Areas of Practice
- Antitrust & Trade Regulation
- Appellate Litigation
- Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization
- Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors-Debtors Rights
- Business & Commercial Litigation
- Class Action Defense
- Disaster Recovery Client Team
- Government Relations
- Professional Liability
- Telecommunications & Utilities
Education
- Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, J.D., 1975; Member, Louisiana Law Review, 1973–1975
- St. Joseph College Seminary
- Louisiana State University, B.A., 1970, with highest honors; Phi Beta Kappa Faculty Group Award; Danforth Fellowship Finalist
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana, 1975
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- 5th Cir.
- 11th Cir.
- E.D. La., 1975
- M.D. La., 1975
- W.D. La., 1975
- S.D. Tex.
Pat Vance is a partner and chair of the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group. He concentrates on business litigation, creditors' rights litigation, and bankruptcy. Mr. Vance is an officer and conferee of the National Bankruptcy Conference, a fellow of the American Law Institute and American College of Bankruptcy.
As a trial attorney, Mr. Vance has handled more than 300 commercial disputes in a wide variety of practice areas: antitrust, RICO, copyright infringement, Lanham Act, securities litigation, defense of class actions, foreclosures, fraud, lender liability, banking litigation, ERISA, dealer-distributor disputes, successions, legal malpractice, expropriation, contract interpretation, partnership, utility regulation, tax, and general commercial disputes. He has more than 60 reported decisions.
Mr. Vance regularly represents secured and unsecured creditors in all types of business bankruptcy cases. He has been retained by scores of banks, telecommunications companies, international manufacturers, utilities, health care providers, maritime, oil and gas related industries, the music industry, casinos, and insurance companies. He recently represented one of the key creditors in the Cajun Electric bankruptcy case, which was one of the most significant utility cases filed in the United States. He has also represented creditors’ committees in numerous cases.
As attorney for debtors and trustees, Mr. Vance has represented real estate developers, hotels, casinos, partnerships, construction companies, health spas, maritime, oil and gas related industries, a tree farm, and the largest alligator farm in North America. He is currently representing the New Orleans-based utility company in a post-Katrina Chapter 11 case.
Noteworthy
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 (Copyright 2008 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC) in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Commercial Litigation (listed annually since 2003)
- Recognized in "Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business" in the areas of Bankruptcy/Restructuring and Litigation: General Commercial (listed annually since 2006)
- Listed in the 2008 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights (also listed in 2007)
- AV® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell. CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories—legal ability and general ethical standards.
- Listed in Euromoney's Guide to World's Leading Insolvency Lawyers (1997–2006)
- One of two Louisiana attorneys listed in the International Who's Who of Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers
News
- Sixty-Two Jones Walker Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009; Jones Walker Top-Listed in Louisiana
- Jones Walker Receives Accolades in Benchmark: Litigation
- Jones Walker Attorneys and Practices Ranked by “Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business”
- Vance Elected to Board of Directors of American College of Bankruptcy Foundation
- Page and Vance Selected for CityBusiness' 2008 Leadership in Law Awards
- Forty Jones Walker Attorneys Recognized in the 2008 Edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers
Presentations
- "Chapter 11 Business Reorganizations", June 2005
- "Hot & Emerging Topics In Bankruptcy", February 21, 2003
Publications
- "Maximus of the Courtroom Crowned with Glory"
New Orleans Bar Association Newsletter, March 2002 - "Fifth Circuit Symposium: Bankruptcy"
46 Loyola Law Review 931, 2000 - "Fifth Circuit Symposium: Bankruptcy"
42 Loyola Law Review 459, 1996 - "Fifth Circuit Symposium: Bankruptcy"
41 Loyola Law Review 443, 1995
Memberships
- American Bar Association (Past Chair, Bankruptcy Litigation Committee; Member, Business Bankruptcy Committee)
- American College of Bankruptcy (Member, Board of Regents, 2003–2007; Board of Directors, 2007 to date)
- American College of Bankruptcy Foundation (Board of Directors, 2008 to date)
- American Law Institute (Fellow)
- Kid SmArt (Board Member)
- Louisiana ArtWorks (Board Member)
- Louisiana Bankers Association (Past Chair, Bank Counsel Committee, 1993; Past Chair, Educational Subcommittee, 1991–1993; Past Chair, Legislative Subcommittee, 1989–1991)
- Louisiana State Bar Association (Past Chair, Sections on Consumer Protection Law and Bankruptcy Law, 1986–1987; Past Chair, CLE Planning Committee, 1995–1996)
- Louisiana State University Honors College Advisory Council
- National Bankruptcy Conference (Executive Committee and Treasurer)
- New Orleans Bar Association (Board Member)
- Trinity Episcopal School (Past Board Member)
