Summary: A Minnesota attorney was fired from his law firm when his side job as the owner of a record label specializing in white supremacist bands was exposed.
Patterson Thuente quickly fired one of their partners when they learned that said partner had a side gig that was less than flattering. The firm was completely unaware that their patent attorney by day was also the owner of a Neo-Nazi record label by night.
City Pages broke the news on partner Aaron Davis. Within hours of the cover story’s release, Patterson Thuente put Davis on “administrative leave.” They also wasted no time in removing his biography from their website.
Davis was described by Patterson Thuente in the former biography as a “key member” of their litigation team. They knew he was involved in the music industry, assisting “record labels, artists, and entertainment companies throughout the United States” with licensing and intellectual property issues.
Patterson Thuente was unaware of what involvement Davis had in the music industry. The law firm claims they had no idea his business was the industry of neo-Nazism. His record label, Behold Barbarity Records and Distro, was selling records for musical groups filled with offensive lyrics and hateful imagery. One of his bands had a song called “Kill the Jews” while another had an album titled Behead the Semite.
City Pages received a statement from Patterson Thuente stating, “Aaron Davis is no longer employed by Patterson Thuente Pedersen, P.A. Prior to the story, no one in the firm had any inclination regarding the allegations in the article.”
In fact, no one really knew about the record label until a music lover wanting to rid the market of neo-Nazi hatred tipped of the media. On first glance, the shop appears like any other Gothic-inspired place with featured bands like King Diamond and Slayer. Further investigation revealed more sinister song titles and covers filled with swastikas. The Southern Poverty Law Center has taken an interest in the shop for its racist activities, calling the record label an “active hate group.”
Metal specialist DJ Teace explains, “Metal is about hate. The atrocities of war… Telling you what’s going on without filtering.” Black metal gained notoriety in Norway during the 1990s when members of numerous bands began performing acts of violence and horror throughout the region. One band’s drummer stabbed a gay man to death while another band’s vocalist shot himself in the head. DJ Teace says there are only a few bands in the Twin Cities area that are neither racist nor xenophobic. Generally, the style rejects religion and politics but some groups still use the Nazi symbol to link back to black metal’s history. He said, “When something’s banned to you, it lures you more. And there’s always going to be a few people that take it really seriously because they’re mentally ill.”
Davis is described by City Pages as a “broad-shouldered, powerlifting tank of a man.” His social media photos feature a man with a black sun tattoo on his bicep, a feature common among white supremacists. He frequently wore shirts sporting Bound for Glory, a St. Paul band known for screams of “White Power” in their songs. His former clients include Ashley Furniture and Cardiac Science.
Patterson Thuente, a top intellectual property firm, is located in the IDS tower in downtown Minneapolis. They stated, “As a firm, we are in no way affiliated with any of Mr. Davis’ outside pursuits…we are committed to conducting our business ethically and with integrity. Hate, bigotry and intolerance have no place in our society.”
Do you think someone should be punished for the outside activities? What if someone was into pornographic activities during their private time? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about hate groups, read these articles:
- Mississippi: White Teen Gets Life for Hate Crime
- White Supremacists Targeting Academics of Color
- Baton Rouge Police Killer Admitted Ties to Domestic Terrorist Group
Cover Photo: zh.wikipedia.org
Davis Photo: ptslaw.com