Patrick (“Pat”) Hulla co-leads the firm’s Class Action Defense Group. He is also the Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Kansas City, Missouri office. He is a member of the Firm’s Management, Diversity, and Litigation Support Steering Committees. Since 1993, Pat has represented employers who have been sued by current and former employees.
Experience
Pat’s practice has been concentrated in the area of complex employment litigation. Pat has successfully led, and co-led, the defense of dozens of off-the-clock and misclassification collective actions for numerous Fortune 100 companies. Pat has also been lead defense counsel in discrimination class actions, age discrimination collective actions, and wage and hour class actions. In light of his class and collective action experience, Pat has often been asked to lead proactive audits of clients’ employment practices.
Pat’s career includes in-house and outside counsel experience. While in-house, he worked very closely with, and gained significant knowledge about, Human Resources operations, such as payroll, compensation, and benefits. Pat was often called on to (i) lead significant Human Resources initiatives, such as proactive wage and hour audits, and (ii) manage significant employment litigation, including numerous class and collective actions. Pat now leverages his in-house experience to defend clients in complex employment litigation.
Although Pat’s practice focuses on complex employment litigation, he has also favorably tried 14 lawsuits and 5 employment arbitrations throughout the Midwest. Several of the cases Pat has tried were prosecuted by multiple plaintiffs.
Missouri
Kansas
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth and Tenth Circuits
U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
Education and Honors
- Kansas and Missouri Super Lawyer Rising Star for Class Actions and Mass Torts (2008, 2009)
- Yellow Belt certification from Legal Lean Sigma
Professional Activities
- The American Bar Association
- The Missouri Bar
- The Kansas Bar Association (Employment Law Section)
- The Johnson County Bar Association
- The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- The Wichita Bar Association
- Kansas SHRM Employment Law Conference - "Compliance and Regulatory Updates - The Age of O" - Topeka - February 11, 2011
- 11th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions - "Off-the-Clock Wage & Hour Litigation: New Concerns Brought About by a 24/7 Work Force" - Miami - January 31, 2011
- Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar - "The Class and Collective Action Phenomenon: Don’t Be the Next Victim" - Las Vegas - May 5, 2010
- Ogletree Deakins Seminar - "Everything Old is New Again – Developments Under the FLSA" - Kansas City - February 18, 2010
- Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar - "Class and Collective Actions: The Latest Legal Issues and Trends" - Miami - May 8, 2009
- Ogletree Deakins Seminar - "Lily Ledbetter and Other Recent Developments Regarding Compensation" - Kansas City - April 16, 2009
- Kansas SHRM Employment Law Conference - "Independent Contractors: Perils, Pitfalls & Pointers" - Topeka - February 2, 2009
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society Event - "Current Issues in Employment Practices Liability" - Kansas City - September 16, 2008
- Employment Law Developments Facing Employers Today - "Wage and Hour Pitfalls – Avoiding Common Employer Mistakes" - Kansas City - April 8, 2008
- Employment Law Issues Facing Employers Today - "Employee Loyalty" - Kansas City - October 30, 2007
- Ogletree Deakins Seminar - "Wage and Hour Claims – Avoid Being the Next Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit" - Kansas City - March 9, 2007
- Baker University - "Equal Opportunity & the Law" - Overland Park - March 9, 2006
In The News
- September 24, 2010 - Law360 - "Q&A With Ogletree Deakins' Patrick Hulla"
- May 1, 2008 - Inside Counsel - "Evidence Avalanche"
- July 1, 2008 - Ogletree Deakins Publication - "Careful What You Ask For... "
