Practice areas: Civil Litigation, Business & Corporate, Construction Litigation; view more
Licensed in California since: 1993
Education: Gonzaga University School of Law
Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026 O’Brien Law, PC
755 Baywood DriveSuite 380
Petaluma, CA 94954 Phone: 707-789-6500 Email: Patrick K. O'Brien Visit website
Details 
O’Brien Law, PC focuses on general civil litigation with an emphasis on corporate general counsel work and litigation, including complex construction, automobile, product liability, professional liability, business, probate, insurance, elder abuse, employment and forensic accounting matters. In six years the firm has grown from two attorneys to ten attorneys, making the firm one of the largest law firm north of San Francisco according to the North Bay Business Journal. The firm’s clients include Hanford Restoration Company, Execushield Security, Grech Motors, State Farm Insurance Company, Korbel Winery, The Argo Group of Insurance Companies, World Oil Company, Lancer Insurance, Global Liberty Insurance, Sompo Insurance, National Claims Services, the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa and many others. The firm maintains offices in Northern California, the Central Valley and Southern California.
Practice areas
Civil Litigation: Defense, Business/Corporate, Construction Litigation: Business, Estate & Trust LitigationFirst Admitted: 1993, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.pobrienlaw.com/attorneys/patrick-k-obrien/
Bar / Professional Activity
- California State Bar, Admitted, 1993
- US Supreme Court, Admitted, 2018
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- MacDougald vs. Vasques, Los Angeles Superior Court. Defense Verdict. Plaintiffs claimed our client ran a red light and struck their vehicle at high-speed causing serious injury. Plaintiffs also had a third-party witness who testified on their behalf. We were successfully able to demonstrate that Plaintiffs were untruthful in their testimony and that the accident could not have occurred as they described it. , 2022
- Brooktrails Township vs. The City of Willits, Sonoma County Superior Court, Settlement During Trial. This matter was a major dispute in between two California public entities. The case involved conducting a forensic audit of the City’s books for 12 years. The total value of the claims was in excess of $10 million. After our devastating cross examination of the City Manager and Finance Director, the City agreed to an extremely favorable settlement for our client. , 2017
- Daniels vs. Orenstzajn, San Mateo Superior Court, Defense Verdict. This matter was decided by a three-week jury trial in San Mateo County completed in 2019. Plaintiff claimed damages related to the construction of a property line block wall and fence. Plaintiff was seeking in excess of $200,000 in loss of use, contribution, and emotional distress damages. Our client cross complained for trespass. The jury came back with a defense verdict and a verdict in favor of our client on her cross complaint. We obtained a judgment against plaintiff for costs in excess of $50,000. , 2019
- Guerrero v. S3 Design Group, CSLB-Binding Arbitration, Defense Verdict. The matter regarded alleged construction defects related to plaintiff’s remodel of their home. The arbitrator returned a defense verdict vis a vis our client and granted our clients cross-petition for recovery of construction costs not paid., 2018
- Mintzer v. Heck, Sonoma County Superior Court, Dismissal With Prejudice. We represented the children of a mother who died in her 50’s from brain cancer. She left two grown children as her heirs. She created a will leaving her estate to these children six weeks prior to her death. The mother’s long-time live-in boyfriend objected to the probate of the estate claiming that the will was obtained when the mother lacked capacity and through undue influence. He then also sued our clients in civil court for elder abuse. We pursued discovery aggressively, were able to prove the boyfriend to be dishonest in multiple respects and conclusively established the mother had capacity when she signed the will. Plaintiff dismissed his objections and the Elder Abuse case, with prejudice three weeks prior to trial., 2018
- In Re Detweiler, Sonoma County Superior Court, Directed Verdict. This matter regarded plaintiff's claim that the decedent lacked capacity to execute a trust and alleged elder abuse against our client. The case was heard by the Sonoma County Superior Court over a period of two weeks. The Court issued a directed verdict against plaintiff on her complaint for elder abuse and lack of capacity and also issued a directed verdict against plaintiff for disinheritance pursuant to the no contest clause in the trust. Thus Plaintiff was disinherited and we obtained a substantial cost verdict against her., 2020
- Cheney vs. Dyt, Tulare County Superior Court, Summary Judgment Granted. This case was a construction injury case venued in Tulare County, California. Plaintiff fell off of a ladder on a construction project suffering severe injuries to his back. We represented the property owner and argued that the case was barred by the Privette doctrine, that worker’s compensation was plaintiff’s exclusive remedy. , 2022
