Case variety keeps Harvey engaged

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Patrick Harvey likes to mix it up.

A litigator in Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC’s Milwaukee office, he does a large variety of legal work ranging from representing businesses in fraud-class-action lawsuits to individuals in personal-injury cases.

“It’s challenging, but rewarding to go from a First Amendment case to a breach-of-contract case,” Harvey said. “In litigation, you use the same set of skills in whatever the case may be. The goal is getting people to tell the truth.”

Harvey has handled several fairly unusual cases. He once, for instance, represented a client in federal court in a complex Interest Rate Swap Agreement dispute stemming from one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history. Because the case had the potential to affect subsequent interpretations of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association Master Agreement, it was followed closely by those in the derivative market.

In addition to using his litigation abilities at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, Harvey also handles a considerable pro bono caseload. In 2014, he provided more than 450 hours of pro bono work to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, working as a prosecutor on the gun-unit team.

“The DA office has a lot of cases going on and some are ready for trial, but they need attorneys. I wanted to help them out and also give back to my community,” Harvey said. “The trial work keeps me on my toes, and it’s completely different than what I normally do.”

Besides helping the DA’s office, Harvey provides pro bono services through Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Guardianship Project, which helps both hospital patients and Milwaukee public-school students who have special needs.

“Patrick is an excellent and incredibly energetic attorney, who, despite mastering a very demanding caseload, continues to find time to give back to his community,” said Tim Posnanski, a leader of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek’s litigation practice group.

Harvey acknowledged he enjoys the ever-changing workload.

“I definitely envision myself staying varied in the litigation work I do,” he said. “The variety helps me stay agile and nimble.”