Patrick J. Hughes

Patrick Hughes is a distinguished litigator and business advisor. He represents clients in significant commercial, product liability and mass tort litigation in state and federal courts in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. He is likewise skilled in an array of commercial transactions.

Patrick’s work on commercial disputes covers a wide range of contract, fraud and business tort cases. He has extensive experience in asbestos mass tort, defending manufacturers, suppliers and premises owners. Patrick first tried to verdict asbestos matters in the consolidated Brooklyn Navy Yard cases. Today, he continues to represent clients in asbestos matters filed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. His defense of product liability actions also includes various chemical exposure cases as national coordinating counsel. Over the course of his career, Patrick has tried more than 50 cases, including several professional liability cases.

In addition to his litigation work, Patrick is adept at complex corporate negotiations and has counseled clients in the chemical, energy and software sectors, among other industries, in all phases of commercial contracts. Clients rely on Patrick for efficient and responsive legal solutions to their business needs.

Patrick also has substantial experience working with health care clients, including physicians’ practices and home health care agencies. He has a deep knowledge of compliance issues, advising on the development of programs that address anti-referral, anti-kickback, privacy and other state and federal statutes and regulations, as well as counseling on general corporate matters.

Before entering private practice, Patrick was a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he was assigned to the 82^nd Airborne Division as a prosecutor and international law officer.

Representative Experience
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

• Represents a specialty chemical manufacturer in toxic exposure cases brought in state courts by employees of various manufacturers
• Represents a chemical manufacturer in disputes regarding multiple complex long-term contracts
• Represented several manufacturers in disputes regarding domestic and international sales
• Represented a manufacturer in various periodic contract negotiations with major tire manufacturers
• Represented a business owner in breach of commercial loan case
• Represents manufacturers, distributors and facility owners in state and federal asbestos actions, including trial of a mesothelioma death case in federal court
• Represented a flavor manufacturer in a commercial claim brought by a beverage manufacturer located in Central America, where much of the discovery occurred, to a successful resolution
• Represented a construction company that prefabricated concrete for a bridge, seeking commercial damages from a general contractor in a federal court action, which resolved satisfactorily on the second trial day
• Represents physicians' practices in all phases of business, compliance and corporate matters

Decisions
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

• Glencore LTD v. Degussa Engineered Carbons L.P., 848 F. Supp. 2d (S.D.N.Y. 2012); Defended a manufacturer in a contract dispute and petition to order the dispute to arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act and the New York Convention.
• Weiss v. Goldfarb, 713 A.2d 427 (N.J. 1998); Defended a medical center and its staff in a wrongful death, medical malpractice claim, in which the Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s denial of an ultimate outcome instruction requested by the plaintiff to inform the jury that any judgment against the hospital would be limited by statute.

Professional and Community Affiliations

• Master and Former Co-Director, John C. Lifland American Inn of Court
• Manager, Connell Foley’s Cherry Hill, New Jersey Office
• American Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
• New Jersey State Bar Association
• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• USLAW Network
• Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey

"Leading Business Attorney," New Jersey Biz Magazine (2023)

BTI Client Service All-Star Attorneys (2020)

New Jersey Super Lawyers (2006, 2008, 2012-2022)

Client Choice Awards (2013)

"New Jersey's Top Rated Lawyers" (2012), a list compiled by Martindale-Hubbell.

^{Please see Honor and Award Methodology. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.}