Patricia Hamill has extensive years of experience successfully representing clients spanning a breadth of matters, including complex commercial litigation, Title IX litigation, receiverships, insurance, securities, consumer class actions, government investigations, and E-rate compliance. Her clients are in a wide range of industries, including technology, insurance, and securities.
Patricia is uniquely adept at transforming worst-case scenarios into successful resolutions. She possesses the wisdom and keen intuition one would expect of a litigator with her decades of experience, but she also manages to bring a fresh burst of energy and determination to each new case. She offers responsive service and genuine empathy to each client; she never takes for granted the emotional impact that a high-stakes case can have on her clients. Patricia brings a collaborative approach to handling her clients’ issues, and she tenaciously pursues creative, strategic solutions.
As Co-Chair of the Title IX and Campus Discipline practice (visit the firm's dedicated Title IX and Campus Discipline website here), Patricia represents college students and professors nationwide who are subjected to campus disciplinary proceedings or who have been disciplined by their colleges for alleged sexual misconduct following such proceedings. She has represented over 300 students and faculty members nationwide in disciplinary matters or related litigation involving more than 150 colleges and universities. Patricia is also sought out by groups and institutions for her opinion on how to work within the framework of the changing federal laws and guidance. Given her expertise, she was invited to testify before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) at the full committee hearing on “Reauthorizing HEA: Addressing Campus Sexual Assault and Ensuring Student Safety and Rights” in Washington DC (April 2019) (read the press release, read Patricia's opening statement, or watch Patricia's opening statement).
In addition to her practice, Patricia is also a member of the firm’s three-person executive committee that manages and oversees the firm.
University of Maryland Law School, J.D., with honors
Bryn Mawr College, B.A.
The Honorable Frank J. Montemuro, Jr., Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Practice Areas & Experience
Achieved a favorable settlement for a student who was expelled shortly before the end of his senior year. His college concluded our client had participated in livestreaming a consensual sexual encounter between two other students, though even the alleged female victim told the college he was not involved. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found the college in violation of Title IX, concluding it had not provided our client (or other accused male students) with essential procedural protections and had not followed the safeguards provided for in its own disciplinary policies and procedures. Faced with a potential federal lawsuit, the college agreed to make a substantial monetary payment, vacate the finding of responsibility and sanctions against our client, and give him a clean record.
Represented a male student in litigation against a private university near Chicago, challenging the result of the sexual misconduct disciplinary finding that resulted in the student’s extended exclusion from the university and which required reapplication without a guarantee of re-admission and with a permanent disciplinary notation on his record. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court and asserted violations of Title IX and breach of contract. The case settled within five months of filing the complaint.
Patricia has spent more than 20 years appearing in federal and state courts throughout the country, representing Fortune 500 companies to successfully defend consumer fraud and securities class action lawsuits as well as other complex commercial litigation. Patricia also routinely represents her corporate clients in business-to-business litigation and has substantial experience in successfully representing companies in False Claims Act and other whistleblower litigation.
Patricia served as the Interim Monitor of an affordable housing cooperative in Philadelphia in connection with an action pending in the Commerce Court program of the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, arising from a dispute amongst its Board Members. Over the course of the Monitorship, Patricia, her attorneys and staff worked to stabilize the property, resume monthly rent and carrying charge collection, resume payment of monthly utilities, manage the property and make arrangements for necessary and/or emergency repairs, secure and maintain necessary insurance coverages, negotiate with various creditors on outstanding balances and debts, manage various department of licensing and inspection and taxation issues involving the City of Philadelphia, and attempt to secure property management and/or a suitable contractor qualified to take steps necessary to allow for the resumption of Housing and Urban Development subsidies. After the parties reached a tentative settlement-in-principal with regard to the plans for management and control of the community, the Interim Monitorship was ended by Court Order.
Patricia serves as the court-appointed receiver, with Conrad O’Brien attorneys acting as counsel, in an action brought by the FTC against entities in the technical support services industry who are alleged to have misrepresented their services to tens of thousands of customers who paid at least $17.9 million for the allegedly fraudulent services. As receiver, Patricia was tasked with taking control of the business operations of corporate defendants and securing two separate physical locations, several virtual offices, and numerous financial accounts, websites, and phone numbers. She continues to preserve and administer the assets of the receivership estate.
Patricia serves as the court-appointed receiver, with Conrad O’Brien attorneys acting as lead counsel, in an action brought by the FTC in federal court in the Western District of New York, against entities and individuals in the debt collections industry found to be conducting business in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Act (FDCA) and related state statutes. The FTC determined that an excess of $8 million was collected by the agencies from individual consumers using unlawful practices. Patricia and her counsel worked in conjunction with the government to assess the nature of the agencies’ practices; halt all collection activities; manage the remaining operations of the agencies; handle a variety of employment, payroll, and tax issues; collect, analyze, and respond to a variety of claims made against the agencies; and worked with forensic accountants to recover and maximize the assets of the receivership.
"She does a great job advocating for her clients' interests, leaves no stone unturned and analyzes things at the deepest level."
Chambers USA 2022
"My family engaged the firm (led by Patricia Hamill) at the worst time in our lives. Patricia (and [her] colleague) were calm, strategic, fully committed … [with] total integrity. Great team. Patricia … led with every molecule in her most impressive brain and in her deep soul. She truly cared and she personally embraced us… She saved our precious family and refused to let lies prevail."
Campus Discipline Client
"She is extremely knowledgeable in the [Title IX] area and very levelheaded. She's a very strategic thinker who can take the possibility of winning, losing or resolving matters into consideration."
Chambers USA 2022
"I have worked closely with Patricia. I can attest that she’s very smart, knows her stuff, and has great judgment. She’s also a pleasure to work with and have on your team (whether you’re the client or co-counsel), and she’s tough when need be yet comes off very reasonable to courts/hearing officers."
Title IX Co-Counsel
"She is an excellent civil litigator with the full range of trial skills."
Chambers USA 2021
"Patricia Hamill was amazing. She was empathic, insightful, responsive and very easy to work with. She went above and beyond in helping me to navigate the situation and helped me to achieve a positive result. I can't thank her enough."
Title IX Client
"Patricia Hamill and team are very professional and communicated extremely well. We felt [our child] was in good hands with the team at Conrad O'Brien"
Campus Discipline Client
"She's excellent and extremely talented."
Chambers USA 2021
When not working, Patricia spends time with her family and continues her lifelong pursuit of physical fitness, which began in backyard pickup games with her five older brothers, continued through her years in college co-captaining the field hockey and lacrosse teams, and continues today with yoga, bicycling, and hiking (or sometimes just walking the dog!). Patricia has served as the chair of the personnel committee at her church, the Unitarian Society of Germantown, and is a former board member of PathWaysPA, a social service agency providing services and advocacy for women, children, and families.
Patricia is a frequent speaker and presenter regionally and nationally on Title IX litigation and complex commercial litigation.
"Regulation Reform: Public Hearings on Title IX Regulations and Guidance," Public Comment before the Department of Education; Washington, DC; October 4, 2017 (access Patricia's full comment here).