Michael Patterson

Michael Patterson’s legal practice is deeply rooted in the Arizona trade community. He actively participates in all cross-border engagement organizations in the state, with over half of his practice dedicated to international trade, mergers and acquisitions, distribution agreements, litigation, and transactions. As an experienced international lawyer, Michael provides comprehensive assistance in trade-related matters, including the formation of business structures in foreign nations with local counsel, and the drafting of international export and distribution contracts.

Michael supports clients in both “inbound” and “outbound” transactions, regularly identifying potential issues for international clients and facilitating solutions. His expertise spans a wide range of areas, including tariffs, taxes, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, sales channels, cross-border intellectual property protection, non-circumvention and exclusivity rights, auditing of international transactions, deal financing, company acquisitions, and trade finance. He also handles international litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution.

As the leader of the international team at a full-service firm comprising over 600 lawyers across 28 cities, Michael serves clients engaged in trade between Latin America, Canada, Asia, the UK, the EU, and Africa. Having lived in Latin America for more than a decade, primarily in Costa Rica and Mexico, he is fully bilingual in Spanish and regularly performs in a Spanish-language band.