- Franklin vs. Plath, San Mateo County-Binding Arbitration, Defense Verdict. This matter involved several million dollars’ worth of construction defects on a mansion in Tiburon California. Our client was alleged to be jointly and severally liable for the defects with another sub-contractor and the general contractor. While the general contractor and the other sub were hit for over $1,000,000, our client was found to have no liability in the matter. We also recovered attorney’s fees for our client., 2020
- Jones vs. Nash, Contra Costa Superior Court. Dismissed with Prejudice. This was a multi-party truck accident, with our client being one of the primary defendants. Following arguments on motions in limine we obtained a dismissal with prejudice on all claims in favor of our client. The trial continued against the other defendants and resulted in a multi million dollar verdict., 2021
- Torres vs. John's Incredible Pizza, Alameda Superior Court, Summary Judgement Granted. The plaintiff claimed that our client, John’s Incredible Pizza, was negligent in their management of their restaurant leading plaintiff to slip and fall causing serious injuries. We moved for summary judgment based on the fact that our client conducted regular sweeps of the area in question and that plaintiff could not prove notice of a dangerous condition., 2022
Representative Clients
- State Farm Insurance Company
- The Irvine Company
- Sonoma Valley Airport
- Simoncini Winery
- Pappapietro Perry Winery
- Greater California Livery Association
- Grech Motors
- Sompo Insurance
- Execushield
- World Oil
- The Mission Inn & Spa, Riverside
- Korbel Winery
- Coaction Specialty Insurance
- Colony Insurance Company
- Atain Insurance Company
- National Claims Services
- Lancer Insurance Company
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Admitted to practice in the US Supreme Court, 2018
Pro bono / Community Service
- International Development Law Organization. Mr. O’Brien was recently elected to a four-year term serving on the Board of Advisors. IDLO is a major international organization which promotes the rule of law in over 90 countries world-wide. IDLO has observer status at the United Nations. The Board of Advisors provides expert advice to the Organization. IDLO focuses on issues such as corruption, human trafficking, women’s rights, equal rights and access to justice throughout the World. It is the only international organization which focuses on the rule of law., 2022
- Greater California Livery Association. Board Member. Mr. O'Brien has been elected as a Board Member for the last 10 years, and assists in all aspects of running the GCLA including providing legal advice when necessary., 2022
Educational Background
- Pepperdine Law School, LLM Dispute Resolution, 3.97 GPA, 2022
- Loyola Marymount University, BA Political Science, 1990
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Article about increased liability to transportation companies from smart phones in industry magazine., Author, Dangerous Multitasking: Texting and Driving Opens Employers Up to Punitive Damages, Chauffer Driven Magazine, Transportation, 2019
- Served on a panel which discussed and answered questions regarding the increase in the cost of insurance and the difficulty in obtaining insurance., Speaker, Panel Discussion Regarding Insurance, GCLA Fall Expo, Transportation, 2021
- Article in industry magazine regarding alternative dispute resolution, Author, Waiving Your Right to a Jury Trial: Traversing Alternative Avenues of Litigation, Chauffer Driven Magazine, Transportation, 2017
- Article regarding good samaritan laws in industry trade magazine., Co-Author, What Good Samaritan Laws Mean for Your Chauffeurs, Chauffer Driven Magazine, Transportation, 2018
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Member, Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity since 1980. Mr. O'Brien was a child actor and appeared on stage in the First National Touring Company of "Evita", and on television in many TV Movies, such as "Something About Amelia," "Father Murphy," and in commercials for companies including Pepsi and Close Up toothpaste., 1979
Honors
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2022
- An vetted national directory of distinguished attorneys., Charter Member, Lawyers of Distinction, 2022
- An vetted national directory of distinguished attorneys., Charter Member, Lawyers of Distinction, 2021
- An vetted national directory of distinguished attorneys., Distinguished Attorney, Lawyers of Distinction, 2020
- List of successful elder abuse attorneys. O'Brien Law has successfully represented many clients in elder abuse cases, including a trial in Sonoma County in 2018., 10 Best Law Firms in California for Elder Abuse, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2018
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2017
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2018
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2019
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2020
- This is a prestigious list of the top attorneys in the United States and includes three US Supreme Court Justices., Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Magazine, 2021
Industry Groups
- Construction
- Hotels
- Insurance
- Manufacturers
- Security Companies
- Wineries
Office location for Patrick K. O'Brien
755 Baywood Drive
Suite 380
Petaluma, CA 94954
Selections
4 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026