Patrick O. Cavanaugh

Biography

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.

Experience

A defunct railroad company, defense of claims alleging property damages as a result of PCB contamination.
A landfill, obtained injunction against Virginia Department of Environmental Quality revoking operating permit and related penalties.
A county government, ongoing defense concerning cleanup requirements for area groundwater (“BCEE”) contamination affecting public water supplies.
An investment group and security company, defense of breach of contract, common law fraud, and securities claims arising out of purchase-and-sales transaction.
An international maritime company, investigation of fraud and “kick-back” schemes, and related efforts to obtain civil restitution.
Various entities, a series of internal investigations concerning alleged civil and criminal regulatory violations, as well as employment claims.