PATRICK C. DUNICAN JR.

PATRICK C. Dunican Jr. is executive chairperson of Gibbons P.C., based in the firm’s Newark, New Jersey office.

During his 18-year tenure as the firm’s chairman and managing director, Dunican led the firm’s growth into a major Mid-Atlantic regional powerhouse. He accomplished this by establishing a corporate management model and implementing innovations to advance Gibbons as a standard-setting 21st century law firm, supported by state-of-the-art facilities and technology, streamlined expenses, and an outstanding management team to execute, evaluate, and refine these policies and platforms.

As executive chairperson, Dunican handles the firm’s more outward-facing programs. He is the chief public spokesperson for Gibbons, which entails issuing public statements on behalf of the firm, directing the firm’s response to media queries, leading existing and prospective client interviews, and coordinating political events and donations.

He creates and implements platforms to enhance new business generation, practice development, firm expansion, client relations, marketing, branding, and public relations. He also handles special strategic and operational projects, including the review and negotiation of office leases and various insurance and benefits plans and policies, as well as oversight of annual audit-related activities.

As a result of his many achievements, New Jersey Law Journal has honored him twice in recent years with a Trailblazer Award for his unique foresight regarding comprehensive emergency planning, which enabled him to lead a particularly well-prepared firm through unprecedented business conditions during the Covid-19 crisis; and designation as one of the state’s Distinguished Leaders in the legal industry.

He is one of a select few business leaders to be named to the annual NJBIZ Power 100 list of the most influential people in New Jersey business for more than 10 consecutive years. He similarly has appeared on the Influencers Power List of the most influential people in New Jersey business each year ROI-NJ has published that feature and, in 2022, was selected for the inaugural ROI-NJ Influencers: Law list.

Dunican is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and, as a litigation attorney, is listed in both the New Jersey and New York editions of Super Lawyers for business litigation and in Best Lawyers for commercial litigation.

In 2020, Dunican was elected chair of the Board of Legal Trustees of Iona College, his alma mater, after serving in various capacities on the board since 2013. He also remains extensively involved with Seton Hall University School of Law, where he earned a JD. He has been honored with distinguished alumnus awards from both schools.

Dunican’s four grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from counties Sligo, Offaly, Mayo, and Donegal. In 2013, he served as grand marshal of Newark’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, raising more money for more charities than ever before in the parade’s 78-year history. He is a founding member of the Irish American Bar Association of New Jersey and has also been named among PolitickerNJ’s Irish American Leaders of New Jersey.

In 2018, the Irish American Cultural Institute presented Dunican with its Annie Moore Award for his significant contributions to the Irish and Irish American communities. In 2019, he delivered the keynote address at the 118th Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Oranges dinner; the two most recent previous keynote speakers were Cardinal Tobin and Governor Murphy. Also in 2019, Dunican was presented with the Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, named in honor of the late speaker of the House of Representatives and given to members of the diaspora who promote Ireland abroad.