous arbitrations and mediations. Companies frequently call upon Patrick to try difficult cases even when handled by other firms. Patrick regularly appears in state and federal courts and represents clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and various other states' administrative agencies representing employers in:

  • Wrongful termination
  • Employment discrimination and harassment
  • Breach of contract litigation, noncompete and trade secrets 

Various organizations have regularly recognized Patrick as one of the nation’s best employment and trial attorneys. He has obtained defense verdicts in scores of jury trials involving discrimination on the basis of race, age, national origin and disability; breach of contract; and single and multi-plaintiff sexual harassment cases. A small sampling of his notable trial successes include:

  • A disability discrimination case with multiple claims resulting in a complete defense verdict following a one-week trial
  • A defamation case in which the plaintiff dismissed her case with prejudice without any compensation by the defendant following the cross-examination of the plaintiff
  • A national origin discrimination and defamation case in which the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the defendant following a one-week trial
  • A case regarding intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and assault in which the plaintiff dismissed the case after the cross-examination of the plaintiff in exchange for a waiver of costs
  • A disability discrimination case resulting in a complete defense verdict
  • A sexual harassment and assault case which resulted in a complete defense verdict following a two-week jury trial

One of Littler's premier speakers, Patrick trains and speaks on a variety of timely employment topics of interest, including:

  • Documentation and discharge of employees
  • Harassment and discrimination
  • Employee handbooks and policies
  • Workplace investigations

Patrick has completed the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Leadership training. Active in firm management during his over 37 years with Littler, he chairs the EPLI Committee and has served on various boards and committees including but not limited to the Diversity Advisory Group, the Career Advocacy Program Committee, the Business Development Council Committee and Littler's Board of Directors. Patrick is the founding shareholder and former office managing shareholder of the Las Vegas and Reno offices, and former co-chair of the Hospitality Practice Group.

Afiliaciones Profesionales y Comunitarias

Past Co-Chair

Gaming Litigation Sub-Committee

American Bar Association

Past Chair

Legislative Committee

Southern Nevada Human Resources Association

Reconocimiento

Awarded, AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2016-2025

Ranked, Labor & Employment

Chambers USA

2005-2024

Named, Top Lawyers

Labor and Employment

Vegas Inc.

2021

Named, Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2007-2019 2021-2022

Named, 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers

Lawdragon

2020-2025

Named, Nations' Most Powerful Employment Attorneys

Top 100

Human Resource Executive / Lawdragon Inc.

2012-2019

Named, Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition

2009, 2012

Named, A Leading Expert in the Employment Law Field

The Legal 500 US

Inducted, Marysville High School Hall of Fame

Business and professional

2018

News, Analysis & Press

If I Knew Then …

Crain’s Las Vegas

January 5, 2018

Bills Businesses are Watching

Las Vegas Business Press

April 3, 2017

Patrick Hicks | attorney, Littler Mendelson

Las Vegas Business Press

July 13, 2015

Top Lawyers 2013

VEGAS INC

September 16, 2013

FMLA and ADA Intersection Dangerous For Employers

Human Resource Executive Online

April 24, 2013

Disability Act Charges and Awards Skyrocket

Corporate Counsel

March 27, 2013

Supreme Court Ruling Effectively Extends Time Period for Plaintiffs to File Disparate Impact Charges

Casino Enterprise Management

September 2010

Likeability: An Essential Element of Success In A Jury Trial

Communiqué

August 2010

A Charge by Any Other Name, Is Still a Charge: High Court Adopts Broad Definition in Age Cases

Casino Enterprise Management

June 2008

Survey of Recent EPLI Cases and Their Implications for the Defense of Employment Related Cases

Communiqué

March 2007

Effects in the Workplace of the Expansion of Nevada's New Smoking Restrictions

Privacy & Data Security Law Journal, Vol. 2, No.3.

February 2007

Reasonable Dress and Grooming Requirements Survive Court Scrutiny

Gaming Law Review

August 2006

Makeup Rule Upheld By Ninth Circuit

Insight

January 19, 2005

Libros & Capítulos

  • Inside the Minds: Labor and Employment Strategies, Aspatore Books, 2007

Speaking Engagements

2024 Nevada Regional Employer Conference

Las Vegas, NV

October 16, 2024

Managing Crisis and Having Difficult Conversations

National Association of College Directors of Athletics, Las Vegas, NV

June 6, 2024

2022 Nevada Regional Employer Conference - Reno

Reno, NV

September 13, 2022

2022 Nevada Regional Employer Conference - Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV

September 8, 2022

COVID-19 - Its Impact on Employment Litigation, How Best to Prepare Your Company, and What the Future of Litigation May Hold

Nevada Virtual Regional Employer Conference

September 14, 2021

2020 Nevada Virtual Employer

October 29, 2020

Reopening Utah: Preparing for Anticipated Litigation in the Post-COVID World

July 10, 2020

Reopening Nevada: Preparing for Anticipated Litigation in the Post-COVID World

June 24, 2020

The Pay Equity Wave Continues: What You Need to Know to Stay Afloat

Nevada Employer Conferences, Las Vegas and Reno

September 12-13, 2018

President Trump’s First 100 Days: What Does It Mean for Employers?

Las Vegas, NV

March 24, 2017

Noncompetes and Trade Secret Protection: A Nevada Employer’s Guide to Safeguarding Your Company's Business

March 1, 2017

The 2015 Nevada Employer Conference

Las Vegas, NV

February 24, 2015

The 2013 Nevada Employer Conference

Las Vegas, NV

November 7, 2013

The 2013 Nevada Employer Conference

Reno, NV

November 5, 2013

Obama's Second Term: Impact on Labor, Employment and Benefits Law

Las Vegas, NV

February 7, 2013

How to Conduct Lawful Investigations

Las Vegas, NV

June 6, 2012

Insurance Coverage of Employment Law Claims: How Employers and Insurance Carriers Can Work Together Effectively

The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference

Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ

May 11, 2012

EPLI Trends

Las Vegas, NV

October 22, 2010

Defining and Delivering Greater Value for Clients

Association of Corporate Counsel, Nevada Chapter, Las Vegas, NV

October 8, 2010

Legal Update: Recent Developments and Emerging EEO Trends

Las Vegas, NV

September 14, 2010

Conducting Lawful Investigations: Avoiding the Landmines

March 3, 2010

Reductions in Force: The Puzzle, The Process And Alternatives

April 1, 2009

The Employment Arena: An Insider's View - Reno

October 25, 2007

The Employment Arena: An Insider's View

October 24, 2007

Educación

  • J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings), 1987
  • B.A., University of California, Davis, 1984

Admisión de la barra

Nevada
California

Cortes

  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado