Patrick “Gus” Cochran is an associate at Ciresi Conlin. Gus represents plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts across the country in a broad variety of commercial and intellectual property litigation. Gus has extensive experience in cases involving the misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, fraud, and other business torts. Clients also seek Gus out for his expertise in defending defamation claims and protecting their First Amendment rights under Minnesota’s anti-SLAPP statute.
Gus has lead counsel experience and has managed pivotal aspects of high-stakes disputes, including pre-suit investigations 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 worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, appeared at more than 1,000 hearings in felony matters as a certified student attorney on behalf of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, 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 obtaining an order requiring the plaintiff to identify its trade secrets with greater particularity—and lead briefing on many others, including a motion that successfully precluded plaintiff from asserting scores of asserted 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.
Gus also defended a leading manufacturer of yearbooks, class rings, and school regalia in litigation 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/Fraud 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.
Defamation
Co-Lead counsel protecting the First Amendment rights of prominent law firm and attorney and obtaining a complete dismissal and fee award under Minnesota’s anti-SLAPP law (i.e., the Uniform Public Expression Act or “UPEPA”). After he was convicted in federal court on sex trafficking counts, former political operative Anton Lazzaro filed suit challenging seven statements the law firm and attorney made at a press conference announcing related civil litigation against Hotel Ivy. Gus successfully argued an anti-SLAPP motion that achieved an expedited, with-prejudice dismissal of all defamation claims and awarding attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in bringing the motion. The Court issued a 34-page decision crediting each argument for dismissal.
Governmental Disputes
Defending Minnesota business in litigation against Metropolitan Council and other public entities challenging $30M real estate transaction under the terms of a grant agreement and asserting affirmative claims for tortious interference and under Minnesota’s Equal Access to Justice Act.
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
Anderson v. Admo Group LTD, et al., No. 25-cv-71 (W.D. Wis.): Lead counsel for plaintiff 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; successfully argued and defeated motion to dismiss on personal jurisdiction grounds and later obtained default judgment awarding more than $713,000 in damages, attorneys’ fees, and prejudgment interest.
Data Breach Litigation: Defending Minnesota business against putative class action arising from data breach.
Real Estate Fraud: 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. (See https://mitchellhamline.edu/sex-offense-litigation-policy/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2020/01/Minnesota-District-Court-Order.pdf)
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
The Sedona Conference
Minnesota State Bar Association
Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
Warren E. Burger Inn of Court
Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
Competitive Edge: Trade secrets in the new era of revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness in college sports (Mar. 13, 2026), available at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d038fdef-084b-420c-824d-e1fa2c6b4424.
Tagalong torts: How have courts applied the Minnesota Uniform Trade Secret Act’s displacement provision? (Jan. 12, 2026), available at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=35f10591-a466-4dea-b4b1-04d278622463.
Musical Trade Secrets: Wu-Tang Case Enters “Uncharted Territory” (Sept. 25, 2025), available at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4de1ada0-4df0-4104-9be5-74aec6ec61bb.
Greenmount LLC v. Management LLC et al. (Aug. 22, 2025), available at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4916b4c0-9b7a-478d-a982-c36675e71c74.
You’ve Been Served . . . or Have You?—Jaeger v. Palladium Holdings, LLC, 44 MITCHELL HAMLINE L. REV. 274 (2018).
