Patrick J. Bruks

Patrick Bruks is a Partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. Patrick is the immediate past-chair of the Firm's Corporate Group and has been practicing transactional law for more than 25 years. He represents entrepreneurs, closely held and family owned businesses, publicly traded companies, and governmental entities on a wide variety of transactions.

Patrick has deep experience with mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, licensing and intellectual property matters, software development and technology agreements, legislative issues, customer and supplier contracts, and employment and non-compete agreements. Of note, Patrick led the legal strategy and corporate aspects of an international music festival and the renovation and operation of an NFL stadium. Many of Patrick's clients utilize his wealth of experience to serve as their de facto outside general counsel.

The following is a representative list of Mr. Bruks' transactions:

During the course of his practice, Mr. Bruks has created and developed a universal process for analyzing any contract using "Ten and Only Ten Basic Questions.^"  This process has been successfully applied to all types of contracts ranging from simple handshake deals to hundred-page agreements drafted by a team of lawyers.  For over a decade, Mr. Bruks has been teaching and giving seminars to both attorneys and business people on how these "Ten Basic Questions" and his process can provide a significant competitive advantage in analyzing and negotiating any contract.  The following is a representative list of parties for whom Pat has given speeches and seminars: Chicago Bar Association, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Wintrust Bank, The Duchossois Group, Continental Automotive Systems, The Chamberlain Group, and 1871.

Mr. Bruks is an adjunct professor at DePaul University College of Law, where he teaches a course on Mergers and Acquisitions.  He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois College of Law where he taught a Transactional Law Practicum.

Mr. Bruks has also written three books:

• Analyzing Contracts – A Universal Process for Analyzing any Contract using Ten and Only Ten Basic Questions

• Drafting Contracts – Twenty Drafting Techniques to Maximize Rights and Minimize Obligations

• Mergers and Acquisitions – A Universal Process for Analyzing any M&A Contract using Ten and Only Ten Basic Questions