Harold Edward Patricoff

Increased globalization has driven high demand for experienced international attorneys. Harold Edward Patricoff, Jr., a veteran litigator, represents clients in disputes across multinational borders. He has built a reputation as a tenacious commercial litigator with a broad geographic reach and now broadens that reach as Chairman of the International Dispute Resolution Practice Group.

Mr. Patricoff counsels clients in Florida, elsewhere in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. He primarily defends and prosecutes claims for national and international businesses in U.S. courts, handles international arbitrations, and counsels multinational companies in foreign and domestic claims. Mr. Patricoff has developed a significant practice in the area of domestic and international fuel sales, supply and distribution, banking litigation and regulatory work and in the power generation industry. He is outside counsel for a power generation supplier and for a global distributor of aviation, marine and diesel fuel and manages legal disputes for that company throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. He represents clients in arbitration and related claims through the American Arbitration Association, the International Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Securities Dealers, as well as all forms of international discovery and Hague Convention procedures. Mr. Patricoff travels frequently to Europe and Latin America and is fluent in Spanish.

Recent Matters

• Successfully handled a dispute with an African nation concerning an illegal seizure of a power generation facility by that nation's taxing authority.
• Successfully handled seminal case under Florida’s fuel lien statute on behalf of aviation fuel supplier against finance company/owner.
• Successfully defended $100 million product liability claim involving a power generation facility located in Haiti.
• Obtained a multi-million dollar arbitration award for a large European power generation firm against a Colombian boiler manufacturer for failure to comply with licensing obligations.
• Prevailed against the U.S. Department of Treasury and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on behalf of an aviation fuel supplier seeking to unblock funds from a Peruvian airline.
• Successfully defended a marine bunker fuel provider over alleged theft of trade secrets.
• Successfully coordinated defense of product liability claims against petroleum distributors involving aviation fuel exposure.
• Successfully resolved numerous claims against foreign broker dealers involving frozen trading accounts and alleged money laundering and/or black market pesos activities.

Business Litigation

A former Chairman of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, Mr. Patricoff has extensive experience in general commercial litigation. In addition to his special focus on the electrical power generation, fuel sales and distribution and aviation industries, he has handled cases in banking, insurance, manufacturing, construction, banking, and real estate. Specific matters include product liability claims, corporate shareholder disputes, developer-contractor disputes, commercial foreclosures, and lender liability claims, among others.

Civic Activities

Mr. Patricoff is active in the community. He is on the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade County Chapter of the YMCA and on the Board of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, American Nicaraguan Foundation (including Audit Committee), and Ted Smallwood Store.  He is the past Chairman of the American Heart Association's Metro Miami Board of Directors, served on the Board's Executive Committee, and also served on the Board for the American Red Cross.  He also served on the Board of Directors for The Jay Malina International Trade Consortium.

Clients

ABB Flakt, Inc.; Alstom Power, Inc.; APR Energy, LLC; Asesores en Valores; ASR, LLC; Bank United; BanMariva, S.A.; Berkshire Life Insurance Company;  Carvajal, S.A.; Combustion Engineering, Inc.;  Complete Turbine Services; Correval, S.A.; Florida Career College; Florida Plumbing & Hardware Co.; Giorgio Balli, AIA; Guardian Insurance and Annuity Company; Guardian Life Insurance Company of America; H&W Petroleum, Inc.; Heitman Properties; La Costeña, S.A.; LTD Merchant Services; Mediterranean Shipping Corp.; Miami Records; Pacific Horizon Petroleum Services; Parbel of Florida; Park Avenue Securities; Profesionales de Bolsa, S.A.; Seitlin Corp.; SMF Energy Corp.;  SunTrust Bank; SunTrust Securities, Inc.; Superior Pharmacy, LLC; Telex Chile; Terranova Corp.; Toledo Iron Works, Inc.; Trans-Tec; Ultrabursatiles, S.A.; and World Fuel Services, Inc.

Recognition

• Selected for inclusion in South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers, 2012 

Education

• Stetson University, J.D., cum laude, 1985
• Stetson University, B.S., cum laude, Biology and Political Science, 1982

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Bar Admissions

• The Florida Bar

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle & Northern Districts of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
• Court of Federal Claims

Affiliations

• American Heart Association, Past Chairman of Metro Miami Board
• American Nicaraguan Foundation, Board Member
• Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Member
• Jay Malina International Trade Consortium, Past Board Member
• MISO - Miami Symphony Orchestra, Board Member
• YMCA of Greater Miami, Board Member