Vedder Price

Vedder Thinking

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

222 North LaSalle Street Chicago, Illinois 60601

+1 (312) 609 7797

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Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Patrick is a Shareholder in the firm’s Labor and Employment practice area and Co-Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee.

Patrick maintains a broad labor and employment practice representing companies in complex litigation, workforce change, and compliance matters. His clients are engaged in a variety of industries including healthcare, aviation, manufacturing, and financial services.

Mr. Spangler’s litigation practice focuses on complex claims arising from the employment relationship. He has successfully tried individual and class-action cases and has handled sensitive enforcement actions related to employee whistleblowing, retaliation, and class-based compensation and hiring discrimination. He has extensive experience handling ERISA litigation cases and disputes involving executive employment agreements and restrictive covenants.

Mr. Spangler also provides traditional labor, employment and benefits advice to employers on day-to-day compliance and workforce change events. Mr. Spangler is a frequent speaker and presenter on cutting-edge legal issues related to withdrawal liability, union relations, and reductions-in-force in the context of corporate transactions.

The Legal 500 United States has recognized Patrick as “highly regarded” by the market in the area of Labor and Employment Disputes (including collective actions): Defense since 2016, and since 2018 has recognized him in the Labor and Employment—Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Design, Labor and Employment—Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional and Labor and Employment—Labor Management Relations categories. Mr. Spangler has been chosen as an Illinois Rising Star since 2009 and was most recently selected for inclusion as an Illinois Super Lawyer in 2021. He has also been recognized by Chicago Magazine. He was named as an Emerging Lawyer, an affiliate of Leading Lawyers, from 2014 to 2023. Mr. Spangler serves on the Board of Senior Editors of Employee Benefits Law, and is an author and chapter editor of ERISA Litigation (both published by Bloomberg BNA). Patrick is actively engaged in developing the next generation of talent at Vedder Price and serves on the firm’s Associate Evaluation Committee.

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Education

  • IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D., 2006, with high honors, Order of the Coif
  • Illinois Wesleyan University, B.A., 2003

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois, 2006

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Affiliations

  • Member, American Bar Association (Employee Benefits and EEO Committees)
  • Management Co-Chair, American Bar Association (Subcommittee on Multiemployer Plans)
  • Member, Board of Directors, Public Interest Law Initiative
  • Former Fellow and Alumni Circle Member, Public Interest Law Initiative
  • Member, International Foundation of Benefit Plans

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Patrick W. Spangler

Shareholder

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Experience

  • Trial counsel for Fortune 50 client in Cook County, Illinois in eight-day jury trial alleging retaliatory discharge and seeking punitive damages of over $5,000,000. Complete defense verdict, affirmed on appeal.
  • Trial counsel in two-week ERISA breach of fiduciary duty case in federal court alleging overpayment and related claims arising from private company ESOP transaction. Successfully obtained ruling requiring seller to completely indemnify fiduciary clients.
  • Trial counsel in case brought in Northern District of Illinois alleging breach of executive employment agreement seeking entitlement to accelerated vesting of equity awards and enhanced severance as a result of acquisition alleged to be change in control. Case resolved during trial.
  • Acted as part of class-action team that successfully obtained dismissal of retiree health benefits claims brought on behalf of over 10,000 putative class members.
  • Represented health care client in litigation filed in Southern District of West Virginia alleging copyright infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract brought against former employees and new employer. Successfully obtained dismissal of tortious interference counterclaim and resolved case prior to trial.
  • Lead counsel for federal contractor client in whistleblower claims filed with OSHA’s Whistleblower Division by multiple employees based on alleged retaliation for complaints to the Federal Aviation Authority.
  • Lead counsel in breach of fiduciary duty litigation brought under ERISA against plan sponsor and insurance company. Successfully resolved participant claim and obtained dismissal of indemnification claim brought by co-defendant insurance company.
  • Assisted numerous public and private companies in assessing risks and strategic alternatives related to multi-employer pension funds.
  • Lead counsel for pharmaceutical company in ERISA breach of fiduciary duty litigation.
  • Successfully represented national marketing company in breach of contract action brought by former executive alleging entitlement to enhanced severance and change in control benefits.
  • Represented national defense contractor in litigation alleging violation of state law whistleblower statute.