Attorneys
Practice Areas
Greensfelder Welcomes Trusts & Estates Attorney and Former Probate Commissioner Patrick J. Connaghan
Greensfelder is pleased to announce that Patrick J. Connaghan has joined the firm’s St. Louis office as of counsel in its Trusts & Estates Group.
Connaghan joins private practice after a highly respected tenure as the Probate Commissioner and Clerk of the Probate Division for the 22nd Judicial Circuit, which covers the City of St. Louis, from 2007 to 2022. In this role, he was responsible for administering and overseeing probate cases, including the management of trusts, estates, and guardianships, as well as hearing civil commitment cases involving mental health and addiction issues. He retired from the court in 2022.
“We are honored to have Commissioner Connaghan join our thriving Trusts & Estates practice,” said Kevin T. McLaughlin, Greenfelder’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “He brings invaluable experience from the probate court system that cannot be taught and will provide exceptional value to our attorneys and clients alike.”
Connaghan has spent most of his career in public service. He brings the experience gained from his time in the probate court to help clients resolve issues in an effective manner and navigate difficult situations. His long-standing efforts to aid societal challenges within the St. Louis community positions him to serve clients with viable solutions backed by decades of first-hand experience in the courts and beyond.
He is a past president and current board member of the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges. He was honored with that organization’s President’s Award in 2011, 2016, and 2021.
Before his appointment as Probate Commissioner, Connaghan’s long and distinguished career in public service included 12 years as General Counsel for the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen. There, he was responsible for providing legal advice and representation to the board and its members, as well as drafting legislation and serving as a liaison to the city’s operating departments.
Prior to his role as General Counsel, Connaghan served as an Assistant City Counselor for the City of St. Louis and worked as a legal advisor to the city’s operating departments. In this position, he was appointed as Director of Operation Weed and Seed by the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri and focused his efforts on establishing neighborhood-based anti-drug initiatives.