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There's only one way to try a case, Ellen: the one that lets you win.
— Patty Hewes[1]

Patricia C. Hewes or simply Patty is a renowned high-stakes litigator. Being the head of her own law firm, named Hewes and Associates she has a reputation as a ruthless and brilliant lawyer. She is known for her unorthodox ways of practicing law, frequent manipulations and a sharp sense for justice.

Her abusive upbringing had conceived hatred towards bullies in Patty, that shaped her into vindictive, vain and self-destructive attorney. She is prepared to do whatever it takes to win a case, often contradicting moral norms and indulging into unethical behavior. Her main targets are CEOs and her main interest is the corporate law.

Patricia was married to Phil Grey, who eventually cheated and divorced her. Before her marriage with Phil, Patty had a sexual liaison with Daniel Purcell which resulted in their son Michael Hewes. But before Phil and Daniel Patty was pregnant with a baby-girl named Julia, but in order to launch her career she induced a purposeful abortion.

Her most prominent relationship is the one with Ellen Parsons, her protegee. She hires Ellen in order to get to a crucial witness in her case against Arthur Frobisher, but soon realizes Ellen's potential starts perceiving her as the daughter she never had. However after a turbulent series of events she orders for Ellen to be killed. But when Ellen survives, a rift opens between them causing an eternal enmity between the mentor and the former protegee.

In Series 5, Patty and Ellen's close relationship comes to a close, with Ellen splitting off to create her law firm, Ellen Parsons & Associates. Whilst competing with her son, Michael Hewes, in a custody battle for his daughter (Patty's grand-daughter), Ellen steps up as a witness, which places Patty under pressure due to their close relationship and Ellen's first-hand experience working with Patty.

Patty twists Ellen's witness position, instead convincing her to 'fight where it really counts' - in a case that Patty has declined, but offers to Ellen Parsons - which, despite suspecting Patty, accepts the case. In the series that follows, Patty finally accepts Ellen as being "finally in the game" after finding that Ellen had ordered for one of McClaren's associates murdered to help win the case.

In later years, Patty and Ellen meet inadvertently in a shop with Ellen's daughter. It emerges that Patty still has her law firm in New York, which shows that Patty did not become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court as previously considered, instead staying in her practice. Ellen, on the other hand, has left the legal firm, dedicating her life to her family.

Delusionally, A delusional Patty imagines Ellen thanking her for all the good she has done for her. The truth however is uglier than it seems, and Ellen deliberately ignores Patty. The final scene shows Patty bitter and alone in the back of her car with her career, the last thing she still has. It is unclear what happened to his granddaughter.

References

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