Patrick M. Collins

Patrick M. Collins (born September 1, 1964), is an American lawyer. Collins is a partner in King & Spalding LLP's Special Matters and Government Investigations practice.^[1] Previously, he was a partner at Perkins Coie LLP. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Collins worked for the United States Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. Attorney. In 2005, he led the U.S. government's team in the trial and conviction of former Illinois Governor George Ryan on charges of racketeering and fraud.^[2] In 2009, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn appointed Collins to chair the Illinois Reform Commission, which was tasked with making recommendations for ethical reform for Illinois government. Several of the IRC's recommendations became the basis for new state legislation, including an overhauled Freedom of Information Act and the state's first measures to limit campaign finance in history. In January 2010, Collins authored a book entitled Challenging the Culture of Corruption: Game Changing Reform for Illinois.(ISBN 978-0879464240). In 2010, Collins was selected by the Chicago Law Bulletin as one of Chicago's "Top Ten" attorneys of the decade.^[3] Prior to his 12 years with the Department of Justice, Collins worked as an associate in private practice.