Matt Patterson, a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, practices in the areas of consumer finance litigation, business litigation, ERISA employee benefit plan litigation, labor and employment law, insurance, and intellectual property. A member of both the South Carolina and West Virginia Bars, Mr. Patterson is admitted to practice before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

In addition to his experience in the state and federal courts in South Carolina, Mr. Patterson has handled cases or appeared before courts in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Florida. Among other things, Mr. Patterson’s practice has most recently focused on the defense of banks and other lending institutions from a variety of claims related to loan origination and servicing practices. He also remains active in the areas of ERISA and employment law, with a particular emphasis on the prosecution and enforcement of non-competition agreements.

Mr. Patterson is currently a member of the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Richland County Bar Association, and the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association. Within the Defense Research Institute, Mr. Patterson is a member of the Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, and Young Lawyers Committees. He is also a graduate of the 2007 International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy held at Stanford University. Mr. Patterson is co-author of “In House Decisions: Former In-House Counsel Disqualified in Suit Against Prior Employer,” Committee on Corporate Counsel Newsletter published by the ABA, Summer 2005.

In 2000, Mr. Patterson earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law where he received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Legal Aspects of Risk Allocation. Mr. Patterson earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Furman University in 1997. Prior to joining Nelson Mullins in 2002, Mr. Patterson practiced with another leading firm in the South Carolina Upstate.

In terms of community involvement, Mr. Patterson has served on the Board of Directors for the March of Dimes (Midlands Division) for several years and he remains active in a variety of local charitable activities.

Representative Cases and Decisions

• Pringle v. EMC Mortgage, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82715 (D.S.C. 2009) aff’d 2010 U.S. App. LEXIS 1176 (4th Cir. 2010)
• London Manhattan Company v. CSA, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38613 (D.S.C. 2008)
• Rental Service Corporation v. Nunamaker, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40745 (D.S.C. 2006)