Summer 2024
The Public Lawyer, American Bar Association
She is really exceptional.
Chambers USA 2024
Overview
Patricia “Trish” Conners is a litigator and creative legal strategist, with particular expertise in antitrust and competition law. A significant focus of her work is enforcement by state attorneys general. For 36 years she served seven attorneys general in various senior executive positions in the Florida Attorney General’s Office, including as Chief Deputy.
Trish’s practice includes advising clients, both plaintiffs and defendants, regarding:
- Antitrust, competition, and consumer protection enforcement issues, investigations, or litigation, both in single-state and multistate matters
- Timely compliance counseling and training to clients to minimize potential antitrust or consumer protection exposure
- Strategic counseling regarding investigative, litigation and settlement strategies as well as creative options for effective case resolution.
As Chief Deputy, Trish supervised over 1,100 employees and engaged in a wide array of matters, representing the State of Florida on both sides of the “v”. As Deputy Attorney General for Enforcement she oversaw the Office’s Antitrust and Complex Enforcement, Civil Rights, Consumer Protection, False Claims and Lemon Law Arbitration Divisions.
For the last two decades of her extensive career in public service, Trish was also the Director of the Antitrust and Complex Enforcement in addition to her other responsibilities. In 2001, she was the first woman to be appointed Chair of the Multistate Antitrust Task Force of the National Association of Attorneys General, serving in that capacity until 2005.
Through her time with the Attorney General’s Office, Trish gained extensive knowledge of state and federal antitrust and consumer protection enforcement practices and policies as well as many other aspects of government and regulatory practice. These insights as well as her substantive enforcement experience are a valuable resource to companies confronting potential multistate or multi-agency enforcement exposure as well as to state attorneys general and private plaintiffs contemplating antitrust actions.
Trish has been credited with helping obtain billions of dollars in recoveries on behalf of the State of Florida and its citizens. She has led or co-led countless notable multistate and state-federal investigative and litigation efforts, concentrating on both litigation and settlement strategies and creative case resolution. Her antitrust work includes many successful enforcement actions involving such diverse products as areas as pharmaceuticals, financial services, health care products and services, telecommunications, dairy and other food products, and a wide variety of consumer products. Her work in public service led Trish to regularly interact with opposing counsel, private plaintiffs’ counsel, other state attorneys general offices as well as counterparts at the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice and sometimes even European agencies. Trish is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Antitrust and Trade Regulation.
Notable Experience
- Has represented a variety of trade associations, municipalities, and businesses regarding antitrust compliance issues.
- Represented large staffing companies regarding a joint antitrust investigation by the FTC and state attorneys general.
- Represented a large entertainment industry-related company regarding a state attorney general antitrust investigation.
- Represented international mattress manufacturer regarding state attorney general review of proposed acquisition of large mattress retailer.
- As Chief Deputy Attorney General: managed 1,100 employees, including 450 attorneys. Managed the daily operations of the entire agency, including directly supervising the entire executive team and all senior managers within the Office.
- As Deputy for Enforcement and/or Director of the Antitrust and Complex Enforcement Division: led or co-led countless notable multistate and state-federal investigative and litigation efforts including, most recently, the multi-billion dollar multistate opioids settlement negotiations as well as the following matters:
- Co-represented the State of Florida, helping achieve the $2 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill settlement.
- Represented the State of Florida, helping to obtain the $26 billion multistate mortgage servicing settlement, and separately negotiating multi-billion guarantees for the benefit of distressed Florida homeowners, a result only one other state was able to achieve.
- Represented the State of Florida in the investigation of and the multidistrict litigation against the three major infant formula manufacturers for price fixing, resulting in a $13 million Florida-only settlement.
- Represented the State of Florida in the investigation of and the multidistrict litigation against the major disposable contact lens manufacturers for price fixing, resulting in an $84 million global settlement.
- Represented the State of Florida in the investigation of and the multidistrict litigation against the major makers of commercial tissue for price fixing, resulting in a nearly $3 million Florida-only settlement.
- Represented the State of Florida in negotiating several settlements resolving multistate litigation alleging “pay-for-delay” antitrust violations by major pharmaceutical companies, including one on behalf of the states and the Federal Trade Commission totaling over $100 million.
