Lawyer retires after nearly 65 years of law practice
A 90-year-old man said to be the oldest practicing lawyer in North Carolina is retiring.
Robert “Pat” Patterson will close his Jacksonville, North Carolina, office at the end of the month, the Jacksonville Daily News reports. He practiced law for nearly 65 years.
Patterson said his practice had focused on estate law until the $5 million estate tax exclusion cut into the work. He switched to a general practice.
The Daily News spoke with friends who were part of Patterson’s lunch crowd. One of them is Charles “Buddy” Hinkle.
“I grew to respect his breadth of solid knowledge and quickness despite his age,” Hinkle said. “He is probably one of the oldest attorneys practicing in the United States. He comes from a different generation with a broader breadth of knowledge. He is an exceptional individual.”
