Combining a trial lawyer’s sense of strategy with an appellate lawyer’s deep knowledge of the law, Robert Wiygul provides counsel and representation to his clients at every stage of the litigation process in both federal and state courts, from pre-complaint investigation to discovery to trial to appeal.
Although he has experience with a wide variety of legal subject matters, Rob focuses his practice on commercial litigation, environmental litigation, and complex insurance coverage litigation. He brings a cost-conscious, efficient approach to his representations, developing key facts and identifying important legal issues early in the process to maximize the likelihood of a favorable settlement or early dispositive motion.
At home in the courtroom, Rob has significant trial experience, including examining witnesses, working with experts, and arguing legal issues. He recently obtained a complete defense verdict in a jury trial of a commercial dispute. He also recently tried a non-jury environmental matter before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. Demonstrating his range and dedication to clients large and small, Rob also recently obtained a rare reversal of a college student’s suspension from athletic competition based on alleged use of a performance-enhancing substance. Key to the reversal was the testimony of a drug-testing expert Rob identified and prepared.
Rob graduated from Yale Law School, where he was the Co-Editor-in-Chief and the Book Reviews Editor of the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities. He holds a C.Phil. from the University of California, Berkeley (reflecting advancement to candidacy in a Ph.D. program in history), and earned his Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge in England. Rob is a magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Williams College, where he also earned Highest Honors in History and Honors in Philosophy. Following law school, he served for two years as a law clerk to the Honorable Anthony J. Scirica of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Representative Matters
- Obtained complete defense verdict in favor of family-owned restaurant franchise business in Philadelphia Commerce Court jury trial against former executive alleging multi-million-dollar claims for unpaid compensation.
- Examined fact and expert witnesses and prevailed in a bench trial before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board on behalf of a private school client that had suffered collapse sinkholes due to activities of neighboring stone quarry. The Board upheld an order by the Department of Environmental Protection requiring the quarry to allow groundwater levels to rise in order to abate the formation of sinkholes.
- Defended township and county redevelopment agency against lawsuit challenging disbursement of state funds for local redevelopment project. Obtained expedited dismissal of complaint in Commonwealth Court. Won complete affirmance of dismissal on appeal to Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
- Defended Fortune 100 company in federal toxic torts suit in which plaintiffs claimed damages for personal injury and loss of property value and sought court-ordered environmental remediation under CERCLA, RCRA, and New Jersey statutes; won summary judgment on all nine counts of plaintiffs’ complaint, including successful Daubert motion to exclude all opinions of plaintiffs’ property value expert.
- On behalf of insurer, successfully moved for reconsideration of California federal court’s initial summary judgment order in favor of corporate policyholder, which sought to recover costs incurred in responding to federal government investigation of alleged healthcare fraud; secured complete summary judgment in favor of client.
- On behalf of student athlete, successfully appealed NCAA suspension based on adverse drug test result; obtained full reinstatement of eligibility to compete.
- Represented prisoner plaintiff pro bono in federal civil rights lawsuit alleging deliberate indifference to medical needs, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, and retaliation, in violation of the First Amendment. Successfully moved to add defendant doctor’s corporate employer as additional defendant based on evidence developed in discovery. Defeated motion for summary judgment and obtained favorable settlement.
- Filed amicus briefs in United States Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit pro bono on behalf of law professors supporting plaintiffs’ challenge to Trump Administration’s travel ban.