- Co-represented the State of Florida in the investigation and litigation against the major milk processors in Florida for rigging bids on school milk, resulting in a $34 million state bid-rigging recovery settlement.
- Led the multimillion-dollar settlement negotiations on behalf of the State of Florida with a large residential home developer to resolve complaints regarding alleged construction defects in certain developments.
- Worked on behalf of the State of Florida to help obtain a creative case resolution with a major Florida mortgage servicer to resolve certain servicing and other related concerns.
- Successfully negotiated on behalf of the State of Florida a settlement with a major global investment firm to resolve potential claims regarding the collapse of Florida’s Local Government Investment Pool.
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law, 1982
- B.S., with Highest Honors, University of Florida, 1979
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- The Supreme Court of the United States
Certifications
- Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Antitrust and Trade Regulation
Judicial Clerkships
- Law Clerk, Honorable Melvin J. Orfinger, Chief Judge, Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal
Professional & Community Involvement
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tallahassee, Inc., Board of Directors, 2023-Present
- Bond Elementary School, Classroom Connection Mentor, 2022-Present
- University of Florida, Adjunct Professor, Antitrust Law, Spring 2023 and Spring 2024
- Florida State University, Adjunct Professor, State Attorneys General, Spring 2025
- American Bar Association (ABA), Government and Public Sector Lawyers’ Division, Executive Council, 2020-Present
- American Bar Association (ABA), Antitrust Law Section (various leadership roles), 2001-Present
- Compliance and Ethics Committee Co-Chair, 2023-Present
- State Antitrust Practice and Statutes (6th Edition) Treatise, Editorial Board, 2021-Present
- Leadership Development Committee, Co-Chair, 2019-2023
- Nominating Committee, 2007-2008; 2019-2020
- Consumer Protection Committee, Co-Chair, 2015-2019
- Consumer Protection Conference, Co-Chair, 2016-2017
- Long Range Planning, 2014-2015
- Section Reach Task Force, 2012-2014
- Controlling the Costs of Antitrust Enforcement and Litigation Task Force, 2011-2012
- Section Reserves, Advisory Board, 2009-2012
- Presidential [U.S.] Transition Report Task Force, 2008-2009
- Fuel & Energy Industry Committee, Council Liaison, 2006-2009
- State Antitrust Enforcement Committee, Council Liaison, 2006-2009
- Membership & Equal Opportunity Committee, Co-Chair, 2005-2007
- Executive Council, 2002-2009
- National Association of Attorneys General Multistate Antitrust Task Force Representative, 2002-2005
- Litigation Outreach Task Force, 2004-2005
- Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council
- Chair, 2025-2026
- Vice Chair, 2023- 2024
- ABA, Life Fellow
- American Antitrust Institute, Advisory Board, 2002-Present
- Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL), 1985-Present
- Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL), 1985-Present
- The Center for State Enforcement and Consumer Protection Laws, Inc. (The State Center), Board of Directors, 2021-Present
- National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), Multistate Antitrust Task Force, Chair, 2001-2005
- The Florida Bar, Antitrust and Trade Regulation Certification Committee, 2001-2004
- Chair, 2003-2004
- Vice Chair, 2001-2003
Recognition
- Chambers USA, Antitrust (Florida), Band 2, 2024-Present
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2023-Present
- Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite
- NOTABLE – Women Leaders in Law, 2023
- Antitrust & Trade Regulation, Hall of Fame, 2016-2022
- Government & Non-Profit Attorneys Section, 2008-2015
- Florida Attorney General’s Office “Trish Conners Award”, 2020
- Established by Attorney General Ashley Moody to honor Trish’s 36 years of service. Presented annually “to recognize the [Office of Attorney General] lawyer who exemplifies excellence, professionalism, and demonstrated dedication, to the mission of the Department of Legal Affairs.”
- National Association of Attorney General Recognitions
- Outstanding Senior Staff Award, for leadership role in the multistate opioids case, 2018
- Outstanding Chief Deputy Award, for contributions to the NAAG community as Chief Deputy, 2018
- Outstanding Senior Staff Award, for service to NAAG as the appointed Chair of the NAAG Multistate Antitrust Task Force, 2005
- Nelson Award, American Bar Association, 2017
- Davis Productivity Award, 20 Years of Sustained Achievement on Behalf of the State of Florida, 2015
- AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell®