Tim Patterson

Senior Counsel

Overview

Tim Patterson represents manufacturers and suppliers in complex product distribution litigation throughout the United States. Tim also regularly counsels Foley's manufacturing clients about effectively managing their reseller networks to avoid costly and protracted litigation. Tim is a member of the firm’s Distribution & Franchise and Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practices.

Tim also manages Foley’s “State Distribution & Franchise Law Map,” a tool Foley’s clients use to assess the legal risks that state-specific distribution and franchise laws present for their businesses. Tim is a regular speaker at Foley’s Annual Law of Product Distribution & Franchise Seminar.

Education

  • Marquette University Law School (J.D., magna cum laude)
    • Comment editor, Marquette Law Review
    • Recipient of seven, CALI Awards
  • University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (B.A., magna cum laude)
    • Dean’s List

Speaking Engagements & Publications

  • Author, “Making the Case: Remote Litigation Can Benefit Your Franchise in the Long-Term,” Global Franchise Magazine (August 2021)
  • Speaker, “All Over the Map—Navigating Challenges Posed By State Law,” Foley & Lardner LLP Law of Product Distribution Franchise Seminars (2021)
  • Speaker, “State(s) of Confusion: Defining the Relationship Under State Distribution Laws,” Foley & Lardner LLP Law of Product Distribution Franchise Seminars (2019)
  • Speaker, “Termination: Building Your Best Case,” Foley & Lardner LLP Law of Product Distribution Franchise Seminars (2018)
  • Speaker, “Reaping What You Sow: Protecting Your Future Yields with Non-Competes and Trade Secret Law,” Foley & Lardner LLP Law of Product Distribution Franchise Seminars (2017)

Admissions

  • Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western districts of Wisconsin
  • 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals