PRACTICES
OVERVIEW
Victor Zarrilli is an experienced trial attorney whose practice centers on complex commercial litigation and catastrophic loss matters across state and federal courts. He represents insured and self‑insured local, national, and multinational companies in high‑exposure, “bet the company” cases involving significant economic losses and severe personal injuries.
A significant component of Victor’s practice involves analyzing and litigating chain of liability issues—untangling the relationships among contractors, subcontractors, vendors, insurers, and other stakeholders to determine responsibility and exposure is a variety of litigation contexts including construction, premises liability, products liability and epidemiological/traceback investigations in national foodborne outbreak cases.
He also brings deep experience structuring, evaluating, and enforcing risk‑transfer mechanisms, including contractual indemnification provisions, additional insured obligations, hold‑harmless agreements, and other strategies that shift or allocate risk among parties. His understanding of how coverage, indemnity, and contractual obligations interact allows him to craft comprehensive risk‑management and litigation strategies and his command of these tools provides clients with substantial leverage in high‑stakes disputes.
Victor’s litigation practice spans breach of contract, product liability, construction site liability, workplace safety matters, commercial premises liability, dram shop liability, design professional liability, and a wide range of commercial contract disputes. He frequently defends clients facing claims valued in the millions of dollars, including allegations of wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, permanent bodily injury, business interruption, property loss, and other commercial damages.
Following law school, Victor served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ronald E. Bookbinder in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division and Probate Part.
Credentials
Bar and Court Admissions
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Education
Widener University School of Law, JD, cum laude, 2002
St. Joseph’s University, BS, 1999
News & Insights
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey in a multi-year litigation involving various breach of contract and equitable injunctive relief claims brought by several hospitals in Northern New Jersey which sought specific performance from the Court to compel their inclusion in a preferred tier under the Horizon OMNIA health insurance product, as well as multi-million dollars in damages; Obtained a successful result in dismissing all but one of the Plaintiff hospitals’ asserted liability claims through summary judgment which significantly narrowed and limited the issues for trial; Matter settled on the eve of trial. (Superior Court of NJ, Middlesex County)
- Obtained a unanimous defense jury verdict on behalf of a regional material handling service and supply company after a six-week trial involving wrongful death and survival claims; Plaintiff alleged damages arising from negligent maintenance of a pallet truck involved in a warehouse accident; Retained as lead counsel shortly before initial trial date with a demand at $15 million. (Superior Court of NJ, Camden County)
- Represented an international engineering/construction services company in a construction site accident case where an ironworker alleged a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a knuckle boom crane; Retained ten days before trial with a $10 million demand; Filed five motions in limine, retained and served five expert reports (lifecare, economics, vocational, life expectancy and liability) and joined subcontractor employer for contractual indemnity all within ten days; Case settled for $1.5 million — partially structured and less than half economic damages — after four days of trial. (Superior Court of NJ, Middlesex County)
- Represented local hotel owner/operator in wrongful death/survival action and traumatic brain injury premises liability action involving four-story fall through hallway window in Atlantic City, NJ hotel; Retained as lead counsel less than two months before initial trial date; Favorable settlement for client after approximately two weeks of trial. (Superior Court of NJ, Camden County)
- Represented and obtained favorable jury verdict for local commercial landowner/landlord in case involving fraud and breach of contract. (Superior Court of NJ, Camden County)
- Represented multi-state employer defending allegations of disability discrimination and wrongful termination; Favorable settlement for client on eve of trial. (Superior Court of NJ, Burlington County)
- Represented multi-national residential furniture retailer/manufacturer in product liability case which arose from death of three-year-old female; Retained as lead counsel after discovery; Favorable settlement at mediation for client.(Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County)
- Represented nationwide energy supplier in premises liability case in which a 30-year-old plaintiff medical student suffered debilitating spinal injuries; Retained as lead counsel after discovery and one month prior to trial; High-low agreement secured favorable settlement for the client after a four-week jury trial. (Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County)
- Represented board of education in a fatal bus accident case involving a two-year-old pedestrian girl; Retained as co-counsel at conclusion of discovery; Favorable settlement for client on eve of trial. (Superior Court of NJ, Middlesex County)
- Represented national employer defending allegations of gender discrimination, race discrimination and hostile work environment; Favorable settlement obtained during mediation. (Superior Court of NJ, Essex County)