I believe in our country’s dispute resolution systems. My passion lies in mastering those systems, thinking critically about the avenues of relief they offer, and operating strategically within them to obtain optimal outcomes for my clients. Keeping in mind each client’s distinct business, goals, and risks, I engineer strategies that meet the complexities of every case.
Patrick “Gus” Cochran is an associate at Ciresi Conlin, where his practice focuses on complex commercial and intellectual property litigation. Gus’s casework spans state and federal courts across the country—for both plaintiffs and defendants—in cases commonly including claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary business information or technology, breach of contract, fraud, and other business torts.
Gus pairs a high-touch approach with strategic depth, quickly mastering his clients’ business and interests, the facts, and the law to drive strategies tailored to clients’ unique objectives. Gus has lead counsel experience and has managed pivotal aspects of high-stakes disputes, including the investigation and development of case themes and strategy, briefing and arguing dispositive motions, taking and defending critical 30(b)(6) and fact depositions, and managing all aspects of discovery.
Previous Experience
Before joining the firm, Gus completed a two-year clerkship with Judge Eric C. Tostrud of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Before that, Gus practiced in the business litigation group of an Am Law 50 law firm.
Education
Gus graduated salutatorian from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. During law school, he clerked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, represented the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office at more than 1,000 hearings in felony matters as a certified student attorney, and externed for U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Working with Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners, Gus advanced the rights of indigent clients in a variety of civil lawsuits, and he assisted pro se parties with criminal expungements, eviction expungements, and marital dissolution as a volunteer with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. Gus also served as Assistant Editor on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review and Policy Editor on the Law Journal of Public Policy & Practice. Before law school, Gus earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Loras College.
Bar Admissions
We take the same approach for any commercial litigation - from business to business disputes to high-profile, bet-the-company, and procedurally difficult cases that affect business success and vitality of international corporations, small businesses, or individual owners.
Trade Secret Litigation
Plus One, LLC v. Capital Relocation Services, LLC, No. 23-cv-2016 (D. Minn.): Defended leading relocation management company against competitor seeking damages and injunctive relief for claims of trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, tortious interference, and violations of Minnesota’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act in connection with client’s development of proprietary software. Gus successfully argued pivotal motions throughout the case—defeating early motions for a preliminary injunction and expedited discovery, obtaining a bench-ruling disposing of multiple claims on a motion to dismiss, and prevailing on several weighty discovery motions—and took a central role in briefing many others, including a motion that successfully precluded plaintiff from asserting scores of newly identified trade secrets. Gus took and defended depositions of key 30(b)(6) and fact witnesses, oversaw voluminous and complex phases of discovery, including source code inspections, and worked closely with software development and forensics experts in crafting a rebuttal report tackling lynchpin issues. Case resolved with a mediated settlement days after the completion of expert depositions.
Defended leading manufacturer of yearbooks, class rings, and school regalia in federal lawsuit by a competitor seeking “tens of millions of dollars” in damages and injunctive relief for claims of trade secret misappropriation, violations of Minnesota’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and tortious interference with the noncompete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements of 21 independent sales representative companies. Case resolved with a favorable mediated settlement near the completion of document discovery.
M&A Litigation
Defended public health insurance company against claims of fraud, securities fraud, and breach of contract by shareholders following its acquisition of virtual healthcare company. Successfully obtained dismissal of Minnesota suit on venue grounds. After plaintiffs refiled in Delaware Superior Court, Gus successfully argued a motion for a stay of all discovery and a motion to dismiss, achieving an order dismissing plaintiffs’ contract claim and foreshadowing that “many, if not most” of the fraud and securities fraud theories would not be actionable. Case resolved with a mediated settlement shortly after the Court’s order on the motion to dismiss.
Minnesota Termination of Sales Representatives Act
Resultati, LLC v. Culligan International Company, et al., No. 23-cv-849 (D. Minn.): Lead counsel on behalf of sales representative company asserting claims against global manufacturer of water filtration products for violations of Minnesota’s Termination of Sales Representative Act, breach of contract, and tortious interference with contract. Case resolved with favorable settlement in early stages of discovery.
Miscellaneous Litigation
Lead counsel for individual plaintiff in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and attorneys’ fees under British law against Dutch and British defendants in connection with repudiation of jet charter contract.
Defending prominent Minnesota law firm in defamation suit by former political strategist and donor convicted of federal sex trafficking crimes.
Lead counsel on behalf of arbitration claimant asserting claims of fraud, consumer fraud, and material nondisclosure under Minn. Stat. § 513.57 in connection with real estate transaction. Case resolved with pre-hearing settlement.
Outside General Counsel
Gus provides general counsel to corporate clients ranging from mid-stage tech and consumer startups to mature businesses, including on issues related to litigation risk, compliance, deal-making, SaaS agreements, nondisclosure agreements, intellectual property, terms of use, and advertising.
Pro bono
Obtained summary judgment and permanent injunctive relief on behalf of plaintiff challenging Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s requirement that she register as a predatory offender. Court found BCA’s application of registration statute constituted a continuing violation, thereby defeating statute of limitations defense, and violated Minnesota’s statutory presumption against retroactive application of laws.
Experienced as lead counsel for tenants in rent escrow actions and criminal-expungement petitioners.
Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America” for Commercial Litigation (2025-2026) and Intellectual Property Litigation (2026)
Named a “Minnesota Rising Star,” Super Lawyers (2025)
Named an “Up & Coming Attorney,” Minnesota Lawyer (2024)
Harry A. Sieben Award, Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter (2019)
North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association (2019, 2020)
Recent Community/Professional Service
Minnesota State Bar Association
Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
The Sedona Conference
Warren E. Burger Inn of Court
Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
