Vito A. Pinto is a savvy and tenacious advocate for his clients, whether in the courtroom, with government regulators or around the deal table. He litigates sophisticated, high-exposure liability, commercial, insurance coverage, property damage, New Jersey Dram Shop Act, environmental and construction defect disputes, both at trial and on appeal. He advises clients on and represents them in transactions involving the acquisition, development and disposition of commercial real estate, and disputes arising from those transactions, as well as commercial lease disputes, condemnation proceedings, condominium construction and transition control issues, and bid disputes. He also defends clients in complex environmental remediation, compliance and enforcement actions, and has tried private party cost-recovery and multi-party cost-allocation proceedings in both state and federal courts.
Vito is a responsive, business-focused and detail-driven partner to his clients, which range from insurance companies and sophisticated business owners and corporate counsel to closely held family businesses and individuals. Many of his clients have worked with Vito for decades, relying on him to handle a full range of their transactional, regulatory and litigation matters.
In addition to his work for clients, Vito serves as the Managing Partner for WCM’s New Jersey office. He is active in both the Union County and New Jersey Bar associations and teaches trial advocacy to high school students in connection with Essex County’s Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition. He is also a frequent writer and lecturer on litigation and environmental and real estate law.
Previously, Vito was a partner and a member of the management committee of a regional firm, focusing on a number of litigation and compliance matters ranging from insurance defense to environmental law and real estate disputes. Prior to that, he served as Regional Counsel for a publicly traded corporation with significant national operations, overseeing compliance and litigation matters for the Northeast region of the United States.
Prior to entering into private practice, Vito clerked for the Honorable James J. Petrella, Presiding Judge of the New Jersey Appellate Division.