Patricia E. Pannell, J.D.

“In the 25 years that I practiced law as a labor and employment attorney, I consistently saw small businesses fail to thrive because of avoidable legal mistakes. I founded Gotcha Covered HR specifically to help the small businesses of our community grow and prosper by learning how to be proactively HR compliant – as I love to say, ‘resolving issues in the conference room instead of the courtroom.’

My team of HR consultants has the experience and expertise to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, and corporations alike. Our services go beyond the one-size-fits-all approach because we understand each client has unique needs. Together, we create stronger, more vibrant businesses who in turn benefit the greater community as a whole by creating good jobs and healthy workplaces.”

President, CEO

Patricia “Patti” Pannell is a Human Resources consultant, attorney, and mediator. In 2014, Patti and her long-time colleague Stefanie Allweiss founded Gotcha Covered HR to provide human resources support to small and mid-sized businesses. A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, Patti was engaged in the practice of labor and employment law in the Greater New Orleans area for more than 25 years before following her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

Patti has lectured at seminars both for individual businesses and for fellow attorneys on topics such as sexual harassment, family and medical leave, and wage and hour law. She works extensively with HR professionals and business owners in proactive problem solving, including developing and implementing drug testing protocols; working with managers in dealing with employees in difficult situations, providing advice, guidance and coaching as needed; formulating general workplace policies and strategies; and conducting independent investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and other forms of workplace discrimination.

In 2012, Patti received her certification in Employment Mediation from The Mediation Institute. She is an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program (Class of 2020), as well as the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Leadership Jefferson Program (Class of 2024). She is a member of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the New Orleans chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (NOLA-SHRM), the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), and the East Jefferson Business Association. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Foundation of Louisiana.

Patti is married to her law school sweetheart, John Dunlap, and has two adult sons. She enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, travel, and SEC football. She is an active member of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, where she is past chair of the Global Ministries Committee, and currently serves on the Personnel Committee.

Join our newsletter today! Sign up Here