Patrick Washburn has practiced continuously with the firm since serving as a law clerk while attending law school in 1983.  Mr. Washburn has extensive experience in several areas of the law, including business organizations, non-profit organizations and associations, transactions, insurance regulatory law, administrative law involving numerous state agencies, estate and probate, copyright and trademark, and litigation and appellate work. Mr. Washburn’s insurance regulatory experience includes assisting clients in forming, organizing and licensing insurance companies, insurance agencies, third party administrators, health maintenance organizations, and other insurance-related entities, assisting clients in buying and selling insurance companies and insurance agencies, assisting clients in policy filings, representing clients in financial and market conduct examinations, and assisting clients in many other types of regulatory filings.

Mr. Washburn is originally from Houston, Texas, and moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas. Mr. Washburn earned a BBA in Accounting from the U.T. McCombs Business School and his law degree from the U.T. School of Law.

Notable Cases:

In Re: Estate of Hallmark, 629 S.W.3d 433 (Tex.App.-Eastland, 2020) – an opinion from the 11th Court of Appeals in Eastland, reversing the appointment of a receiver over a Texas general partnership, on the basis that the Erath County Court at Law, sitting in probate, did not have jurisdiction to appoint a rehabilitative receiver over a domestic entity.

Texas Workers’ Compensation Ins. Fund v. DEL Indus., Inc., 35 S.W.3d 591 (Tex. 2000) – an opinion from the Texas Supreme Court standing for the proposition that in statutory construction, courts are to presume that the Legislature intended the entire statute to be effective, not just one phrase or sentence taken out of context. This case has been cited in numerous Texas Attorney General’s Opinions regarding the issue of statutory construction.

Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners v. Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Texas, 31 S.W.3d 750 (Tex.App.-Austin, 2000) – an opinion from the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin; this is a relatively rare case in which the trial court awarded attorneys’ fees in favor of a private entity against a state agency. The award of attorneys’ fees was the only issue on appeal, and the 3rd Court of Appeals affirmed the award.