Our Team
Joseph N. Patrico
Joseph.Patrico@PatricoLawGroup.com
It all began with a question, “What now?”
After graduating cum laude from the University of California, San Diego Warren College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1991, Joe looked around and asked himself, “What now?”
The answer to that question was 4 years working as a claims representative for Farmers Insurance Group and Republic Indemnity. Joe quickly discovered that the work of a claims examiner was challenging and constantly changing. He discovered his passion for the law and enjoyed interacting with attorneys he encountered every day from his claims desk. After reaching the position of senior examiner, he looked around again and asked, “What now?”
Joe answered that question by going to law school. During his three years at the University of San Diego’s School of Law, Joe had a chance to explore and expand his passion for the law. He was a Member of San Diego Law Review and interned at the Offices of the United States Attorney, Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. Joe graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned the prestigious Order of the Coif. He then asked, “What now?”
Joe spent several years trying to answer that question. He worked as a plaintiff’s employment law attorney and civil defense attorney. He appeared in a wide variety of matters and forums including Federal District Court, California Superior Court, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision, California Labor Commissioner, California Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, and various public employee administrative proceedings. Despite this experience, he still had not answered his question.
In 2001, Joe answered his question by returning to California Workers’ Compensation, this time as an attorney. He quickly discovered a love for the area of practice that is unwavering to this day.
In 2003, Joe joined Patrico, Hermanson & Guzman, A P.C. (then known as Heggeness & Sweet). He became a shareholder in 2005 and served as CFO until 2014 when he took over as CEO and Chairman of the Board. He held these positions until stepping down from the firm in 2022. He once again asked, “What now?”
The answer is this the Patrico Law Group. A firm dedicated to only one thing, the client. A firm built from the ground up on the foundation of always providing the highest quality legal representation.
Joe has been married to his lifelong best friend, Lisa, since 1993. They have four children, Hannah, Niko, Malik, Peter, and an Australian Shepherd named Jessie.