Christopher L. Patton Esq.

Lead Trial Attorney/Managing Partner

Christopher L. Patton is a trial specialist with nearly 100 civil jury trials to verdict. He has tried 23 jury trials in the last 26 months. He is the lead trial attorney and managing partner of PATTON TRIAL GROUP.

Mr. Patton is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

For more than 25 years, Mr. Patton has specialized in the defense of “suspect” personal injury claims, also known as Special Investigation Unit (SIU) litigation. He has tried nearly 50 SIU trials, securing defense verdicts in a vast majority. The jury awards in the 50 SIU trials total less than $100,000 combined.

Mr. Patton has also tried more than 40 catastrophic injury jury trials including claims of loss of a limb, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and more than 30 fusion cases. Mr. Patton has tried approximately 40 cases with a demand of more than $1,000,000 and 25 with demands more than $5,000,000.

Mr. Patton was featured in the California Lawyer as “Top Defense Verdicts of 2018.” Mr. Patton was also nominated for two jury trials as “Top Defense Verdicts of 2018” by the Daily Journal.

Mr. Patton has conducted jury trials throughout the state of California, including the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba.

Mr. Patton has practiced law since 1997. He received his B.A. in Speech Communications from Pepperdine University in 1992 where he attended on a full tuition Speech and Debate scholarship. While at Pepperdine, he won dozens of speech and debate awards including the National Championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. After graduation, Mr. Patton coached speech and debate at Pepperdine University and Calabasas High School, and coached and judged at the College and High School National Championships.

Mr. Patton spent two terms of law school at Oxford University (Magdalen College) pursuing studies in International Litigation and Arbitration. Mr. Patton moved on to Loyola Law School in Los Angeles where he continued his training as a trial advocate. Mr. Patton won the Scott Moot Court Competition, was a member of the Bryne Trial Advocacy Team and was named the third place advocate at the Phillip Jessup International Moot Court Competition. Mr. Patton participated in the Hobbs district Attorney Clinic, taking home the American Jurisprudence Award for the highest Grade in the prestigious program, as well as the American Jurisprudence Awards in Moot Court and Trial Advocacy.

While still in law school, Mr. Patton worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office conducting over 60 preliminary hearings and four jury trials before graduation.

Mr. Patton was awarded the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award and had the honor of being the graduation speaker for the Loyola Law School Graduating Class of 1997.

After graduation, Mr. Patton worked on the multi-billion dollar Qui Tam case of United States of America, ex rel. Boisvart v. FMC Corp. concerning the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The case had more than 2,000,000 pages of defense exhibits, and took four months to try. Mr. Patton then went to Washington DC to work with the Law Firm of Jones Day on the post-trial motions.

Mr. Patton has represented automobile manufacturers, law enforcement departments, and insurance companies. Mr. Patton has handled construction defect, medical malpractice and breach of contract cases. His practice focuses primarily on the defense of personal injury lawsuits and assisting companies in their SIU litigation. Mr. Patton is licensed to practice in the state and federal courts in the State of California and is a member of the Northern California Fraud Investigators Association, the Anti-Fraud Alliance, Southern California Fraud Investigators Association, National Institute of Trial Advocates and International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Patton is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Mr. Patton has also provided training to many companies regarding third party litigation and investigation of SIU matters. Mr. Patton has conducted more than 100 arbitrations. He has taken more than 2,000 depositions and more than 500 expert depositions.

Mr. Patton has also provided training at the Northern California Fraud Investigators and Anti-Fraud Alliance Annual Conferences in Monterey California regarding fraudulent medical billing practices. He has also presented on billing fraud at conferences to the Southern California Fraud Investigators Association (SCFIA) and was featured presenter at the 2022 Palm Springs Conference. Mr. Patton will also be a speaker on Billing Fraud and admissibility of medical bills at the Monterey conference of Anti-Fraud Alliance/Northern California Fraud Investigators Association in April 2023.

Mr. Patton has worked with multiple District Attorneys Offices, the Department of Insurance and the FBI on the investigation, and prosecution of suspected fraudulent claims, and fraudulent medical billing practices.

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation and Trials
First and Third Party SIU Investigations

Education

Pepperdine University, B.A. 1992
Oxford University, Magdalen College, 1995
Loyola Law School, J.D. 1997

Location

Primary Location is Newport Beach California. However, Mr. Patton is the managing partner for PATTON TRIAL GROUP, and conducts trials over the entire state of California.

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