Breaking the Ice: ‘Tripod’ of uncertainty keeps labor law interesting

Listen to this article

Ask third-generation lawyer Patrick D. Busch what he likes about labor and employment law and the associate in Stinson’s Minneapolis office will cite a science-fiction classic.

Specifically, Busch recounts this quote from “Dune,” the Frank Herbert novel: “In politics, the tripod is the most unstable of all structures.”

“The relevance of that is that in a labor law dispute, it really is a three-party dispute: the employer, the individual employees and the labor unions,” Busch said. “They have different perspectives and different interests. It’s the uncertainty and what’s going to happen with a lot of moving parts.”

He also likes that labor law is an area where matters get litigated out more often than settling. Labor arbitrators resolve many disputes, usually without an appeal, as in court.

Busch previously worked for the Minnesota State Court Administrator’s office. He regularly writes labor-related client alerts and provides guidance on National Labor Relations Board rulings.

Name: Patrick D. Busch

Title: Associate, Stinson’s Minneapolis office

Education: B.A., mathematics and statistics, Grinnell College; J.D., Washington University School of Law

Q: Best way to start a conversation with you?

A: Walk up to me and say hi. I am fairly shy by nature, so if you come up and say hi, I’m happy to talk with anybody.

Q: Why law school?

A: I was never once pressured or induced to become a lawyer. I did it on my own accord, notwithstanding the fact that my grandfather was a lawyer, and four of his eight children became lawyers, including my father. I majored in math and then was thinking do I want to go to math grad school or do I want to go to law school? I worked as a math tutor in college and in law school. I like doing that kind of work. Math teachers are a wonderful asset to society, and there need to be more of them, but it’s not something that I saw myself being happy doing long term.

Q: What are you reading?

A: “The World of Thought in Ancient China.” I’m reading through it a little bit each

night. It helps me fall asleep.

Q: Pet peeve?

A: People who drive without maintaining awareness of their surroundings.

Q: Best part of your work?

A: Sometimes the best part of my work is when I’m able to write a position statement saying, “Here’s what happened. Subject to further investigation, here are all the reasons why there’s no basis to go forward with the lawsuit and that’s how this case should be resolved.” By doing that, I’m able to get a resolution without people having to go through what can be a very difficult and very expensive experience going through a lawsuit.

Q: Most challenging?

A: Things keep changing all the time. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. But city ordinances could change. County ordinances could change. State laws could change. There could be federal laws that change. There could be federal court interpretations of those laws that could change. It keeps me motivated.

Q: Favorite activity away from work?

A: Trail running and rock climbing. I also play the piano.

Q: Legal figure you admire?

A: Being a lawyer in my family, that’s just a very normal thing. I don’t look up at lawyers and say, oh, wow, you’re a lawyer. That is so cool. I admire you for that. There are a bunch of specific things I’ve seen people do in the course of lawsuits that I admire.

Q: Misconception about your work?

A: I am typically in labor law on management’s side. But that doesn’t mean that I have any issue with labor unions, or my colleagues who are on the union side.

I do work with affirmative action plans, diversity equity inclusion, as well. I’m a white male. Am I necessarily what people expect to see someone working in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, affirmative action? I think there’s a misconception that that’s only something that anyone who’s not a cisgender white male should care about. No, that’s something everybody should care about, that everyone should be involved in.