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 aviation, technology and outsourcing, manufacturing, private equity, 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, wage and hour, and class-based discrimination. He has extensive experience as lead counsel on ERISA class action, executive compensation, and withdrawal liability litigation disputes.

Mr. Spangler also serves as a go to advisor for corporate and private equity clients on strategic labor and employment matters. Patrick regularly advises on workforce change planning in the context of mergers and acquisitions, distressed situations, and business relocation. Mr. Spangler is a frequent speaker and presenter on cutting-edge legal issues related to union relations, withdrawal liability and legacy benefits exposure, and reductions-in-force.

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 was most recently selected for inclusion as a Super Lawyer in Chicago Magazine. He was named as an Emerging Lawyer, an affiliate of Leading Lawyers, from 2014 to 2023. Mr. Spangler previously served 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 a member of the Firm’s Compensation 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)
  • Former Fellow and Alumni Circle Member, Public Interest Law Initiative

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

ERISA and Executive Compensation Litigation:

  • Obtained summary judgment for Fortune 500 client in Southern District of Florida in litigation involving forfeiture of executive compensation benefits under top-hat plan based on breach of non-competition provisions.
  • Lead counsel in ERISA 401(k) class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty based on excessive recordkeeping fees.
  • Trial counsel in two-week ERISA breach of fiduciary duty class action in federal court alleging overpayment and related claims arising from private company ESOP transaction. 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. Successfully obtained dismissal of retiree health benefits claims brought on behalf of over 10,000 putative class members in Northern District of Illinois.
  • Lead counsel in breach of contract action seeking severance and change of control benefits in Cook County, Illinois. Case resolved prior to summary judgment. Lead counsel in numerous withdrawal liability disputes before the AAA and in federal courts seeking withdrawal liability related to the cessation or partial cessation of contributions to multiemployer pension funds.

Complex Employment and Restrictive Covenant Litigation

  • 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.
  • Obtained summary judgment for defense contractor client in Middle District of Florida with respect to allegations of ERISA 510, ADA, and FMLA retaliation in context of a reduction-in-force.
  • 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.
  • Lead counsel for financial services client in prosecution of trade secret, restrictive covenant, and breach of contract claims in Cook County, Illinois.

M&A and Bankruptcy Matters

  • Labor and employment counsel to private equity and strategic buyers in over 75 transactions involving unionized workforces and single or multiemployer pension exposure.
  • Outside counsel to publicly traded company related on $5 billion merger transaction involving legacy pension and benefits liabilities.
  • Outside counsel to secured creditor in Chapter 11 bankruptcy involving withdrawal liability, WARN, and union claims of over $6 billion.
  • Strategic advisor on union relations and withdrawal liability matters to numerous corporate entities and strategic buyers.
  • Counsel to bankruptcy trustee on the resolution of over $750 million in pension, WARN and wage and hour class claims, and other labor-related claims in Chapter 11 proceeding.