Office

120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 1200
Chicago, IL 60606
P 312.876.6908
F 312.876.0288
Email

Practice

Appellate »

Repurchase Obligation Advisory »
White Collar Criminal »

Patrick J. Cotter
Partner

Mr. Cotter is a partner in the firm's White Collar Criminal Defense practice. He has worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in New York where he was one of the trial prosecutors in United States v. John Gotti, et al. Mr. Cotter has substantial experience handling a wide range of matters in the area of criminal defense, including actions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), tax matters, internal corporate investigations, appellate and post-conviction work and international criminal law. He has taught criminal law related courses as a full-time faculty member and as an Adjunct Professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, DePaul University School of Law, the University of Montana School of Law and University College Cork, Ireland, Law Department. He has also guest lectured at the University of Chicago School of Law, Loyola University School of Law, and various law schools in Ireland.

Professional Activities and Achievements

Mr. Cotter received the United States Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award for his work as a trial prosecutor in United States v. John Gotti, et al., as well as other awards and citations. In 1992-93, Mr. Cotter was a consultant to the United Nations Special Rapporteur investigating allegations of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. He has since been appointed by the International Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia to its Panel of Appointed Counsel. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and the American Bar Association and its Sections on White Collar Crime, Criminal Law and International Criminal Law.

Publications

Mr. Cotter authored the “Practitioner’s Commentaries to the NITA” Lawyer’s Edition publication of Title 18 Appendix USCS, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines in 2004. Mr. Cotter is the author of "Prosecution of Rape and Other Gender-Based Violence Before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia," 5:2 Hast. W.L.J. 171 (1994) and "Organized Crime in America; Its Development and the Law's Response," 1 Town and Gown 3 (1994) (University College Cork Press). In addition, he is one of the authors of the "Criminal Law" column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, alternating weeks with Arnstein & Lehr Partner Ronald D. Menaker. Mr. Cotter has also appeared as a legal commentator on numerous television and radio programs including Nightline, National Public Radio, Court TV and A&E's American Justice. His commentary has appeared in newspapers in Chicago and around the country.

Education

New York University School of Law (J.D., 1982; Root-Tilden Scholar)
Illinois State University (B.S. with highest honors, 1978)

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois; U.S. District Courts, Northern and Central Districts of Illinois; U.S. District Courts, Northern District of Indiana; U.S. Courts of Appeal, Second and Seventh Circuits