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Patrick F. Haggerty

Partner | Chair, Litigation Practice Group

Overview

Pat is Chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He represents clients in a wide range of litigation related issues and serves as national coordinating and national trial counsel for companies facing significant exposures. He has extensive experience in designing and coordinating defense strategies and investigation efforts for clients ranging from closely held corporations to Fortune 100 companies.

Pat created the firms Cannabis Law and Policy Group in response to the increasingly complex issues surrounding the legalization of medical marijuana and hemp. This work has extended to providing representation to clients involving the vast array of issues created by the national movement to legalize hemp and recreational cannabis.

Pat is designated Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants (2020) in Cleveland and is regularly named to The Best Lawyers in America and Ohio Super Lawyers list. He is consistently rated AV Preeminent, the highest ranking, for attorney professional and ethical excellence by Martindale-Hubbell. Pat remains firmly rooted in his community by serving on several nonprofit Board’s and regularly provides pro bono representations to individuals and groups.

               

Practices

    • National coordinating counsel for several companies in product liability and mass tort litigation.
    • National trial counsel for manufacturers of consumer products.
    • Trial counsel in several class actions involving claims of insurance coverage and unconscionable sales practices.
    • Appellate counsel (as both appellate and appellee) for major insurers, financial institutions, and several companies in federal and state courts.
    • Trained management and staff personnel on anti-corruption issues in U.S., Canada (including Quebec), China, Australia and Brazil.
    • Served as judicial clerk for the Honorable Blanche Krupansky Eighth District, Ohio Court of Appeals.

  • Education

    • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1984
    • McGill University, B.A., 1978

    Admissions

    • Supreme Court of the U.S.
    • Supreme Court of Ohio
    • State of Ohio
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, Sixth Circuit and Eighth Circuits
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio and Southern District of Texas

  • Professional Affiliations

    • Defense Research Institute —Member 
    • ALFA International—Steering Committee, Product Liability & Complex Torts (2018-Present); Steering Committee, Hospitality & Retail (2020-Present)
    • Ohio State Bar Association—Member (1986-2016)
    • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—Member (1986-2016); Trial Grievance Counsel (2008-2016)
    • Irish American Law Society—Member (2015-Present) 
    • William K. Thomas American Inn of Court—Master Bencher (2000-2016)
    • Judicial Conference—Life Member (2006-2016)
    • Litigation Counsel of America—Fellow (2011-2016)
    • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, 3Rs Program—Mentor (2006-2016)
    • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Law Alumni Association—Board of Trustees (2007-2016)
    • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law—Student Mentor
    • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Visiting Committee—Member (2006-2012)

    Community Involvement

    • North Coast Community Homes—Board Member (2018-Present)
    • The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland—Board Member (2013-2016); Chair, Pro Bono Committee (2014-2016)
    • Teach for America—Mentor (2014-2016)
    • Leadership Cleveland 2 (LC2)—Fellow (2013-2016)
    • Cleveland Leadership Center, Leadership Cleveland (Class of 2012)
    • Parish of St. Ladislas—Chair, Parish Council (1999-2003)
    • Marriott Vacation Club, Harbor Club Properties—Chair, Board of Directors (1987-1993)
    • Parish of St. Mark—Chair, Parish Council (1986-1993)

    Firm Involvement

    • Chair, Litigation Practice Group—Frantz Ward LLP
    • Founding Partner—Frantz Ward LLP
    • Named Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions—Defendants in Cleveland (2020)
    • Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants; and Professional Malpractice Law Defendants (2016-2021)
    • Recipient of the Legacy of Justice Award from the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (2019) 
    • Recipient of the Legal Eagles Man of the Year Award from St. Edward High School Alumni Association (2019)
    • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated—Martindale-Hubbell
    • Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list (2013-2020)
    • Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2005)
    • "Remote Control: How to Best Prepare for and Maximize Effectiveness in Remote Depositions and Court Proceedings," ALFA Product Liability & Complex Torts and Transportation Practice Groups, Webinar (June 2020)
       
    • “Lawyers Say There Will be Lawsuits Filed As Businesses Open up Again and Customers Return to Stores,” WEWS News Channel 5 , Cleveland (May 2020)
       
       
    • "Navigating the Haze of Mass Tort Litigation," DRI Products Liability Seminar, New Orleans, LA (February 2020)
    • "Hemp and CBD," Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) Quarterly Meeting, Cleveland, OH (November 2019) 
    • "Disputes, Litigation and ADR: Complaints Against the Government," International Cannabis Bar Association's Cannabis Law Institute, New York, New York (October 2019) 
    • "Exploring the Modern Landscape of Health Law, Policy and Technology," Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Health Care Symposium, Cleveland, OH (April 2019) 
    • "Understanding the Future of Cannabis and the Workplace: Possible Impacts and Outcomes of Cannabis Legalization on HR Policies and Workplace Safety," USI Brokerage Insurance Roundtable Discussion, Cleveland, OH (April 2019) 
    • "Clearing the Weeds: Marijuana and the Law," Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (February 2019)
    • "Medical Marijuana & Your Workplace," Greater Cleveland Business Alliance (GCBA) (February 2019)
    • "The Changing Cannabis Landscape Considerations for Journalists," Ohio Newspaper Association & Ohio Association of Broadcasters, Webinar (November 2018)
    • "Four Lawyers Walk into a Bar...and Someone Gets Injured. Place Matters." Moderator, ALFA International Product Liability & Complex Torts Practice Group Webinar, Cleveland OH (July 2018)
    • “Overview/The Corporate Witness,” Frantz Ward’s How to Outsmart the Reptile Theory in All Phases of Litigation Advanced Training, Cleveland, OH (March 2018)
    • "Day in the Life," Panelist, Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (February 2018)
    • “Effective Communication During Crisis Events,” Moderator, Frantz Ward Litigation Panel Series, Cleveland, OH (November 2017)
    • "Crisis Communications," Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (June 2017)
    • “Don’t Be a Naughty Lawyer! - Business and Legal Challenges of Medical Marijuana in Other States,” William J. O’Neill Great Lakes Regional Bankruptcy Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2017)
    • “Lost in the Rainforest? You’re Not Alone: Substance Abuse and Drug Testing,” Panelist, Frantz Ward Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Cleveland, OH (May 2017)
    • “Implications for Medical Marijuana Legalization in Ohio,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, Webinar (January 2017)
    • “Mediation – Getting Your Settlement Over the Goal Line,” Frantz Ward Litigation Panel Series, Cleveland, OH (October 2016)
    • “Up in Smoke: Medical Marijuana and the Practice of Law (Drugs),” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Professional Conduct 2016: Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll, Cleveland, OH (October 2016)
    • “Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Ohio,” Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel Medical Marijuana in Ohio Seminar, Cleveland, OH (August 2016)
    • “Brazil—Corruption, Impeachment and the Rio Olympics,” The City Club of Cleveland Panel Discussion, Cleveland, OH (August 2016)
    • “Maintaining Professionalism Through Pro Bono Work,” St. Edward Alumni Association (December 2015)
    • "Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Ohio,” Council of Smaller Enterprises (June 2015)
    • “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: What Every 'Client Advisor' Must Know,” ALFA International (March 2014)
    • “The Role of Compliance Program in Reducing Corporate Liability,” Marcus Evans (September 2012)
    • “Dealing with the Increase in Fire Claims: Fighting Fire with Fire. How to Investigate and Defend Fire Claims,” ALFA International (September 2011)
    • “The Trial of a Benzene Case: An Effective Defendants’ Opening Statement,” Harris Martin (December 2009)