Overview

Patrick Causey is a Shareholder in the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group.  He is a civil trial lawyer that represents clients in a variety of commercial matters including breach of contract, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, trademark and copyright infringement litigation, fraud, partnership disputes, unfair trade practices, business torts, real estate litigation, and trade secrets litigation. Patrick also represents lawyers, financial advisors, and other professionals against claims of malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, and frequently lectures on the topic of legal malpractice at national seminars and conferences. 

Representative Clients

Commercial Litigation

• Represented a fork lift manufacturer in breach of contract matters against vendors, customers and competitors
• Represented a medical supply company in litigation against a former executive and his new employer for breaching a non-competition and confidentiality agreement and misappropriation of trade secrets
• Represented a Fortune 500 company in litigation involving allegations of trade secret misappropriation
• Represented financial institution in dispute over fraudulently issued check; obtained summary judgment on key claims raised by the plaintiff, which led to a favorable settlement for the client
• Represented a physician’s association accused of violating Florida's Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
• Defended corporations against charges of violating Federal and Florida consumer protection statutes

Legal Malpractice Defense

• Represented a lawyer and law firm sued for legal malpractice in connection with a malicious prosecution matter. Successfully obtained summary judgment on damage claims totaling $60 million and helped obtain settlement for client on favorable terms, avoiding trial
• Represented a lawyer and law firm sued for legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty in a claim brought by the FDIC. The case was successfully appealed in favor of the lawyer and firm at the 11th Circuit
• Represented a lawyer and law firm sued for legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud in connection with business advice provided to an attorney going through a divorce
• Represented international law firm in legal malpractice action involving the sale of a multi-million property
• Represented a lawyer and law firm sued for legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud in connection with litigation over the sale of a multi-million dollar business
• Represented a lawyer and law firm sued for legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a trademark infringement action. Obtained dismissal of $80 million in damage claims and a settlement on favorable terms for the client avoiding trial
• Represented a law firm sued for violating Federal and Florida Fair Debt Collection Practices statutes

Intellectual Property

• Represented a manufacturer of e-cigarettes in several litigation matters involving enforcing trademark and other intellectual property rights
• Represented a water excavation company in litigation before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board against a former employee and competitor who sought to obtain a trademark on the client’s proprietary information. Successfully obtained a dismissal of the trademark application for fraud on the TTAB
• Represented a nutritional bar company identify and acquire three trademarks for its business name and primary slogan
• Represented a local boutique market protect its common law copyrights against competitor infringing the same
• Represented a bank against third parties using the bank’s trademarks in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme.

Honors and Distinctions

• AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2015-2020

Professional Involvement

• St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
  • Board of Governors
• St. Petersburg Bar Association
• St. Petersburg Bar Foundation
  • Board of Trustees, Young Lawyer Representative
• American Bar Association
• The Florida Bar
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
  • Young Lawyers Division
• Defense Research Institute
  • Trial Tactics Committee, Membership Chair
  • Deposition Institue Program, Vice-Chair, 2017
  • ​Vice-Chair, Trial Skills and Damages Seminar, 2019

Community Involvement

• Leadership St. Pete, Class of 2019
• The Kind Mouse Board of Directors, 2017
• Greenlight Pinellas, Business Litigation Council, 2013-2014
• Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Johny Ferlita Memorial Fishing Tournament, Planning Committee, 2012
• YMCA Youth Basketball Coach, 2010-2013

News

• Five Steps an Employer Should Take if it Suspects a Former Employee Violated a Non-Compete by Patrick Causey
• Forty Seven Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2020
• Patrick Causey Outlines What to Include in Your Business Contract in TBBW Magazine
• Shareholder Patrick M. Causey Appointed to St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors
• Forty-Nine Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2019
• Patrick M. Causey Discusses Non-Compete Agreements in Article for MarketWatch
• Patrick M. Causey Appointed to St. Petersburg Bar Foundation Board of Trustees
• Tips for Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreements by Patrick M. Causey
• Richard A. Bruner, Jr., Patrick M. Causey, Catherine DiPaolo, and Anne C. Leonard Elevated to Shareholder
• Forty Seven Trenam Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2018

Thought Leadership

• "Five Steps an Employer Should Take If It Suspects a Former Employee Violated A Non-Compete", Author, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, May 2021
• "What to Include in Your Business Contract," Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine, May 2020
• "A Lawyer Reveals What to Do When Your Boss Demands You Sign a Non-Compete Agreement," MarketWatch, May 2019
• "Tips for Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreements," Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine, April 2019
• "Best Practices to Avoid Legal Malpractice Claims," Speaker, Hillsborough County Bar Association Martial and Family CLE, October 2018
• "Best Practices for Consumer Protection Statutes," Presenter, Tampa Bay Association for Financial Professionals Quarterly Conference, October 2018
• "Best Practices to Avoid Legal Malpractice," Presenter, Worklaw Networking Meeting, October 2017
• "Who's Coming With Me? Ethical Considerations Facing Lawyers Switching Firms," Presenter, Annual Florida Bar Board of Governors Meeting, July 2017
• "Best Practices to Avoid Legal Malpractice Claims," Speaker, DRI Trial Tactics Seminar, March 2017
• "Discovery to Expect in a Legal Malpractice Case Against You: Avoiding Future Issues," Speaker, Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, Basic Discovery CLE, 2015
• "10 Best Practices to Avoid a Legal Malpractice Claim," Speaker, DRI Trial Tactics Webinar, 2015
• Judicial Panel Moderator, Florida Bar Young Lawyer Practicing with Professionalism CLE, 2014, 2015
• "How Incorporating These Best Practice Tips Will Help You Defend Against A Legal Malpractice Claim," October 2014, For the Defense
• "Documenting the File," October 2012, The American Bar Association