Patrick Stufflebeam Tressler LLP

Stufflebeam, Patrick W. Partner

Stufflebeam, Patrick W. Partner

Practice Focus

Patrick is partner and Co-Chair of the Litigation and Transportation Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on the defense of civil litigation including toxic tort (asbestos, talc, and benzene), premises liability, product liability, commercial litigation, and insurance coverage issues. He also counsels clients and attorneys regarding cybersecurity and the use of technology in the law. Patrick has represented individuals, family-owned businesses and farms, and some of our country’s largest corporations. 

Professional Background

Patrick concentrates his litigation practice on the defense of civil litigation, including toxic tort (asbestos, ethylene oxide, PFAS, talc, and benzene), premises liability, product liability, commercial litigation and insurance coverage issues. Patrick has led every aspect of litigation in some of the most challenging jurisdictions, such as the City of St. Louis, Missouri; Madison County, Illinois; St. Clair County, Illinois; and Cook County, Illinois. He has served in a National Counsel role for asbestos litigation. His experience ranges from the creation of alternative fee agreements through case resolution. He also has experience with multi-million-page document coding and production projects and the use of eDiscovery tools. He has identified, prepared and defended numerous corporate representative depositions.

Patrick’s cyber practice includes counseling clients on cybersecurity and privacy issues, including developing cybersecurity and privacy policies and assisting clients in the management of those risks. He counsels clients on compliance with state laws such as Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA). He also actively assists clients in investigating and responding to cyber incidents, including complying with applicable breach-response notifications. Patrick is a frequent lecturer on cybersecurity and privacy topics, including the HIPAA Security Rule, Work From Home best practices, mobile device security, social engineering/phishing, data protection, multi-factor authentication, data encryption, passwords, and cloud security.

Patrick also maintains a practice in assisting individuals and businesses with corporate formation, acquisition and contract matters.

Patrick holds an AV Preeminent® rating with Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected by The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants since 2021, and Litigation-Insurance in 2023 and 2024. He has also been recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, Products Liability Defense and Toxic Torts Defense; Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, Products Liability Defense and Toxic Torts Defense; Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers; and Rising Star by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.

Patrick obtained his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law after graduating from Western Illinois University. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Madison County Bar Association, International Association of Privacy Professionals and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance.

Memberships & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Missouri (2002)
  • State Bar of Illinois (2003)
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (2002)
  • Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Legal Technology Columnist, Director (2011-2017)
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals
  • Madison County Bar Association
  • Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, Member

Recent Articles and Blogs

"Lookin’ Out My Backdoor: Will Anti-Encryption Laws Invade the Attorney-Client Privilege?," IDC Quarterly, Technology Law Column, Vol. 31, No. 1, 2021 (publication forthcoming)

"WFH: I Know What You Did Last Summer," IDC Quarterly, Technology Law Column, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2020

"HODL: Crypto Payments for Legal Services?," IDC Quarterly, Technology Law Column, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2020

"The Mobile Lawyer: Protecting Client Data On the Go," IDC Quarterly, Technology Law Column, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 17-18, 2019

"Is Your Law Firm Prepared in the Event of a Cyberattack?," IDC QUARTERLY, Technology Law Column, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2019 (publication forthcoming)

"VPN and Chill," IDC QUARTERLY, Technology Law Column, Vol. 28, No. 4, 
pp. 6-7, 2018

"10 Tech Tips for Lawyers in 2019," LINKEDIN, December 8, 2018

"Microgeneration, Blockchain, and the Smart Grid," THE ILLINOIS MANUFACTURER,pp. 12-13,  Fourth Quarter 2018

"SHOW ME THE (asbestos) MONEY!,"LINKEDIN, October 14, 2018

"Encryption Edition: Be Sure to Drink Your Ovaltine," IDC QUARTERLY, Technology Law Column, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 58-60, 2018

"Oh Snap!," IDC QUARTERLY, Technology Law Column, Vol. 27, No. 2,p. 29, 2017

"Avoid the Pineapples!," IDC QUARTERLY, Technology Law Column, Vol. 26, No. 4,pp. 43-44, 2016

"Folta v. Ferro Engineering: A Shift in Illinois Workers’ Compensation Protection for Illinois Employers in Asbestos Cases," IDC QUARTERLY, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 4-6, 2015

