Twenty-six years ago, Patricia J. Friesinger came to Dayton to begin a career, what she didn’t realize was that she was choosing her home.
But somewhere between building a law practice, raising a family, developing relationships that would span decades and helping businesses through some of their most difficult days, that is exactly what Dayton became.
“Dayton gave me a home, a career, and a future,” she told the audience as she accepted a 2026 Dayton Business Journal Woman Who Means Business award.
For those who know Pat and the career she has built as a partner at Coolidge Wall, the honor is a fitting one. She is one of only a handful of practitioners filing Chapter 11 cases in the Southern District of Ohio, helping businesses reorganize rather than disappear. When that work succeeds, its impact extends well beyond a court filing with a business owner getting the opportunity to rebuild.
And in addition to representing clients in private practice, Pat serves as a Chapter 7 Trustee in Bankruptcy, appointed to administer thousands of cases filed by individuals and businesses.
It is complicated work and it requires something Pat’s colleagues and clients consistently identify as one of her defining characteristics: extraordinary preparation.
One longtime client who first knew Pat when she was a law clerk came back to her years later with an extremely difficult family business matter. After working with more than 10 attorneys in recent years, the client described Pat as “thorough and all-encompassing” and said she went “above and beyond what was required” to protect the family’s assets.
That meticulous approach has also made Pat a respected voice well beyond Dayton.
She serves on the Advisory Committee for the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Midwest Regional Bankruptcy Seminar and frequently presents at its annual conference. She has also been actively involved with the Dayton Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Law Forum and American Bar Association. As a speaker, she is known for doing what she does for clients every day: preparing carefully, thinking deeply and making complicated subjects understandable.
Her contributions have extended outside the legal profession as well. Pat served for a number of years on the Finance Committee of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley and on the Board of Quail Run Leisure Center.
When it came time to accept an award recognizing her own accomplishments, Pat spent much of her time talking about everyone else. She thanked her husband and family, whose support she credited with making her professional accomplishments possible. She thanked Coolidge Wall, the partners who have been her friends, mentors and collaborators, and the colleagues who have shared the journey. And then she singled out someone who has been beside her for roughly two decades: her paralegal, Mandy.
“In a profession built on teamwork, Mandy’s dedication, judgment, and unwavering support have contributed to every success I celebrate today,” Pat said about her paralegal.
Perhaps that says as much about Pat as the list of professional accomplishments that led to the award. A career is rarely built by one person. Pat sees that interconnectedness every day in her bankruptcy practice. She meets business owners when plans have changed, circumstances have shifted and the future is anything but certain. Yet after decades of seeing businesses at some of their lowest points, she remains optimistic.
“Every day, I see the courage, resilience and determination of business owners and leaders as they face financial distress and uncertainty,” Pat said. “While many businesses are struggling today, I remain optimistic because I have also seen how strong this community is and how willing people are to help one another succeed.”
There is something particularly appropriate about a bankruptcy attorney receiving an award called Women Who Mean Business. Pat’s work is about business in its most human form, the people who build them, the people who work for them, the families who depend on them and what happens when its future hangs in the balance.
For 26 years, she has helped people navigate those moments and the community that once welcomed a young lawyer who came here to start her career has now recognized the leader she has become.
“This recognition feels especially meaningful because it comes from a community that welcomed a young lawyer and gave her every reason to stay,” Pat said in her award speech. “My hope is that I can continue giving back by helping businesses weather difficult times and emerge stronger on the other side.”
Dayton gave Pat a reason to stay. For more than two decades, Pat has been returning the favor.
