Patrick Cavanaugh has more than 30 years of experience as a civil litigator and environmental lawyer, beginning his career as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Torts Branch, Civil Division, where he was hired through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. While at the Justice Department, Patrick worked on a variety of Federal Tort Claims Act matters and was a member of the Agent Orange and Radiation Litigation trial teams. He has litigated a number of environmental, product liability and toxic tort cases since becoming a private practitioner in the late-1980s. Patrick’s current practice focuses primarily in areas of business disputes and employment, environmental and insurance coverage counseling. Specifically, he has represented a wide range of clients in areas such as:
- Litigation of civil and commercial claims
- Defense of employment claims
- Defense of commercial disputes and breach-of-contract actions
- Defense of “toxic tort” and product liability claims alleging personal injury and property damage
- Environmental compliance and “due diligence” counseling in connection with transactions involving contaminated properties
- Defense of False Claims Act cases and government suspension and debarment proceedings
Patrick serves as an ex-officio member of Blank Rome’s Executive Committee and previously served as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. Before joining Blank Rome via a merger in 2003, he was the managing director of Dyer Ellis & Joseph, P.C., and the head of that firm’s environmental and litigation practices.
Outside the Firm
Patrick is involved with a number of local charitable groups, including the DC Greys and Youth Apostles ministry. He also represents a number of non-profit organizations on a pro bono basis, including the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his family, and a variety of sporting activities, including golf and doubles tennis. Pat resides with his wife in McLean, Virginia, and they have four children.