Patrick A. Fraioli is a business lawyer, and a partner in ECJ’s Litigation Department. Mr. Fraioli has been named one of L.A.’s Top 100 Lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal and has been selected for inclusion in Southern California Super Lawyers as published in Los Angeles magazine for 2009 and 2010.
Mr. Fraioli employs his many years of experience in court battles not only to litigate disputes to conclusion but also to counsel his business clients to prevent the conduct that often leads to business lawsuits. This is particularly true in the areas of financial fraud and Intellectual Property development, management and exploitation, including an increasing amount of “Green”, “Sustainable” and “New Energy” technology clients. His experience has been focused in the areas of Intellectual Property Litigation and Counseling, Commercial Litigation (contracts and business torts), Litigation Avoidance Counseling, Bankruptcy/Receivership Litigation, Insurance Coverage, Financial Fraud Prevention, Investigation and Recovery, Professional Negligence (Accountant & Attorney Malpractice) Litigation, and General Business Counseling.
Representative clients include: Internet Brands (Nasdaq:INET); Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS); Applied Companies; First Bank of Delaware; Origin Oil (Nasdaq:OOIL.OB); Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC); RNC Genter Capital Management; Women’s Investment Network; John Hancock Life Insurance Co.; Fortris Financial; Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG); Circuit City.
Mr. Fraioli not only has practiced law, but has also been a small business entrepreneur and a Member of the New York Stock Exchange. He believes his active business experience—both successes and failures—have made him a better business lawyer. Most recently, he has run a multi-hundred-million dollar business while serving as a federal court-appointed Receiver, and has served as a court-appointed Monitor over the same, worldwide enterprise.
Mr. Fraioli received his legal education at the University of Chicago Law School (J.D. 1988), and graduated from Georgetown University, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government. He is a member of the Professional Responsibility & Ethics Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar and of the Attorneys’ Professional Liability Bar Association. He was born in New York City on December 31, 1963, and admitted to the New York and Connecticut Bars in 1989 and 1990, and the California Bar in 1997.
Current Employment Position(s)
Areas of Practice
- Business Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Litigation Avoidance
- Fraud Prevention, Investigation and Recovery
- General Business Counseling
- Bankruptcy and Receivership Litigation
- Professional Negligence and Attorney Malpractice Litigation
Bar Admissions
- California, 1997
- New York, 1990
- Connecticut, 1990
Education
- University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois, 1988
J.D.
- Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
B.A. Honors: Cum Laude
Published Works
- “Guiding Stars to Help You Navigate the Start-up Waters”, chapter published in “Prep Your Client: How to Start Up Your Own Business” by Aspatore Books, June, 2009
- “It’s Never Too Early: The Importance of Making a Will”, Celeb Staff, Jan/Feb, 2009
- “Avoid Legal Time Bombs”, Entrepreneur.com, November 6, 2008, MSNBC.com
- “Employment Agreements: Top Five Reasons Why You Should Have One”, Celeb Staff, September/October, 2008
- “Congress Should Address Patent Reform Act’s Venue Provisions”, Daily Journal, September 18, 2008
- “Keeping Your Private Life Private” – Celeb Staff, July/August, 2008
- “New Discovery Rules, Same ‘Old’ Ethics Rules”, LACBA County Bar Update, Vol. 28, No. 5, May, 2008
- “Attorneys’ Continuing Duties to Court after Termination of Attorney-Client Relationship”, LACBA County Bar Update, Vol. 24, No. 11, December, 2004
Classes/Seminars Taught
- Speaker, “How Business Can Avoid Legal Land Mines”, November 12, 2009, presented to The Century City Business Forum
- Speaker, “Enhancing Your Balance Sheet: Protecting Your Trade Secrets”, October 14, 2009, presented to The Executive Forum
- Speaker, “Intellectual Property and Fraud: A Sometimes Busy Intersection”, September 9, 2009, presented to The Century City Business Forum
- Speaker, “Receivership Uses and Practices”, June 5, 2009, meeting of San Gabriel Valley Bar Association
- Speaker, “Keeping Your Business Out of Court: Legal Audits and Other Preventive Maintenance”, September, 2005, presented to the California Capital Market Place
- Contributor, People Magazine, CourtTV Radio and similar media outlets
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of California
- Connecticut State Bar – Retired
- New York State Bar
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
Professional Responsibility & Ethics Committee
- Attorneys’ Professional Liability Bar Association
- All Cities Resource Group: Host and Co-Moderator, “Sustainability and New Energy Group”
- All Cities High-Technology Networking and Advisory Group: Host and Co-Moderator
- Business Forums International, Member
- Business Masterminds Group: Host and Moderator
Past Employment Positions
- Moldo Davidson Fraioli Seror & Sestanovich LLP, Los Angeles, California, Partner
- Principal, Several Small Business Ventures
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges, New York City, Associate
- Member, New York Stock Exchange, 1998 – 2005
