Patrick Byrnes

T. Patrick Byrnes is a Partner in Locke Lord’s Litigation Department, and is a member of the Aviation & Defense Group. In his nearly two decades of practice, Patrick has litigated a wide range of complex disputes, with a particular focus on aviation and insurance coverage. He has also handled disputes in the areas of consumer goods, food products, and environmental contamination.

In addition to his litigation experience, Patrick is regularly called on by insurers to provide advice with respect to a number of lines of coverage, notably aviation, privacy and cybersecurity. Patrick is also a leading lawyer in the emerging area of the commercial operation of drones.

Aviation :

Through Patrick’s extensive aviation experience, he has defended aircraft component part manufacturers and suppliers, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and airline consortiums, aircraft leasing companies, airports, and aviation security companies. Patrick is well-versed in, and has substantial experience with, issues relating to the General Aviation Revitalization Act, the Montreal Convention, European Commission Regulation 261 and Federal Preemption.

Patrick has handled cases in jurisdictions spanning from Alaska to Florida, and has extensive experience in defending client’s interests in complex, multiparty litigation. He was one of three trial counsel who defended at trial Larry Silverstein’s claims for approximately $3.5 billion in damages for the destruction of the World Trade Center Complex and World Trade Center 7 arising out of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

In addition, Patrick has been involved in a number of cases involving foreign accidents, and is intimately familiar with the many unique issues associated with defending such matters.

Patrick also counsels and advises entrants into and participants in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, UAVs, drones) market, including advising on compliance with 14 C.F.R. Part 107.

Patrick is a frequent speaker on the issue of the integration of drones into the national airspace, and has been quoted by a number of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Flying Magazine and DroneLife.com.

Insurance :

Patrick has litigated and provided coverage advice with respect to a number of different lines of coverage, including aviation liability, aircraft hull, chemical drift, trucking and non-trucking liability, and privacy and cybersecurity.

Patrick’s experience in the areas of privacy and cybersecurity and privacy is particularly extensive, as he has handled first party and third party claims concerning, among other things, incident response, cybersecurity and privacy liability, regulatory proceedings, ransomware, malware, extortion, business email compromise, wire transfer fraud, business interruption, data or system restoration or replacement costs, telephone fraud, and website and media content liability.

Representative Experience :

• Acted as trial counsel, along with Ann Taylor of Locke Lord, on behalf of Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London and Certain London Market Insurance Companies in a trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking reformation and rescission of a series of aviation liability policies.
• Defended billions of dollars in additional property damage claims in consolidated litigation in the Southern District of New York arising out of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
• Represented aircraft lessors in defense of 118 wrongful death claims arising from the crash of Air Philippines Flight 541 on April 17, 2000.
• Represented reinsurer in dispute by self-insured municipality seeking coverage for claims by hundreds of municipality residents arising out of the municipality’s alleged use of contaminated water.

Professional History :

• Partner, Locke Lord LLP
• Associate, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP (2005-2010)
• Associate, Adler Murphy & McQuillen (1999-2005)

Professional Affiliations :

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Chicago Bar Association
• Member, Illinois State Bar Association

Education :

• J.D., DePaul University College of Law, 1999
• B.A., English, University of Illinois, 1996

Admissions : Illinois, 1999

Admitted To Practice :

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1999