Innovative Approaches for Our Client’s Unique Challenges


Religious Organizations face a unique set of challenges. The attorneys of Patterson Buchanan have exceptional depth of experience representing communities of faith, particularly Catholic institutions both regionally and nationally. Our clients have included Catholic Dioceses, Catholic charitable or social service organizations, Catholic religious societies, and Catholic schools and institutions of higher education, along with a variety of other communities of faith and religious organizations. Patterson Buchanan regularly defends religious organizations nationwide against claims of sexual abuse in a variety of contexts, including many cases with multiple—sometimes hundreds—of claimants. We know how to evaluate these claims to determine their validity and our client’s potential exposure. We recognize common pitfalls and can identify strengths that help avoid claims or resolve matters quickly when appropriate. Patterson Buchanan also regularly provides trainings designed to lower the number of sexual abuse cases that occur, lowering litigation risk. These trainings include boundary invasion, bullying and cyber-bullying, and general human resources issues, including sexual harassment training. Among the other types of matters our firm handles for religious organizations are:

  • Employment matters, including employment discrimination and harassment (on the basis of age, race, gender and sexual orientation), wrongful termination, and retaliation
  • Freedom of religion and freedom of speech
  • Defamation
  • Personal injury, including wrongful death and catastrophic injury
  • Premises liability
  • Invasion of privacy
  • Medical malpractice
  • Wrongful adoption
  • Special education
  • Breach of contract


Patterson Buchanan’s depth of experience representing religious organizations makes our attorneys acutely aware of the political, policy, and public relations ramifications of the legal and practical advice we render. Religious organizations are generally mission-driven and frequent targets of intense media and political scrutiny. We approach each legal issue, whether during litigation or in providing general legal counsel, with a keen understanding of the potential policy, political, and public relations implications involved. We manage these important related considerations with a sophistication not found at other firms.


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