Patrick M. Ardis

Patrick M. Ardis received a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York in 1972, and his Juris Doctor in 1975 from Boston University School of Law. In 1975, he joined the Memphis, Tennessee law firm of Canada, Russell & Turner, where he remained until January 1988, when he became a founding shareholder of Wolff Ardis, P.C.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ardis has championed honor and integrity in business. In the area of Products Liability, he is committed to avoiding frivolous suits against manufacturers, but aiding injured parties, and pointing out defective products and the fraud of cover-up that often allows a defect. Mr. Ardis has successfully pursued claims regarding motor vehicle crashworthiness, glazing, fuel systems, and occupant restraint systems.

Mr. Ardis has spent a large part of his legal career dealing with fidelity bond claims, directors’ and officers’ liability policy claims, securities cases, and other matters involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties. In addition to handling assorted complex litigation matters for client financial institutions, Mr. Ardis has effected the recovery of more than $140,000,000 in the areas of fraud and negligence, and has successfully defended a number of claims against his financial institution clients.

Mr. Ardis has developed and presented hundreds of seminars and speeches on a variety of subjects, including motor vehicle safety, fidelity bonds, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, risk management, fraud detection and investigation, internet fraud, and the use of multi-media technology in litigation. He has lectured throughout the United States and Europe for groups including the American Management Association, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bank Administration Institute, the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the Society of Financial Examiners, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, and the American Bar Association. He has co-authored two books: Risk Management: Computers, Fraud and Insurance was published by McGraw-Hill in 1987; Bad Lies in Business was published by McGraw-Hill in 1988.

From 1982 until January of 1993, Mr. Ardis served as a member of the Board of Boston University’s Morin Center for Banking Law Studies. In 1985, he was a co-recipient of the Young Lawyer’s Chair from the Boston University School of Law. From 1995 until 2000 he was a member of the Board of Visitors of the Boston University School of Law.

In the summer of 1988, Mr. Ardis was named Vice Chairman of the American Bar Association, Section of Tort and Insurance Practices, Professional Officers’ and Directors’ Liability Law Committee, and subsequently served as Chair of that committee in 1991-92. Mr. Ardis also served as the Chair of The Fidelity Insurance Litigation Group of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America from 1994-1996 and has served as the head of the Motor Vehicle Glass Subgroup of The Attorneys Information Exchange Group.

Mr. Ardis has testified as an expert witness in bad faith insurance claims. He is trained as a mediator by the Federal Court and is certified as a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Mediator.

Mr. Ardis is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Memphis/Shelby County Bar Association, the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Tennessee Association for Justice (TAJ), the Southern Trial Lawyers Association (STLA), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG) and the National Academy of Expert Witnesses. Mr. Ardis is currently licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, New York, Missouri, Connecticut, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Education

• J.D., Boston University , 1975
  • -Recipient – Young Lawyers Chair, 1985
  • -1982 until January of 1993, served as a member of the Board of Boston University’s Morin Center for Banking Law Studies
  • -1995 until 2000, served as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Boston University School of Law.
• B.A., State University of New York at Brockport, 1972

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

• State of Tennessee , 10/18/1975
• State of Missouri , 6/12/2002
• State of Colorado , 4/6/1992
• State of Oklahoma , 1/11/1993
• State of New York, 10/7/1992
• State of Pennsylvania, 12/4/1990
• U.S. Supreme Court, 11/13/1979
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 7/23/1991
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 10/2/1991
• U.S.D.C. Western District of Tennessee, 6/4/1976
• U.S.D.C. Eastern & Western District of Arkansas, 12/17/2003
• U.S.D.C. Eastern District of Missouri , 9/15/2004
• U.S.D.C. Middle District of Tennessee, 7/12/2005
• U.S.D.C. Northern District of Florida, 6/29/2010
• U.S.D.C. Eastern District of Texas, 1/31/2011
• U.S.D.C. Eastern District of New York 1/19/2018

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

• AIEG
  • Board Member, Chairman Motor Vehicle Glass Subgroup
• Tennessee Association for Justice
• Memphis Bar Association
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
  • Vice-Chairman Professional Officers & Directors Liability Law Committee of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section 1988-1990
  • Chairman Professional Officers & Directors Liability Law Committee of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section 1991
• American Association of Justice
  • Chairman Fidelity Insurance Litigation Group, 1994-1996
• Defense Research Institute

