Patrick J. Kelly

Shareholder

Email: pkelly@fredlaw.com
Office: 612.492.7040
Assistant: Marvic Salminen-Morillo, 612.492.7845

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PRIMARY SERVICES

Latin American Practice Mergers & Acquisitions Cross-Border M&A International Securities

Life Sciences Commercial Law Start Up & Rapid Growth Enterprises Government Contracts & Grants

"I focus on getting to know my clients and their businesses so that I know their issues and can anticipate their needs.”

Overview

Pat has more than 28 years of experience as a commercial lawyer representing clients both domestically and internationally.

Pat is chair of the Latin America Practice Group. While he works with clients doing business all over the world, he has particular expertise in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama and Latin America generally. Pat has experience representing clients on a broad range of international business matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions, private equity, finance, securing debt, foreign investment, entity selection and tax structuring, foreign manufacturing, Mexico shelter, maquila/IMMEX applications, agreements and permits, joint ventures, partnerships, distribution and sales representative agreements, supply agreements, international labor law, international real estate acquisition, development and concessions, and energy and mining. Pat’s clients range from mid-sized growth companies, to publicly-held multinationals. Representative clients include one of the country’s largest steel producers, industry leading machine tooling, auto parts and equipment manufacturers, biotech companies, software developers, including in the pattern memory and artificial intelligence fields, and financial service providers working with foreign investors.

Pat has represented clients on both domestic and international mergers and acquisitions ranging in size from several million dollars to $3.2 billion dollars. He also works with corporate clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 businesses, assisting them with general corporate matters, business strategies, funding and negotiating financing, and raising capital, manufacturing, domestic distribution and sales representative relationships, complex contract negotiations and technology transfer and related transactions.

Pat also works with emerging technology companies, including clients in the biotech and artificial intelligence fields, assisting them with structuring, financing and private placements and general corporate matters.

Pat acts as outside general counsel for many of his clients and structures attorney teams for them to ensure each client receives the best possible service for individual matters.

Pat oversees Fredrikson & Byron’s subsidiary office in Saltillo, Mexico. He practices out of both the Minneapolis and Saltillo offices, traveling between the two offices as needed. Pat frequently accompanies the Minnesota and Iowa international trade offices and the governors from each state on international trade missions to countries in Latin America and elsewhere around the world, and frequently speaks at events during the trade missions on doing business internationally.

Pat is also one of the firm’s representatives with World Services Group (“WSG”), a global membership network whose members are among the top providers of legal, accounting, insurance and financial services. As a result of his representation of clients throughout Latin America, and his participation in WSG, Pat has worked with and has strong relationships with attorneys from all around the world.

Articles & Presentations

Doing Business in Brazil

December 1, 2011

By Patrick J. Kelly

Everyone who has followed events in Brazil over the years has heard year after year that the country was on the verge of emerging as an international economic powerhouse. While it took a while for Brazil to finally emerge, it is certainly the case today that it has arrived, and U.S. manufacturers looking for new markets can no longer have serious aspirations in Latin America without having a Brazil strategy.

