New Jersey Legal Awards Honor Day Pitney's Practices and Rising Leadership

Day Pitney LLP earned four honors at the 2026 New Jersey Law Journal New Jersey Legal Awards, highlighting the firm’s strength in New Jersey across litigation, labor and employment, and real estate, as well as the accomplishments of its next generation of leaders.

The firm was named a finalist for Litigation Department of the Year in both the General Litigation and Labor and Employment categories and a finalist for Real Estate Firm of the Year. Litigation Partner Michael J. Fitzpatrick was named a New Leaders of the Bar winner.

“These honors demonstrate Day Pitney’s strength as one of New Jersey’s leading law firms,” commented Office Managing Partner Paul Marino. “Our lawyers handle sophisticated, high-stakes matters for clients in New Jersey and across the country, and the breadth of this recognition reflects the strength of our litigation, labor and employment, and real estate practices. Mike’s honor also speaks to the caliber of the next generation of leaders advancing our firm and the profession. We are proud to see the excellence of our teams and lawyers recognized so broadly.”

Michael J. Fitzpatrick — New Leaders of the Bar Winner
Fitzpatrick was named a New Leaders of the Bar winner, an honor recognizing emerging leaders who have demonstrated notable achievement, leadership, and contributions to the New Jersey legal community. Based in Parsippany, he represents clients in commercial litigation, products liability defense, securities litigation, and fiduciary and probate litigation matters. His practice includes complex contractual disputes, consumer protection claims, personal injury defense, and shareholder and consumer class actions in state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York. Fitzpatrick is the co-chair of the Business and Commercial Litigation Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and is the chair of Day Pitney’s hiring committee. His commitment to the community extends to an active pro bono practice, through which he serves as a court-appointed representative in New Jersey guardianship proceedings and assists survivors of domestic violence in obtaining final restraining orders. Fitzpatrick earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law and his B.A. from Boston College. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Firm and Practice Honors
Day Pitney was recognized across three categories reflecting the strength of its multidisciplinary capabilities and its ability to guide clients through complex disputes, workplace challenges, and sophisticated real estate matters:

• Litigation Department of the Year, General Litigation Finalist: Day Pitney’s Litigation Department represents businesses, institutions, and individuals in disputes ranging from commercial and contractual matters to class actions, product liability claims, consumer finance litigation, and other business-critical proceedings. Its trial and appellate lawyers develop practical, results-oriented strategies tailored to each client’s objectives, drawing on experience in state and federal courts, arbitration, mediation, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
• Litigation Department of the Year, Labor and Employment Finalist: Day Pitney’s Employment and Labor Practice advises employers across industries on sophisticated workplace matters, including employment litigation, labor-management relations, internal investigations, restrictive covenants, wage and hour compliance, and employment policies and agreements. The team combines litigation experience with practical, business-focused counsel to help clients manage risk, address sensitive workforce issues, and navigate evolving federal, state, and local requirements.
• Real Estate Firm of the Year Finalist: Day Pitney’s New Jersey Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice counsels developers, property owners, investors, financial institutions, and corporations across the full spectrum of real estate transactions, development projects, and disputes. The team handles acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financing, joint ventures, construction, zoning, land use, redevelopment, affordable housing, environmental matters, and real estate litigation, bringing together local market knowledge and multidisciplinary capabilities to advance complex projects.

Presented annually by the New Jersey Law Journal, the New Jersey Legal Awards honor attorneys, law firms, and legal departments throughout the state for their professional achievements, leadership, and contributions to the New Jersey legal community. This year’s honorees were recognized at an awards ceremony on October 29. For more information on the award methodology, click here.

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