Patrick J. McDonald

Patrick J. McDonald is a partner in the firm whose practice is focused on complex commercial disputes, with expertise in matters involving contracts, construction, wills, trust and estates, labor and employment, real estate, commercial landlord-tenant, intellectual property, corporate governance and fiduciary disputes, “business divorces” and various other forms of complex business disputes.  Mr. McDonald has tried cases and regularly appears in both the federal and state courts in Virginia, and represents his clients in arbitration and mediation as well.  Mr. McDonald is dedicated to obtaining the best result for his clients, whether through court, alternative dispute resolution or informal negotiation.   Though his focus is on dispute resolution, Mr. McDonald also advises his clients on contract negotiation and in other business matters.

Mr. McDonald is admitted to practice in the state courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  He has been specially admitted in various cases in Maryland and the District of Columbia, including both federal and state courts.

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Mr. McDonald resides in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.  He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Princeton University and obtained his Juris Doctorate from the George Mason University School of Law, cum laude, where he served as the Senior Notes Editor for the George Mason Civil Rights Law Journal.  Before entering private practice, Mr. McDonald served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judges of the Circuit Court of Arlington County, Virginia. He also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Dennis J. Smith of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia.  He is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association and the Arlington Bar Association, serving as a board member for the Arlington Bar’s Young Lawyers Section.  Mr. McDonald has been selected as “Rising Star” by Thomson-Reuters’ SuperLawyers for 2019 and 2020.

Away from the office, Mr. McDonald likes to spend his free time with his family and is an avid sports fan.

Publications

• Patrick J. McDonald, Cerqueira v. American Airlines: What are the Appropriate Limits of an Air Carrier’s Permissive Refusal Power?, 20 Geo. Mason U. Civ. Rts. L.J. 111 (2009)