Patricia Brown Holmes

Patricia Brown Holmes is the firm Managing Partner at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancilla. She is a highly respected and accomplished lawyer who focuses her practice on the areas of high-stakes commercial litigation, crisis management, white collar crime, and legal client counseling. As a former state court judge and experienced prosecutor and defense lawyer, she brings a unique variety of capabilities to her practice. Patricia’s comprehensive trial experience, coupled with her deft management abilities, position her as a valuable advocate and trusted adviser to her clients. She is the first African-American woman to lead and have her name on the door of a national law firm that is not women- or minority-owned. 

Prior to serving as an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Patricia was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and an Assistant State’s Attorney. She is one of only a handful of attorneys in the State of Illinois who has tried cases in state, city, and federal court as well as state appellate, federal appellate, and state supreme courts.