City Attorney Patrick W. Baker

Patrick W. Baker was appointed to serve as City Attorney by the Charlotte City Council in March of 2019. In his role as City Attorney, he is responsible for providing policy and legal advice as well as transactional and litigation services to the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, City Administration and all City Boards and Committees. This includes providing legal services in support of community safety initiatives, economic and neighborhood development, affordable housing, and community building initiatives. The City Attorney’s Office is also responsible for providing in-house legal counsel to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). To carry out these responsibilities, he manages a staff of 44 exceptionally experienced and well qualified employees, including 34 attorneys, an Office Manager, a Legal Analyst, 6 paralegals and 2 administrative support staff.

Patrick has practiced law since 1993 and has worked exclusively in municipal law and government since 1997. He held the titles of Assistant City Attorney, City Manager and City Attorney during his nearly 22 years in Durham, NC. Patrick is unique among local government attorneys nationwide in holding the distinct honor of serving as both City Manager and City Attorney.  He is well known and respected in North Carolina and national municipal law circles. Patrick has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, Board of Directors and President of the North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys and Board of Directors and President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association. He is a North Carolina native born at USMC Base Camp Lejeune and raised in USMC Air Station Cherry Point and Havelock in eastern North Carolina. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the Wake Forest University School of Law. He and his wife Rae Ann have a son Griffin and a daughter Chloe.