Patrick W. Brennan

Biography

Pat is a shareholder and Chairman of the board of Crivello, Nichols & Hall. With state and federal practice throughout Wisconsin, he has demonstrated expertise in professional liability, commercial litigation, construction disputes, insurance coverage issues and personal injury litigation. Maintaining the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards, he has achieved the AV Preeminent Martindale Hubbel Award, was invited into the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel organization, and elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Having tried to verdict over 100 cases, Pat’s experience in the courts has been recognized by his peers with election to the Chair position of the State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section and President of the Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, now the Wisconsin Defense Counsel, and a Super Lawyers designation since 2010.

Pat has been selected as a Fellow of both the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Bar Foundation and has received the singular honors of Lawyer of the Year/Legal Scholar by the Milwaukee Bar Association, Best’s Lawyer of the Year for personal injury in 2022, and Lawyer of the Year for personal injury litigation – defendants in Milwaukee 2023.

An award-winning author, Pat has published widely in the legal, insurance and corporate press, and has spoken on topics of interest to litigators, to professional and industry groups including RIMS, CPCU, the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Defense Counsel and numerous other organizations. He co-authors a chapter of the Wisconsin Trial Practice manual.

Honors and Awards

• AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Rating (2011-2025)
• Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law Martindale Hubbell (Since 2013)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 
• Fellow of the American Bar Foundation 
• State Bar of Wisconsin, Litigation Section Board of Governors (Chair 2007-2008)
• Best Lawyers in America - Commercial/Litigation (2013-2014)
• 'Super Lawyer' designation (2005-Present)
• President, Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin (2001-2002)
• Chairman, Peter Favre Forum (1994-2002)
• Whitefish Bay Municipal Judge (1993-2008)
• Recipient, Lawyer of the Year/Legal Scholar, Milwaukee Bar Association (1990)

Community Service Activities

Former Whitefish Bay Municipal Judge

Practice Areas

Commercial and Personal Injury Litigation
Construction Law
Insurance Defense, Coverage, and Disputes
Product Liability
Professional Liability
Trucking Litigation

Bar Admissions

State of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court - Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals - Seventh Circuit
State of Illinois

Education

Marquette University Law School, J.D., 1981
Marquette University, B.S., 1978

Professional Organizations

American Bar Association
Claims and Litigation Management Institute (CLM)
Defense Research Institute
Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
Illinois State Bar Association
Irish Legal 100
Milwaukee Bar Association
National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (NARTC)
Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF)
Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
Risk and Insurance Management Society
State Bar of Wisconsin (Litigation and Business Law Sections)
The Construction Specifications Institute
The Federalist Society
Wisconsin Defense Counsel