Featured Cases and Matters

• Tina Gray
  TINA GRAY V. DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP. et al, Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama, CV-2005-2768Concluded 2007The case arose out of the July 3, 2004, accident in which Ms. Gray’s husband was killed and her 9-year-old daughter was permanently brain damaged. Mr. Gray was driving the family’s 1996 Chrysler Sebring (built by Mitsubishi) which was involved in a driver’s side offset frontal collision when a 1997 Infiniti I30 crossed a double line. The only injury in the Infiniti was the broken toe and leg of the driver.The driver’s side front structure of the Sebring collapsed, allowing the steering wheel to move close to the driver’s chest before the driver’s side air bag deployed late killing Mr. Gray. The passenger’s seat did not lock in place and unexpectedly slid to the front of the seat tracks at the impact, allowing the passenger’s head to be struck by the aluminum-backed passenger’s side air bag door as the air bag deployed late in the crash. The lower right corner of the passenger’s frontal air bag door struck the center left of her head – causing severe brain damage – and the loss of the use of her legs.On the eve of trial, Plaintiffs discovered that Mitsubishi had changed the design of its seat tracks to correct a flaw that prevented the seat from locking in place, but did not recall the defective part. The case resolved upon this discovery.
• Janice Moore-Gambrell
  Moore vs. Lancaster Colony Corporation and Pretty Products, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, Cause No. 2:99cv224-P-BConcluded 2003The five children of Mr. and Mrs. Moore brought suit against Lancaster Colony Corporation and Pretty Products, Inc., makers of an after-market floor mat which the Moores put in their 1995 Ford F-150. Although the floor mat was advertised for use in the vehicle, it should not have been used in the 1995 F-150. On September 5, 1998, while the Moores were driving on I-55 on a short vacation, the floor mat trapped the accelerator pedal, causing the truck to run away. Both Moores died when the vehicle went off the expressway and slammed into a tree.The jury found the Defendants at fault in the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Moore, and awarded $1.5 million in damages.
• Nicole Jones
  Jones vs. GM, In the Circuit Court of Harrison County, WV, CIVIL ACTION NO. 04-C-320-2Concluded 2005In the early hours of May 15, 2003, Jeff Jones was on his way to work when he ran into a barrier. His 2002 Saturn Vue caught fire, and Mr. Jones burned to death. Mr. Jones was unable to get out of the vehicle because his seat back failed, putting him out of position as the interior was engulfed in fire. Suit was filed against GM and the dealership which sold the Vue to Mr. Jones, and a confidential settlement was reached in 2005.
• Garland Smith
  Smith v GM, et al, In the Circuit Court of Shelby County, Tennessee; CT-005341-10 Division IConcluded 2011Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s wife were making a left-hand turn in their 2002 Cadillac Seville when an oncoming car ran a red light and impacted the front passenger door of the Seville. Although the vehicle was equipped with side airbags, the passenger side airbag did not deploy, and Mrs. Smith was killed.The matter resolved for a confidential amount less than a year after suit was filed.
• Fitzgerald Gant
  Gant v. Masterson, Shelby County Tennessee Circuit Court Docket No. CT-006755-02Concluded 2004Mr. Gant who was delivering bricks to Mr. Masterson’s house when he was pinned between Mr. Masterson’s speeding 4000lb vehicle and a huge fork lift attached to the back of the 18 wheeler tractor trailer that Mr Gant was driving. The blow broke Mr Gant’s forearm bone in his right elbow, cracked his ribs, bruised his entire upper body, including his sternum and left his funny bone hurting all the time. He has a permanent 22% disability to his right upper extremity and 13% disability to his body as a whole.The case was tried before a jury which rendered a verdict in favor of Plaintiffs on February 19, 2004, in the amount of $650,000 for Plaintiff Fitzgerald Gant and $50,000 for Plaintiff Rosa Lisa Gant.

Books

• Risk Management: Computers, Fraud and Insurance, Patrick M. Ardis and Michael J. Comer , McGraw-Hill , 1987
• Bad Lies in Business, Patrick M. Ardis, Michael J. Comer, David H. Price, McGraw-Hill , 1988