Patrick is a 1990 graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. During summers following his freshman and sophomore years, he worked as a staff assistant to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, performing research and briefing staff members on Senate hearings.

He attended Mercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia, and spent his third year as a visiting student at New York Law School. He received his law degree in 1993, and went on to practice entertainment law in New York City, focusing on the music industry. Eventually he expanded his practice to include medical malpractice defense. During his last six years in New York, he served as counsel to a medical liability insurer, gaining valuable experience not only in litigation, but also in reserve setting and liability analysis.

Since returning to North Carolina in 2001, Patrick has worked exclusively for plaintiffs in medical malpractice litigation.

Patrick is also a musician and songwriter. In college, he regularly performed with a musical group at local nightclubs and other venues. Throughout his legal career, he has provided counsel to musicians.