patrick p. de gravelles

Patrick P. de Gravelles is an experienced litigator with a background in both civil and criminal matters.  He has litigated shareholder and ERISA class actions involving large corporations, including suits stemming from the collapse of Enron, and currently focuses on complex ERISA actions brought by participants in corporate pension and retirement plans.

Before joining McTigue & Porter, Mr. de Gravelles was involved in criminal defense matters and complex civil litigation, including federal probes into the issuance of gaming licenses in Louisiana , state criminal charges against a federal law enforcement officer, and alleged violations of a U.S. trade embargo.  His practice also involved government contracts disputes, legal malpractice cases, litigation involving the commercial student loan industry, insurance coverage disputes, and commercial real estate litigation.

 Mr. de Gravelles has worked on a variety of pro bono projects, including those  involving political asylum applications, employment discrimination actions, and child custody disputes.  In 1997, he received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Services, which is awarded by the Board of Governors for the State Bar of California.  In in May 2000, he received an Outstanding Achievement Award by the D.C. Chapter of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.  In 2001, the District of Columbia Bar named him Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year.

 Mr. de Gravelles attended the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, where he founded the Criminal Law Society.  Mr. de Gravelles is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Prior to law school, Mr. de Gravelles spent more than four years as a special agent with the U.S. State Department.  He graduated, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University .