Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

My goal is to provide legal advice for life. For individuals, life presents many situations that require legal guidance. Whether you are buying or selling home, preparing an estate plan, dealing with a minor criminal matter, have been fired from a job, or have been injured in a car accident, you should have a lawyer you can turn to for advice. I want to be that lawyer.

Businesses have lives too. They start at incorporation and it gets more complicated every day after that. Dealing with customers who don't pay a bill, a piece of equipment that doesn't work as advertised, a mistake on a construction job, an employee you need to let go, or the decision to sell or close up shop are just a few examples of situations that require legal advice and guidance. I want to be your legal department. If I can't help you, I will work with someone who can.
My primary practice areas include:

Commercial litigation, including: collections, foreclosures (as well as foreclosure defense), breach of contract claims, creditor representation in bankruptcy.

Construction litigation, including: mechanic's liens (and discharge of liens), contract litigation and arbitration, defect and delay claims, and contract review.

Real estate litigation, eviction (both landlord and tenant), quiet title actions, adverse possession claims, boundary and water disputes, purchase and sale disputes, failure to disclose or misrepresentation of building conditions.

Personal litigation, including employment claims, personal injury, divorce and criminal defense, foreclosure defense and debt settlement.

Estate planning, including wills and trusts, pre-nuptial agreements and probate litigation, including will contests.

Land use applications such as variances and special permits, prosecution and defense of zoning appeals.

Basic corporate work, including setting up simple corporations and limited liability companies.

Mediation and Arbitration

Patrick W. Begos is a founding member of the firm and senior partner in the Westport office. He heads the firm's trial and appellate group. Pat brings 19 years of litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation experience to the firm.

Prior to forming Begos Horgan & Brown, Patrick was a partner in the New York City litigation firm Molton & Meekins (1995-1998), and he was previously associated with Weil, Gotshal & Manges (1990-1995); and Lane & Mittendorf (1988-1990).

He is a current member of the Trial Tactics and the Life, Health and Disability Sections of the Defense Research Institute, and a member of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association. He is also a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Trial Evidence subcommittees of the American Bar Association. He is a past member of the Committee on Art Law of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and he is admitted to the bar in New York and Connecticut.

Patrick received his legal education from Columbia University School of Law (J.D) and did his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University (BA with honors).

Pat works primarily on cases involving business and personal disputes in a wide variety of commercial areas including:
- ERISA benefits
- insurance coverage
- securities transactions
- real estate development and property management
- employment
- copyright and trademark
- internet commerce
- secured lending
- fine art acquisitions and sales
- products liability
- real estate transactions
- bankruptcy
- corporate governance

His day-to-day practice includes:
- Defending ERISA claim administrators and disability insurers at trial and in appellate courts
- Pursuing lender liability and predatory lending claims on behalf of borrowers
- Representing real estate owners, buyers and sellers in disputes over sales, construction and land use
- Assisting business owners in solving problems with partners, shareholders, creditors and suppliers