R. Patrick Bolling

Business leaders across the country rely on Patrick as a trusted advisor on the intersection of workforce strategy, enterprise risk, and organizational leadership. He helps navigate complex personnel challenges to protect operational continuity, mitigate legal exposure, and align workforce decisions with long-term business objectives.

Patrick advises management on labor strategy, collective bargaining, workforce disputes, and high-stakes employee relations matters. He helps organizations assess risk before decisions are made and designs practical strategies that balance legal compliance with reputational, financial, and operational considerations.

When disputes arise, Patrick defends management in administrative and judicial proceedings, including matters before federal and state agencies and in complex employment litigation. His approach is grounded not only in legal analysis. He provides strategic legal advice to support practical business objectives, including cost control, operational flexibility, and organizational resilience.

Beyond dispute resolution, Patrick works proactively with leadership teams to strengthen management capability. He designs and delivers executive-level training focused on risk forecasting, decision-making under scrutiny, and communication strategies that reduce exposure before it materializes into claims.

A former Chair of the Virginia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, Patrick has been recognized by leading business and legal publications and has served in both civic leadership roles and as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Traditional Labor

Patrick is experienced in the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements, discipline, discharge and grievance processing, and arbitrating labor disputes. He routinely defends management in administrative proceedings before the NLRB.

• Lead CBA negotiator for federal defense contractor in Los Angeles, CA (Teamsters)
• Lead CBA negotiator for Norfolk non-profit (IAM&AW)
• Lead CBA negotiator for painting contractor in Western Virginia (IUPAT)
• Labor counsel to multinational shipping company with multiple bargaining units (MEBA, AMO, MM&P)
• Counsel to terminal operator in grievance proceedings and labor negotiations in multi-employer bargaining environment (ILA)
• Arbitrated retroactive pay dispute for local multi-employer shipping association (ILA)
• Negotiated complete withdrawal of contract interpretation/back-pay grievance San Francisco-area manufacturer (IBEW)
• Lead negotiator for collective bargaining negotiations for financial services institution in central Kentucky (Steelworkers)
• Successfully arbitrated vacation payout dispute related to federal defense contractor’s operations at military base near Colorado Springs, CO (IBEW)
• Management-side representative in dozens of union negotiations for defense contractors serving a number of federal agencies, and other heavy industrial clients (various unions)
• Negotiated a series of eight collective bargaining agreements for 30,000+ employee federal contractor at border defense sites across the U.S./Mexico border (various unions)
• Lead negotiator of collective bargaining agreements for federal defense contractor operating physical plant facilities at U.S. Army Hospitals in Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S. (IUOE)
• Lead negotiator of collective bargaining agreement for federal defense contractor operating flight training program at Naval Air Station in California (Machinists)
• Lead negotiator of collective bargaining agreement for San Francisco, California-area electrical transformer and mobile substation manufacturer (IBEW)
• Advised various employers in connection with collective bargaining agreements in a number of industries, including manufacturing, finance, government contracting (including Service Contract Act-covered employers), and transportation (various unions)
• Advises and trains management at operational sites around the United States on labor relations management and union avoidance

Employment Litigation

Patrick routinely defends management against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour claims, and other employment disputes in state and federal employment courts.

• Vega v. Fleet Laboratories, 6:25-CV-00085 (W.D.Va. 2025) (Section 1981 claim against healthcare products manufacturer).
• Wilson v. Delta Star, Inc., 3:21-CV-07326-LB (N.D. Cal. 2021) (wage and hour class action against multi-national manufacturer).
• Hernandez v. Delta Star, Inc., 22CIV04380 (Super. Cal., County of San Mateo 2022) (PAGA representative wage and hour against multi-national manufacturer).
• Bush v. Valiant Integrated Services, 1:24-CV-2332 (E.D.Va. 2024) (discrimination and retaliation claim against federal contractor).
• Hogan v. Carter Bank & Trust, 4:22CV00014 (W.D.Va. 2022) (age and retaliation claims against large regional bank).
• Reyes v. Trex Co., Inc. et al, 5:22CV00051 (W.D.Va. 2022) (sex, race and national origin discrimination, hostile work environment, harassment, and wrongful termination claims against manufacturer removed from state court).
• Newell v. Carter Bank & Trust, 4:21CV00007 (W.D.Va. 2021) (age and retaliation claims against large regional bank dismissed on summary judgment).
• Ladd v. Total Plastic Solutions, LLC, CL21000509-00 (Lynchburg Cty. Cir. Ct. 2021) (state court claim of sex-based pay discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act and general whistleblower protection law against plastics manufacturer).
• Hill v. Appalachian Pwr. Co., CL21001611-00 (Roanoke Cty. Cir. Ct. 2021) (state court claims under the Virginia safety act and general whistleblower protection law against power company).
• Thomas v. Strongwell Corp., 1:19CV00026 (W.D.Va. 2019) (race, ancestry, ethnicity, and national origin discrimination, denial of reasonable accommodations, harassment and hostile work environment, and retaliation case against manufacturer).
• Hudson-Jones v. C.B. Fleet Co., Inc. et al, 6:19CV00084 (W.D.Va. 2019) (age-based discrimination, failure to accommodate and retaliation claims against manufacturer).
• Lee v. Belvac Prod. Mach., Inc., No. 6:18-CV-00075, 2020 WL 3643133 (W.D. Va. July 6, 2018), aff'd, No. 20-1805, 2022 WL 4996507 (4th Cir. Oct. 4, 2022) (dismissal of sex-based pay discrimination claims against manufacturer on summary judgment affirmed by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals).

Recognition

Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Emerson G. Spies Award (2024)

Education

Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D.

Hampden-Sydney College, B.A.

Admissions

Virginia

U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Virginia

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia

• The Arc of Central Virginia, Board of Directors President (2011-2018), Board of Directors (2015 -2018)
• James River Day School, Board of Directors (2023-2024)
• Lynchburg Bar Association
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), National and Lynchburg Chapters
• Virginia Bar Association, Board of Governors (2022-2024), Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Chair (2023-2024), Labor and Employment Law Section Council (2020-present)

Multimedia

• Co-author. “Employment: North America, USA – Virginia.” Lexology Getting the Deal Through, September 19, 2023.
• “What is Traditional Labor Law?” Opening Statement, Fall 2023.
• Co-author. “Annual Update on Labor & Employment Law: August 2022 through July 2023,” The Virginia Bar Association.
• Co-author. “Employment: North America, USA – Virginia.” Lexology Getting the Deal Through, October 17, 2022.
• Co-author. “Annual Update on Labor & Employment Law: August 2021 through July 2022,” The Virginia Bar Association.
• “A Shot at Immunity: Can Employers Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations?” Opening Statement, Winter 2020-2021.
• Co-author. “Annual Update on Labor & Employment Law: August 2021 through July 2022,” The Virginia Bar Association.
• “Data in Danger.” Lynchburg Business, August/September 2018.
• “Can a Business Be Liable to Its Employees for LGBT Discrimination?” Lynchburg Business, February 2018.
• “Bueller? Bueller? Proposed Paid Sick Leave Rules for Federal Contractors.” Opening Statement, October 2016.
• “Five Things Virginia Should Know About Garnishment Summonses.” Lynchburg Business, February 1, 2016.
• “The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974: What Parents, Students and School Officials Need to Know.” Lynchburg Business, July 31, 2015.