Law & Justice Attorneys Michael Pike & Daniel Lustig, Pike & Lustig LLP

Law & Justice
Attorneys Michael Pike & Daniel Lustig, Pike & Lustig LLP

The law firm of Pike & Lustig LLP includes partners Michael Pike, Daniel Lustig and Talina Bidwell. The practice focuses on legal matters associated with business litigation and personal injury litigation. Wellington The Magazine interviewed Managing Partner Michael Pike.

 

How long has your firm been doing business in Palm Beach County?

I have been in practice for more than 16 years in Palm Beach County and the tri-county area. I was born and raised in Miami and decided that we would open up a law firm here in Palm Beach County after practicing here for several years. I always wanted to move to Wellington and raise a family, and that is what we did.

 

What type of cases do you generally handle?

We handle complex business litigation cases, corporate disputes, business acquisitions and personal injury. My firm has two separate departments that handle business litigation and personal injury, which includes catastrophic auto accidents, trucking accidents, slip and falls, and sexual assault and battery.

 

What percentage of your practice is devoted to each type of law?

It is about 60/40 with 60 percent business litigation and corporate disputes, and 40 percent personal injury.

 

How many cases has your firm represented in this field of the law?

Hundreds upon hundreds. Over the course of my career, many, many more. We have represented more clients than I can count.

 

What special training or knowledge does your team have that sets your firm apart from other law firms?

In particular, I have a background in complex business litigation and personal injury in both state and federal courts. My partner, Daniel Lustig, has a background in business litigation, personal injury and intellectual property. In fact, he has an LLM in intellectual property, which is a legal master’s degree in intellectual property. My other partner, Talina Bidwell, has a sophisticated background in business litigation and financial litigation.

We also have a team of six to seven lawyers and a full support staff that handle all client needs. We handle complex partner disputes, physician practice disputes, physician partner disputes and several shareholder disputes in any given year. We try several cases per year in front of juries in both state and federal courts, arbitration proceedings, bench trials and evidentiary hearings in connection with all of our practice areas.

Recently, we obtained a federal jury verdict in excess of $2.5 million for a willful copyright infringement case. We also succeeded at trial in piercing a homestead exemption in Florida where a debtor attempted to fraudulently shelter assets in his alleged homestead without ever residing at the residence and in Florida. And, in connection with that case, we were just affirmed on appeal by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, here in Palm Beach County. We draft all of our appeals and have argued in front of the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

We have also obtained several personal injury results for clients injured in the State of Florida. We also have an office in Miami, off of Brickell Avenue, where we cater to our clients’ needs in Miami-Dade County.

 

What are some of the things to consider when hiring an attorney?

First, people should always consider the true number of trials the lawyer has been involved in, the types of cases the lawyer specializes in, and the academic and professional experience a lawyer has based upon his or her past employment.

Many lawyers claim to be “trial lawyers” but hardly try more than one case per year. To me, I don’t believe that is a fair characterization of a true trial lawyer. How can you sharpen your skills if you are only trying one case per year? At our firm, we try several cases per year, which include matters in both state and federal court.

 

What awards and recognitions has your firm received?

I have received numerous accolades and awards including “Top Up and Comer” by the South Florida Legal Guide; “Up & Comers” by the South Florida Business Journal; “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine; a “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyers” by Super Lawyers magazine; and a “Person on the Move” numerous times by both the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post. I am on the board of directors of the Hanley Foundation, active within the community and involved with numerous organizations.

My partner, Daniel Lustig, is the president of the board of directors of Families First of Palm Beach County, a member of the board of directors of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and served as a member of the board of directors of Networking Hispanos. He was named to the list of Top 40 Under 40 for Attorneys in South Florida and was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine.

My other partner, Talina Bidwell, has been named numerous times as a “Rising Star” and as one of the “Florida Super Lawyers” by Law and Politics magazine. She was also recognized numerous times as a “Top Up & Comer” by the South Florida Legal Guide.

 

To contact Pike & Lustig LLP, call (561) 291-8298 or visit www.bigfirmalternative.com.

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