Patrick E. Foppe

Patrick E. Foppe represents motor carriers, insurers, and self-insured retailers in catastrophic and high-exposure litigation throughout Missouri and Illinois. He has tried cases to verdict in state and federal court, defended punitive damages claims under Missouri’s 2020 tort reform, and led on-scene investigations of fatal commercial motor vehicle crashes within hours of the incident. As President of the Transportation Lawyers Association, Patrick brings national perspective and peer-recognized credibility to every matter he handles. Clients turn to him when the stakes are highest and the facts are still developing.

Patrick handles commercial motor vehicle accidents; negligent hiring, training, supervision, and entrustment claims; punitive damages defense; spoliation disputes; premises and retail liability; products liability; uninsured and underinsured motorist claims; and subrogation matters. He counsels insurers on coverage and bad faith exposure, including policy limit demands and excess tower coordination. In the transportation sector, Patrick counsels motor carriers and logistics companies on compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and handles cargo disputes, freight claims, and transportation related contract issues.

As leader of Lashly & Baer’s Rapid Response Team, Patrick directs on-scene investigations of serious crashes, working with reconstructionists and engineers to preserve evidence, evaluate exposure, and position the matter for resolution before plaintiff’s counsel sets the narrative. He routinely handles ECM and telematics downloads, video preservation, and chain-of-custody issues for electronic evidence, and he advises clients on safety standards, FMCSR compliance, crash dynamics, and the layered insurance issues that drive trucking litigation outcomes.

Patrick serves as Co-Chair of Lashly & Baer’s Litigation Group and as Chair of the firm’s AI Committee. In addition to leading TLA, he serves as Secretary of USLAW NETWORK’s Transportation and Logistics Practice Group, sits on the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Trucking Law Steering Committee, and participates in the USLAW Retail Practice Group.

Patrick holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale Hubbell. Since 2010, he has been recognized annually by Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, first as a Rising Star and then as a Super Lawyer since 2018. In 2021, he received TLA’s Distinguished Service Award, and has been named to the Missouri Bar’s Pro Bono Wall of Fame. He has authored or co-authored more than 75 articles and presentations on transportation litigation, insurance coverage, and emerging defense issues for DRI, TLA, USLAW, and industry audiences.

An enthusiast for practical and responsible applications of AI in the legal profession, Patrick explores emerging technologies and their potential to enhance litigation efficiency, accelerate investigations, and elevate client service. He is committed to integrating innovative tools, always with precision and professional judgment, to improve outcomes in a rapidly changing legal landscape.

Patrick is a founding director of the National Zip-Out Unused Opioids Foundation and volunteers with the St. Louis Food Bank’s Food on the Move program. He and his wife, Kate, live in St. Louis with their seven children.