Professional Experience
Pat Schmidt is the chair of Quarles & Brady’s Product Liability, Toxic Tort and Personal Injury Litigation Practice Group and has focused his practice in this area of the law for over 25 years. Mr. Schmidt also represents clients in commercial and intellectual property litigation matters. Mr. Schmidt’s litigation and counseling experiences have provided him with a practical and working knowledge of mechanical engineering, machine design, warnings, kinematics, ergonomics, biomechanics, metallurgical, accident reconstruction and related principles, as well as damages concepts across a broad range of commercial, intellectual property, product liability and personal injury matters.
- Tried cases in 18 states.
- Defended cases in over an additional 19 states and the District of Columbia.
- National counsel for crane, forklift, tool, trailer, motorcycle and dockleveler manufacturers.
- Wisconsin counsel for manufacturers of automotive, industrial, construction, truck, agricultural, consumer, and other products.
- Defense of consumer class action litigation.
- Plaintiff and defense work in high-stakes commercial and IP litigation.
- Counseling of manufacturers on product design, intellectual property, warnings, safety, record retention and related issues.
Education and Honors
- University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., 1975)
Order of the Coif. Note and Comment Editor, Wisconsin Law Review.
- Stanford University (B.A., 1972)
Court Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court, 1980
Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2006
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1976
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1993
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, 1981
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2003
U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 1992
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1975
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1975
Professional Recognition
One of 331 lawyers listed in
An International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers.
Martindale-Hubbell AV
® Peer Review Rated.
Listed in
The Best Lawyers in America® (2008-present: Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation).
Selected for inclusion in the 2008
Wisconsin Super Lawyers® list (Civil Litigation Defense).
Professional and Civic Activities
Member: Milwaukee and American Bar Associations; Bar Association of the Seventh Federal Circuit; Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association; State Bar of Wisconsin; Product Liability Advisory Council (Sustaining Member); Defense Research Institute; TIPS and Product Liability Subcommittees of ABA; Industrial Truck Association Lawyers Committee.
Numerous pro hac vice admissions nationwide.