Phil Atkins-Pattenson is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group and is Co-Office Managing Partner of the firm's San Francisco office. In 2007, he was recognized by California Lawyer magazine as one of its "California Attorneys of the Year (CLAY)." The Daily Journal recognized one of his cases as a "Top Ten Defense Verdict" in 2009.

Areas of Practice

Mr. Atkins-Pattenson's practice focuses on complex business litigation in which he represents clients in a variety of industries, including aviation, healthcare, high technology, insurance, manufacturing, real estate development, and telecommunications. He regularly defends consumer class actions, and has extensive experience litigating cases involving business torts, bad faith, unfair competition and false advertising, contract, fraud, partnership disputes, securities, trade secrets, and land use and environmental issues (CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) and ESA (Endangered Species Act)). He has conducted numerous trials and arbitrations, handled internal corporate investigations and argued important cases before the California Court of Appeal and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Atkins-Pattenson has extensive experience in litigating attorneys' fee awards (both contractual and statutory) and has recovered over $13 million in awards and settlements.

Mr. Atkins-Pattenson maintains an active pro bono practice, and has served on Sheppard Mullin's Pro Bono Committee. For more than 20 years, he was the lead lawyer representing the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) in federal court litigation to restore the San Joaquin River, California's second largest river, and was the co-lead negotiator for the plaintiffs in the settlement negotiations of that case that resulted in a comprehensive river and salmon restoration plan that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior described as "historic." The federal legislation to implement the settlement was among the first pieces of legislation signed by President Obama in 2009. Sheppard Mullin recognized Mr. Atkins-Pattenson as the firm's "Pro Bono Attorney of the Year" in 2007.