Patrick M. Dennis
Trial lawyer. Founding partner. Houstonian.
The Clocktower Building · 3401 Allen Parkway, Suite 100 · Houston, TX 77019
Born of the labor tradition.
Built for trial work.
Patrick is a founding partner of Doyle Dennis Avery LLP, which he established in 2015 as Doyle Law Firm with Michael Patrick Doyle. Born and raised in Houston, Patrick’s commitment to representing workers traces directly to his upbringing — his mother taught him the importance of hard work, and his father, a long-time union member, raised him to believe in doing the right thing and protecting those most vulnerable from wrongful conduct.
That upbringing shaped Patrick’s career. He has spent his trial practice representing employees who have been subjected to wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, or discrimination — never the employer across the table. Worker-side representation is not a marketing position for Patrick. It’s identity.
Patrick graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, then graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he served on the staff of the Review of Litigation. He has been admitted to the State Bar of Texas since 2004 and the State Bar of Arizona since 2012. Patrick is admitted to all four Texas federal district courts — Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western — and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, giving the firm comprehensive Texas federal court coverage for whistleblower retaliation and federal civil rights matters.
Patrick’s father was a long-time union member who raised him to be the kind of person who believes in doing the right thing and protecting those who are the most vulnerable from wrongful conduct. It is from this upbringing that Patrick developed his passion of helping employees who are subjected to unfair or discriminatory employment practices.
Where Patrick’s trial work focuses.
Patrick’s trial practice anchors the firm’s worker-side employment and retaliation work, with substantial depth in the statutory frameworks that protect Texas workers from retaliation and discrimination.
Representing Texas workers retaliated against for reporting workplace injuries, filing or seeking to file workers’ compensation claims, hiring a lawyer, or testifying in workers’ compensation proceedings.
Representing nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers retaliated against for reporting patient safety violations, refusing to engage in conduct that violates nursing or medical standards, or invoking professional duty to advocate for patients.
Representing workers retaliated against for reporting workplace safety violations to OSHA or for refusing to work in dangerous conditions. Patrick’s practice covers OSHA-administered whistleblower frameworks across multiple industries.
Representing workers retaliated against for engaging in concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act — organizing, discussing wages and working conditions, union activity, and similar protected activity.
Representing seamen retaliated against for reporting maritime safety violations, refusing to work in unseaworthy conditions, or invoking other protected activity under the Seaman’s Protection Act.
Representing Texas workers across all races and ethnicities who have experienced discrimination — disparate treatment, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and pay discrimination — under federal and Texas state law.
Published Texas Supreme Court authority.
Patrick served as counsel for the worker in published Texas Supreme Court authority on workers’ compensation insurer-employer privilege — directly applicable to Tex. Labor Code § 451 retaliation discovery.
- In re XL Specialty Insurance Co., 373 S.W.3d 46 (Tex. 2012)
- Supreme Court of Texas · No. 10-0960 · Original proceeding
- Opinion by Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson · 8-1 decision
- Held: no attorney-client privilege protects communications between a workers’ comp insurer’s lawyer and the insured employer; the Court rejected the allied litigant doctrine, joint client privilege, and any insurer-insured privilege
- Counsel for the Worker: Mike Doyle & Patrick Dennis
- The opinion is controlling Texas authority on insurer-employer privilege in § 451 discovery and was used by the firm to obtain key discovery in the firm’s Alleyton Resource Co. v. Ball $1.73M § 451 jury verdict
Education, admissions, and honors.
- The University of Texas School of Law — J.D., with honors
- The Review of Litigation — Staff Member
- Phi Delta Phi — International Legal Honor Society
- University of Houston — B.S., summa cum laude, Political Science
- State Bar of Texas — 2004
- State Bar of Arizona — 2012
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court · Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court · Western District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals · Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals · Ninth Circuit
- Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) — 2020-2021
- Super Lawyers Texas Rising Star (Thomson Reuters) — 2009-2019 (eleven consecutive years)
- H Texas Magazine — Houston’s Top Lawyers — Maritime Law, 2011, 2012, 2013
- Recent Developments in Products, General Liability, and Consumer Law — Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Volume 42, Issue 2, Winter 2007
Tell us what happened.
Workplace retaliation, whistleblower disclosures, and discrimination matters deserve careful evaluation. The case evaluation form is the most thorough way to start.
Start case evaluation → Or call (888) 571-1001Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter. Statements about practice areas reflect Patrick’s areas of trial focus at the firm; the firm’s specific representation in any matter depends on facts, applicable law, and the firm’s case acceptance criteria.
This page is attorney advertising. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP · 3401 Allen Parkway, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77019 · (888) 571-1001.
