Michael T. Pidgeon

Biography

Michael Pidgeon is a Shareholder in the firm’s business and corporate law; wills, trusts and estates law; and litigation practice groups.

Mr. Pidgeon represents clients in commercial litigation and estate litigation at the trial and appellate levels, including matters involving temporary and preliminary injunctive relief. Mr. Pidgeon has been involved in cases located throughout the nation in federal and state courts, as well as in a variety of administrative forums and arbitration. These matters include disputes between shareholders and members of closely held businesses; real estate cases including claims to quiet title, for partition, and disputes stemming from the sale of property; cases arising from commercial leases on behalf of landlords and tenants; enforcement and defense of employment restrictive covenants, claims of theft of trade secrets, and breach of confidentiality obligations; and trademark and copyright actions.

Mr. Pidgeon also regularly represents clients in Orphans’ Court in Pennsylvania and the Chancery Division, Probate Part in New Jersey for probate matters including will contests; allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and fraud against fiduciaries; representation of creditors to estates; and applications to the court in connection with insolvent estates.

Some of his representative commercial litigation cases include:

• Representing a quarry owner to enforce its rights under a lease and defending counterclaims at trial in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
• Defending a property owner against claims of breach of contract brought by an adjoining property owner in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
• Defending the managing member of a pharmaceutical company against claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Defending the owner of a commercial tenant from claims to pierce the corporate veil in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
• Defending a collections company in a class action in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Representing buyers and sellers in prosecuting claims involving sellers’ disclosure violations and improper retention of deposits in Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Defending a financial services company from lender liability claims in the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Representing a trucking company to enforce a contract with another trucking company in the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Representing the owner of a restaurant to protect its trademark rights by bringing suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Defending a minority owner of a closely held company from claims alleging breach of a purchase agreement in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Some cases representative of Mr. Pidgeon’s estate litigation practice include:

• Representing two beneficiaries of a will to invalidate a later codicil at trial in the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Appearing in the Orphans’ Court in Bucks County for appointment of an emergency guardian of an incapacitated person
• Acting as court-appointed administrator in an estate involved in numerous pieces of litigation including several tax sale foreclosures and several ejectment actions
• Representing heirs of an estate in a tax sale foreclosure matter and defending their interests on appeal in the New Jersey Appellate Division
• Representing an estate against beneficiary of a joint account in the Superior Court of New Jersey
• Representing executors in connection with insolvent estates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

For more than a decade, Mr. Pidgeon practiced law in New Jersey. He continues to actively represent clients in that jurisdiction.

Memberships

Mr. Pidgeon is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association (Pennsylvania) and the Mercer County Bar Association (New Jersey).

Bar Admission

• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Education

Mr. Pidgeon is a graduate of Washington & Lee University and received his J.D. from its law school. He also obtained a Certificate in Estate Planning from Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law.

Clerkship Experience

Mr. Pidgeon served as a law clerk to the Honorable Neil H. Shuster, P.J.Ch. in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, General Equity Part.

Honors and Awards

• Selected by peers for inclusion Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star, 2018.
• Selected by peers for inclusion New Jersey Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star, 2014 - 2017.

Volunteer and Community Work

Mr. Pidgeon was the Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Mayor’s Cup Championship, a multi-race event staged yearly in Philadelphia with the object of raising money for charity. He previously served on the board of VolunteerConnect, Inc. located in Princeton, New Jersey.