Image of Patrick C. Summers

Patrick C. Summers

Attorney
Print Full Bio

Service Areas:

Education:

  • J.D., cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School 
  •  B.A., magna cum laude, University of Minnesota

Admissions:

  • Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
  • Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota
  • Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

Patrick works with clients in the areas of real property, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, landlord-tenant law, construction litigation, and general business litigation. He advises clients on ways to limit future exposure and methods to avoid legal problems before they develop into litigation. His practice includes extensive experience with bankruptcy from a creditor’s perspective, including Chapter 11. Patrick is also a MSBA Certified Real Property Law Specialist.

Patrick represents individuals, companies, contractors, design professionals, and property owners in a variety of matters, including business disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, title issues, real property litigation, mechanic’s lien foreclosure actions and defense, and contract, warranty and negligence claims. He also works with banks and lenders regarding foreclosures, secured transactions and other lending issues.

He is an MSBA Certified Real Property Law Specialist since 2021.  He is also a Conciliation Court Judge for Dakota County  

Articles & Presentations
Awards & Recognitions
Notable Representations
Service Area Subspecialties

Articles & Presentations

Patrick regularly presents seminars on a variety of topics, including foreclosure, real property issues, and bankruptcy as well as other construction related matters.  Some of his most recent seminars include the following:

  • Co-Presenter, "Resolving Contract Disputes on Lake Property Improvements" – Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, June 2024
  • Co-Presenter "Transferring and Terminating Family Interests in Real Property" – Hennepin County Bar Association, October 2021 
  • Co-Presenter "Annual Real Property Case Law Update" – Hennepin County Bar Association, Real Property Section
  • Co-Presenter “An Introduction to Bankruptcy Concepts Affecting Real Property – The Effects of the Automatic Stay, Treatment of Commercial Leases, the Homestead Exemption, and More" – Minnesota CLE Minnesota Real Estate Institute, November  2019
  • Co-Presenter “Six Key Issues at the Intersection of Real Estate and Bankruptcy” – Hennepin County Bar Association, March 2019
  • Co-Presenter “Real Estate Transactions Gone Wrong” –  Webcast, December 16, 2014 

Awards & Recognitions

  • MSBA Certified Real Property Law Specialist since 2021

Notable Representations

Property Law

  • Successfully litigated numerous actions regarding judicial foreclosures, boundary line disputes, quiet title, access, title insurance coverage, property tax appeals, condemnation, reformation, Torrens proceedings, and all aspects of real property law
  • Represented lenders, buyers, and sellers in a number of large commercial property transactions

Bankruptcy

  • Served as counsel for a Chapter 7 Trustee for a number of years. Brought adversary actions for preference recovery, turn over, exemptions and a variety of other matters
  • Represented commercial property owners and other creditors in large Chapter 11 cases.
  • Recovered significant amounts for creditors in bankruptcy matters
  • Successful defense of a preference action with potential liability in excess of $100,000 and successfully navigated clients through the issues and documents filed in large Chapter 11 filings
  • Represented corporations and individuals in creditor actions in bankruptcy cases, including Chapter 7, 11, and 13 cases

Creditors Rights

  • Represented banks and other creditors in a variety of matters, including all aspects of bankruptcy, claim and delivery, foreclosure and other litigation to recover funds or collateral from debtors. These included eviction proceedings and collection actions
  • Represented and defended companies in commercial collection matters
  • Successfully negotiated workouts as well as asset recovery

Landlord Tenant Litigation

  • Brought successful actions to remove tenants from properties, including while tenant was in bankruptcy, as well as collected amounts owed under lease. He has also presented seminars on best practices for leases and dealing with tenants
  • Represented major commercial landlords and banks in a variety of consumer and commercial matters
  • Assisted large commercial property owners with complex issues which arise in Chapter 11 filings by tenants or others

Construction Litigation

  • Represented contractors, property owners, and design professionals in a variety of matters, including mechanic’s lien foreclosure actions and defense, public project bond litigation, and contract and warranty claims
  • Advised clients on ways to limit future exposure and proper methods to avoid problems before they develop into litigation
  • Contract review with an eye towards limiting future litigation and including provisions to maximize protections

Service Area Subspecialties

  • Bankruptcy
    • Banking & Financial Institutions
Contact