Guest Lecturer, “NAFTA 2.0 or the new USMCA, October 2018
Guest Lecturer, “NAFTA & the EU,” University of St. Thomas Business School, October 2017
Co-Presenter, “Best Practices for Practicing International Law,” Minnesota CLE, June 6, 2017
Co-Presenter, “Key Issues in Cross-Border M&A,” Fredrikson & Byron Cross-Border M&A Seminar, April 11, 2017
Panelist, Panel Discussion on The North American Market in 2017 – Comparing the U.S., Canadian and Mexican Perspectives, Dallas, Texas, March 3, 2017
Co-Presenter, “Trends in Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management,” Fredrikson & Byron Foreign Manufacturing Seminar, January 19, 2017
“Doing Business in Argentina and Uruguay,” Iowa Economic Development, July 13, 2016
“Pursuing Growth in Brazil: Business Opportunity and Legal Risk Considerations” co-presenter with Rachel Limón, Robert Scarlett and Frik Brand, Minnesota State Bar Association International Business Law Institute, May 19, 2016
Co-Presenter, “Transfer Pricing and International Valuation” Minnesota CLE, May 10, 2016
Panel Member for Presentation, “Building Ethical Cultures in Emerging Markets: Risks and Opportunities,” Corruption and Bribery: Cultural Challenges and Implications, Center for Ethical Business Cultures, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Campus, September 25, 2015
Presenter, “Doing Business in Mexico,” briefing for Iowa Economic Development Trade Mission to Mexico, Monterrey, NL, Mexico, March 26, 2015
Presenter, “Cross Border Mergers & Acquisitions,” Practical Perspectives, February 26, 2015
Presenter, “Doing Business in Brazil,” briefing for Iowa Economic Development Trade Mission to Brazil, February 5, 2015
Presenter, “Doing Business in Canada and Mexico,” The Minnesota Closely Held Business Conference, October 21, 2014
Presenter, The Impact of Mexico’s Structural Reforms on Business Tax and Transfer Pricing, May 2014
Presenter, Mexico Tax Reform Briefing, February 2014
Presenter, State Economic Competitiveness Summit, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, January 2014
Presenter, Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions, Minnesota CLE, May, 2013
Panel Member, Minnesota Trade Office South America Forum, May, 2013
Presenter, Latin America Breakfast Series: Opportunities and Challenges to Doing Business in Brazil, August 15, 2012
Moderator, Business Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil & Chile, April 30, 2010
“Manufacturing In Mexico,” FredNEWS: International, April, 2010
Speaker, Resilient Brazil: Economic and Political Insight on Business Opportunities, November 3, 2009
Presenter, “The New Lawyer Experience,” Minnesota CLE Webcast Seminars, January 16, 2008
“Doing Business in Costa Rica,” Fredrikson & Byron Global Perspectives Seminar, January 19, 2007
“Cross Border Ethics: Privilege, Conflicts, The FCPA and More,” CLE Presentation for the 2006 International Business Law Institute MSBA International Business Law Section, April 27, 2006
“Closing Real Estate Transactions in Mexico from Minneapolis,” co-authored with Luis G. Reséndiz, November, 2005
“Mexico: Basic Labor Law Concepts, Non-Competes, Non-Disclosures and Employee Inventions,” November, 2005
“Leap of Faith? Buying Real Estate in Mexico Through a Bank Trust (Fideicomiso)” co-authored with Luis G. Reséndiz, Fredrikson & Byron’s International Focus Newsletter, May, 2004
“Sun, Sand and Caveat Emptor: Buying Real Estate in Mexico,” Fredrikson & Byron’s International Focus Newsletter, November, 2003
“The Legal Eye - Global Reach,” Minnesota Technology, Summer, 2003
“Doing Business in China: Following The Trend - Forming a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise,” Fredrikson & Byron’s International Focus Newsletter, April, 2002
“Mexico, Maquiladoras and NAFTA,” Fredrikson & Byron’s International Focus Newsletter, March, 2001

Honors & Education

EDUCATION

University of Minnesota School of Law, J.D., 1988
St. John’s University, B.A., Government with Spanish minor, 1983, summa cum laude

BAR ADMISSIONS

Minnesota, 1988

LANGUAGES

Spanish, fluent
Portuguese, read and understand

HONORS

Minnesota State Bar Association, North Star Lawyer, 2012-2013, 2015-2016
CLUES, Lifetime Recognition Award, 2010
CLUES, Compadre of the Year, 2005
MEDA, Volunteer of the Year Award, 1990
SBA Minority Business Advocate Award, 1990
Department of Commerce, Minority Business Advocate Award, 1991

Professional Activities

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Member of the Board of Directors, Global Minnesota, formerly Minnesota International Center
Member, Hennepin County Bar Association, Business Banking & Financing Section, Past Chair
Chair, Minnesota State Bar Association International Institute Planning Committee and Vice Chair of the International Business Law Section Council, 2000-2001; Committee member, 2000-present
Chair, International Business Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, 2001-2002; member of Executive Council, 2001-present
Member, International Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association, International Section
Member, North America Regional Council of the World Services Group (WSG)
Lecturer, University of St. Thomas Masters and Undergraduate programs and William Mitchell College of Law on International Legal topics
Volunteer, Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA)
Chair of the Board of Directors, Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (“CLUES”), 2007; member of the Board of Directors of CLUES, 2000-present
Honorary Legal Counsel, Mexican Consulate of St. Paul, 2005-present