Soon after starting my company, Magnus Research Consultants, with my spouse/business partner, I had the opportunity to meet an attorney in my hometown, Fort Myers, Florida, named Patrick Geraghty. Since that time, Pat has been a great friend, a loyal client, and a source of endless information about a variety of topics. I have had the pleasure of working for Pat on numerous cases over the years, including several notorious cases I only wish I could talk about! Pat is truly “a gentleman and a scholar”; after getting to know him all these years, I now know the meaning of that expression! We have become more than client and consultant. During the years when David and I lived part time in Fort Myers to assist my brother in caring for my mother, Pat and I became “lunch buddies.” We have continued our tradition of going to lunch together whenever I am working in Fort Myers or anyplace nearby and we always take turns buying lunch. One thing I admire about Pat is his ability to express his displeasure over someone’s poor and/or improper conduct in ways leaving the person who behaved badly to wonder if Pat was insulting or complimenting him/her! If only everyone was this erudite when dealing with people who deserve a flogging, or worse! Pat, like many of Magnus’ clients, is a “Gator,” meaning he graduated from law school at the University of Florida. We have enjoyed many laughs over the years, due to my graduate degrees having been earned from, as Pat reminds me, the former women’s college, Florida State University. Pat even has a study/den in his lovely home decorated in orange and blue! But, despite our scholastic differences, we have enjoyed a strong friendship that was solidified many years ago when we found out we had something big, and something important, in common: We are both “Parrotheads”! (For the extremely few people on the planet who read this and wonder, “What is a ‘Parrothead’?”, I will digress to explain a Parrothead is a die hard fan of Jimmy Buffett, his music, and his Florida lifestyle.) Pat and I are planning to attend a Jimmy Buffett concert together, hopefully soon. One never knows what will be a common bond upon first meeting. In addition to our professional relationship and mutual respect for one another, Pat Geraghty and I share many other things in common, among them, our fondness for “Living and Dying in 3/4 Time.”
As the one who was learning about my spouse’s hometown, finding out the back story on much of what happens in Ft. Myers has been interesting. And, Pat Geraghty is a man in the know, therefore, he and Melissa have had much to discuss over the years. I know there are power brokers in every city, but it is amazing to see one in action. Because Pat is so good at what he does as a lawyer, he represents the movers and shakers who need his particular kind of help. One thing I have always found interesting about Pat is that he is a trial lawyer who has a wide mix of cases. We first worked with him on a personal injury/multiple death case. But, we have worked with him on a variety of cases including a employment/sexual harassment case, criminal cases, insurance defense matters, construction cases, commercial litigation and eminent domain cases. He is a “hired gun” who can take on any challenge and he has the ability to represent a wide variety of clients. We never know what it will be next when he calls! He also has done well in training his associates, some of whom are now partners in his firm. It is clear that he has trained them and encouraged them to both sharpen their skills and to step out into managing their own clients and cases. He has taught them well and that is commendable. Pat and I share one commonality – we are both graduates of Jacksonville University. I am proud to know this fellow Dolphin!
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