Paul A. Patten

Paul Patten is a Principal in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He represents management in employment cases in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies.

Mr. Patten’s practice focuses primarily on employment litigation and counseling. He represents employers in federal and state individual and class-based lawsuits covering a wide range of statutes and subjects, including federal and state anti-discrimination and wage and hour laws.

Mr. Patten’s trial and administrative hearing experience has resulted in numerous victories for employers. He is also a frequent appellate practitioner, having obtained appellate court reversals of adverse trial court rulings against his clients. Mr. Patten has substantial experience with the personal representation of chief executive officers and other high level managers, and in obtaining personal victories for those clients.

Mr. Patten has also been quoted on employment matters in a number of publications, including the Daily Labor Report and The New York Times.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Mr. Patten practiced in both the public and private sectors. He was a Trial Attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, prosecuting discrimination claims for the federal government, including numerous large pattern and practice and sexual harassment lawsuits. During the time he practiced in-house in the insurance industry, Mr. Patten developed his company’s initial employment practices liability insurance policy.

Published Works

•“Get Your Disability and Leave Management House in Order,” Society for Human Resource Management Viewpoint (June 2016) [Co-Author]

Paul Patten In the News

Paul Patten Comments on the Recent Divide Between the DOJ and the EEOC and its Impact on Employers

August 20, 2019 • Bloomberg Law

Paul Patten Discusses Implications of the EEOC's Digital Portals Going Dark During Government Shutdown

January 18, 2019 • SHRM

Paul Patten and Michelle Phillips Discuss the Supreme Court Declining to Clarify Sexual Orientation Bias Issue

December 11, 2017 • SHRM

Paul Patten Publications

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U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument on Whether ‘Ministerial Exception’ Covers Lay School Teachers

May 12, 2020

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New Illinois COVID-19 Executive Orders Extend Stay-at-Home, Impose Added Requirements on Employers

May 4, 2020

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Illinois Governor Extends COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Executive Orders Through April 30, 2020

April 2, 2020

Paul Patten Blog Posts

California Workplace Law

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument on Whether ‘Ministerial Exception’ Covers Lay School Teachers

May 12, 2020
Employment Class and Collective Actions

Snooze and Lose: Defendants Need to Raise Plaintiffs’ Failure to File Charge Early in Litigation

June 4, 2019
Employment Class and Collective Actions

Older Applicants Cannot Utilize ADEA to Challenge Neutral Hiring Criteria, Seventh Circuit Rules

April 29, 2019