News

Representative Experience

  • Obtained order dismissing client for lack of personal jurisdiction on behalf of product manufacturer where the alleged exposure occurred in Illinois in an asbestos personal injury action pending in Madison County, Illinois. Voss v. Murco Wall Products Inc.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of premises owner in asbestos personal injury action. Stanley v. Ameren Illinois Company.
  • Obtained order dismissing client for lack of personal jurisdiction on behalf of a premises owner in an asbestos personal injury action pending in Marion County, Indiana. Howard v. Ameren Illinois Company.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of premises owner in asbestos personal injury action pending in Peoria County, Illinois. Coyne v. Central Illinois Light Company.
  • Amicus brief co-author accepted by Illinois Supreme Court in Folta v. Ferro Engineering regarding the application of Illinois Workers’ Compensation Statutes’ exclusivity provisions in cases involving latent diseases.

Presentations

"Home Grown Privacy Threats for Municipalities," Illinois Association of Park Districts and Illinois Park & Recreation Association 2021 IAPD/IPRA Soring to New Heights Virtual Conference, January 31, 2021.

"Deposition Tactics for Plaintiff’s Occupational Medicine & Public Health Experts," Illinois Defense Counsel Practical Guide to Deposing Plaintiff’s Asbestos Experts, December 4, 2020

"HIPAA Security Rule: Best Practices to Safeguard Your Data," National Advocates Society and National Medical and Dental Association 2019 National Conference, Maumee, Ohio, August 1, 2019

"Is Talc the Next “Magic Mineral”?" St. Louis Paralegal Association, July 18, 2019

"Technology Considerations for Your Legal Practice," Illinois Association Of Defense Trial Counsel Idc Practice Series, December 2018

"Closing Pandora’s Box: Cybersecurity," Data Privacy Legislation & Litigation in 2019 and Beyond, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Synergy Forum, Chicago, Illinois, April 11, 2019.

"Talc: Nothing to See Here," Illinois Association Of Defense Trial Counsel Spring Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, March 10, 2017

"A Journey Through the Dark Web and Other Fascinating Places," Heplerbroom LLC Attorney Retreat, August 26, 2016

"Your First “Asbestos” Lawsuit, Illinois Manufacturers Association Video Reference Library," Oak Brook, Illinois, May 31, 2016

"Technology at Trial," Illinois Association Of Defense Trial Counsel Spring Symposium, St. Louis, Missouri, March 18, 2016,  Presented jointly with Madison County, Illinois Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder.

"Faculty, Deposition Academy," Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Collinsville, Illinois, September 18, 2015

"Oh Lord Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz: Personal Jurisdiction Post-Daimler," TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF DEFENSE COUNSEL WINTER SEMINAR, Beaver Creek, Colorado, January 24, 2015

"Take My Card: Ethical Considerations Governing Business Development," IDC SUCCEEDING AS A YOUNG ASSOCIATE: MANAGING CASES, BUILDING YOUR BRAND, AND AVOIDING ETHICAL PITFALLS, Edwardsville, Illinois, January 9, 2015

"Don’t Tell Me No Lies and Keep Your Tweets to Yourself: The Ethics of Social Media Facing Lawyers," HEPLERBROOM UNIVERSITY, Edwardsville, Illinois, October 23, 2014

"Decisions in Illinois and Missouri – What’s New?," HARRISMARTIN MIDWEST ASBESTOS LITIGATION CONFERENCE, St. Louis, Missouri, September 18, 2014

"Safeguarding Electronic Client Data," CLAIMS & LITIGATION MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE EMERGING CLAIMS ISSUES IN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS, St. Louis, Missouri, March 12, 2014

"Settling Cases in Illinois In Light of 735 ILCS 5/2-2301," HEPLERBROOM UNIVERSITY, Edwardsville, Illinois, January 9, 2014

"Discovery of Documents and Electronically Stored Information," HEPLERBROOM UNIVERSITY, Edwardsville, Illinois, May 23, 2013

"Midwest Appellate Decisions: A Year in Review," HARRISMARTIN MIDWEST ASBESTOS LITIGATION CONFERENCE, St. Louis, Missouri, September 21, 2012

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