Patrick Brennan

Biography

Patrick Brennan is a trial lawyer and partner at Johnson Branco Brennan & Collins, LLP in Frankfort, Kentucky. He represents individuals, businesses, and public institutions in criminal cases and high-stakes civil disputes. His practice includes criminal defense, civil-rights litigation, personal injury, gaming law, business and contract disputes, oil and gas rights, and cases involving government agencies. Patrick is often called upon when a client’s liberty, livelihood, or reputation is genuinely at stake. Patrick initially developed his courtroom experience at the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, where he represented clients in both district and circuit court. Regularly working with investigators and expert witnesses, he prepared and litigated serious and complex felony cases. Patrick approaches every case from two angles. First, he closely examines the sufficiency and admissibility of evidence. Second, he gets to know the person beyond just the facts of the case, including the multi-faceted aspects of a client's life. With a full understanding, Patrick makes an individualized strategy for each case. He places emphasis on a grand jury defense to avoid criminal charges altogether. Patrick has won acquittals, won suppression rulings excluding unlawfully obtained evidence, obtained complete dismissals, and negotiated favorable resolutions in complex criminal matters. A significant part of Patrick’s practice involves federal civil-rights litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. He represents people bringing constitutional claims against law-enforcement officers, municipalities, and other government officials. His cases have gained significant publicity and settled for substantial sums of money. When media attention affects a client’s reputation or ability to obtain accountability, he helps present the evidence clearly and responsibly. Patrick earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2019, where he received a merit scholarship and the Simms Fellowship and served as a Senior Staff Editor of the Kentucky Law Journal. His academic writing addressed warrantless blood testing and juvenile solitary confinement. Before entering practice, Patrick served as an extern with the Kentucky Innocence Project and as a judicial extern to Fayette Circuit Judge Kimberly Bunnell. Patrick also earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and philosophy from the University of Kentucky, graduating magna cum laude with departmental honors in both fields. He has professional working proficiency in Spanish. He is the current President of the Franklin County Bar Association (2026).