Eli Patten is a Partner in the firm’s Banking, Finance and Creditor’s Rights Practice Group, serving as the Co-Chair of the Practice Group. He practices in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, commercial litigation, real estate transactions and litigation. Eli works extensively with local, state-wide and national lenders and creditors in a variety of matters including representation in bankruptcy, collection litigation, real and personal property foreclosures, and real property litigation.

Eli is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Montana and North Dakota, the Northern Cheyenne, Crow, Fort Belknap, Confederated Salish and Kootenai, Shoshone and Arapahoe, and the Chippewa Cree Tribal Courts.

Eli graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University, Washington, DC with a B.A. in Political Science and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University Of Montana School of Law.

Eli is committed to serving his community and profession. He has served as a delegate to the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, a district representative to the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Division, served in a variety of capacities including chair of the Montana State Bar Bankruptcy Section and as the president of the Yellowstone Area Bar Association.

In his free time, Eli enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, golfing, fishing, watching his beloved Baltimore Orioles, and playing hockey.

Practice Areas

    • Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy
    • Bankruptcy
    • Collections
    • Personal Property Foreclosures, Claim and Delivery, Replevin, and Injunctive Remedies
    • Real Property Foreclosures & Landlord-Tenant Disputes
    • Real Estate
    • Commercial Real Estate Acquisition, Sales and Leasing
    • Condominium and Homeowners’ Associations
    • Water Rights
    • Water Law
    • Water Right Transactions

Bar Admission

Montana, 2009
U.S. District Court, District of Montana, 2009
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana, 2009
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court, 2010
Crow Tribal Court, 2011
Fort Belknap Tribal Court, 2012
Salish and Kootenai Tribal Court, 2012
Shoshone and Arapahoe Tribal Court, 2012
North Dakota, 2016

Education

2009 – J.D., University of Montana School of Law
2005 – B.A. in Political Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

Honors & Awards

Mountain States Super Lawyers Rising Star (2013-Present)

Community Involvement

Billings Area Young Professionals
Magic City Adult Hockey
Leadership Billings (2013-2014)

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Montana – Bankruptcy Section Counsel Member (2010-2012), Treasurer (2013), Chair (2013-2014)
Yellowstone Area Bar Association, Trustee (2012-2015); President-Elect (2015-2016); President (2016-2017)
State Bar of Montana – New Lawyers’ Section, Trustee
American Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division District Representative (2014-2015); Montana Young Lawyer Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates (2016-2019)
State Bar of Montana Board of Trustees (2018 — )

Presentations & Publications

Co-Author, Providing Short-Term Access to Water for Energy and Mineral Development in the West, 59 RMMLF-INST 9-1 (2013) .