Patrick Sweeney

About Patrick

How do you help businesses and individuals?

A basic truth about the practice of law is that almost always, the client would rather not need your services. He or she usually needs your help because a difficult situation has arisen which the client can't handle alone. As an associate with our commercial litigation and insurance defense teams, I do everything I can to not only solve these problems, but to do so in the most painless and cost-effective way possible, respecting the client's goals and priorities.

What sets you apart from other lawyers in your practice field?

Before entering private practice, I worked in the Michigan Supreme Court as a law clerk. In that capacity, I was able to see not only myriad styles of advocacy in complex matters, but also the inner workings of a sophisticated court. My time spent working with some of the most experienced jurists in the state, who often approach legal issues from different points of view, gave me some good insight into how issues should be framed and how cases should be argued.

What case did you find the most rewarding to work on?

Before I joined Rhoades McKee, I worked with coal miners in West Virginia seeking federal benefits for pneumoconiosis, or "Black Lung." I took over a claim involving a deserving retired miner whose case had some weaknesses. I felt that the coal company's attorney was not taking the matter seriously and did not expect it to go to a hearing. I decided to push for the hearing as scheduled, prepared all of the evidence within 4 months, and presented the claim. The client received the benefits to which he was entitled, and which he sorely needed.