About Pat
Deep experience in product liability and litigation
Pat Schmidt advised clients on product liability, toxic tort, personal injury litigation, and commercial and intellectual property (IP) litigation matters. His clients benefited from his practical and working knowledge of mechanical engineering, machine design, warnings, kinematics, ergonomics, biomechanics, metallurgical, accident reconstruction and related principles. Pat also was experienced with damages concepts across a broad range of commercial, IP, product liability and personal injury matters.
Experience in Action
- Tried cases in 19 states and defended cases in an additional 20 states, plus the District of Columbia.
- Served as national counsel for crane, forklift, tool, trailer, motorcycle and dock-leveler manufacturers.
- Served as Wisconsin counsel for manufacturers of automotive, industrial, construction, truck, agricultural, consumer and other products.
- Defended consumer class action litigation.
- Executed plaintiff and defense work in high-stakes commercial and IP litigation.
- Counseled manufacturers on product design, IP, warnings, safety, record retention and related issues.
Professional Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in America® (2008-present: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
- Product Liability Defense Lawyers "International Who's Who"
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Peer Review Rated
Professional & Civic Activities
- Milwaukee Bar Association, member
- American Bar Association, TIPS and Product Liability subcommittees, member
- State Bar of Wisconsin, member
- Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, member
- Bar Association of the 7th Federal Circuit, member
- Product Liability Advisory Council, member
- Defense Research Institute, member
- Industrial Truck Association Lawyers Committee, member
News & Insights
Education
- University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., 1975)
- Order of the Coif
- Wisconsin Law Review, note and comment editor
- Stanford University (B.A., 1972)
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1980
- Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2006
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1976
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1998
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1993
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, 1981
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2003
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 1992
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1975
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1975