Partner

Benjamin J. Patterson

Biography

Ben joined Lane & Waterman in 2006 and practices in the Litigation & Appeals group, practicing in medical malpractice defense where he defends physicians, nurses, hospitals, and nursing homes. Ben also practices in construction law, representing project owners, construction managers, general contractors, and subcontractors in litigation, arbitration, and mediation for disputes of all types and sizes, from small home remodel projects to large multi-million dollar public improvement projects. Ben rounds out his practice with commercial litigation, including property disputes, contract disputes, trust and estate litigation, and business disputes.

Since 2014, Ben has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a top-rated professional liability attorney. In 2022, Ben accepted an invitation to join the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only honor limited to 250 trial lawyers across the State of Iowa selected by their peers and voted on by a Board of Governors. In 2023, Ben was included in the 30th edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in construction law.

Ben is an active member in various state and local bar associations, previously serving as the President of the Scott County Bar Association. Ben currently serves on the Appellate Practice Committee and Construction Law Section Council of the Iowa State Bar Association. Ben has also previously served as a member of the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee. Ben is a member of the Illinois Association of Defense Council and the Iowa Defense Council Association, where he is a member of the Board of Editors for the Defense Update, a quarterly legal publication distributed to members across Iowa, as well as all of Iowa’s state and federal judges and justices.

Ben is active in the Quad Cities community, currently serving as the Secretary of the River Bend Food Bank. Ben previously served on the Board of Directors for the Child Abuse Council. Ben received his B.S. cum laude, from Western Illinois University and his J.D., with high honors from Drake University, where he served as the Research Editor for the Drake Law Review. Ben resides in LeClaire, Iowa with his wife and five children.

Additional Profile

Education

Education

Western Illinois University (B.S., cum laude, 2002)
Drake University Law School (J.D., high honors, 2006)
Drake Law Review Research Editor (2005-2006)

Admissions

Admissions

Iowa – 2006
Illinois – 2007
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa – 2006
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa – 2006
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois – 2007
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois – 2010

Professional Associations

Professional Associations

Member, American Bar Association
Member, Iowa State Bar Association

  • Appellate Practice Committee (2011-present)
  • Construction Law Section Council (2015-present)

Member, Scott County Bar Association

  • Vice President (2014-2015)
  • President (2015 -2016)

Member, Illinois State Bar Association
Member, Rock Island County Bar Association
Member, Iowa Defense Counsel Association

  • Member, Board of Editors for Defense Update (2012-present)

Member, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee (2014-2018)
Member, Illinois Association of Defense Counsel

Honors

Honors

• Listed on Super Lawyers Rising Star list (Professional Liability: Defense) (Since 2014)

Community

Community

Board Member, River Bend Food Bank (2016- present)
Board Member, Child Abuse Council (2009-2015)

Speeches & Publications

Speeches & Publications

Author, “Langwith v. American National General Ins. Co. – A Test for Determining the Scope of Duty of Insurance Agents,” Defense Update, Winter 2011 (quarterly publication of Iowa Defense Counsel Association).
Co-Author, “Organizing Corporations,” 3 Iowa Practice – Methods of Practice, Chapter 56, 2009-2010.
Author and Presenter, 2009 Iowa Case Law Update, Scott County Bar Association, Last Chance Seminar, December 2009.
Author and Presenter, 2008 Iowa Case Law Update, Scott County Bar Association, Last Chance Seminar, December 2008.
Co-Author, “Bituminous Casualty Corp. v. Sand Livestock Systems – The Absolute Pollution Exclusion and the Reasonable Expectations Doctrine,” Defense Update, Fall 2008 (quarterly publication of Iowa Defense Counsel Association).
Author, “Spyware: Covertly Infringing On Your Internet Privacy While Circumventing the Federal Legislation Radar,” 54 Drake L. Rev. 233 (2005).