
Mr. Pedigo joined Cooch and Taylor in 2001 and became a Director of the Firm in 2008. His practice focus is bankruptcy, commercial, and corporate governance issues.
He has nearly two decades of specialized experience in corporate bankruptcy law as lead counsel for a Chapter 7 Trustee. He has developed, analyzed, organized, and led a team of attorneys and financial advisors in prosecuting thousands of adversary proceedings, involving preference, fraudulent conveyance, breach of fiduciary duty, and antitrust issues under the Sherman Act in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, the District of Delaware, and in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
He has represented individuals, creditors, and diverse companies in various bankruptcy and commercial matters in the Delaware State Courts. He also developed a current False Claims Act case.
Litigation Experience:
In a current False Claims Act litigation, Mr. Pedigo has developed and organized the litigation of a multi-million dollar action of fraud and identity theft against the federal government.
Currently he is representing a corporation and a related limited liability company in the recovery of an embezzled transfer. The case involves analyzing corporate financial records, tracing bank accounts for embezzled transfers, and analyzing various potential violations of: Mail Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1341; Fictitious Name or Address - 18 U.S.C. § 1342; Wire Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1343; Bank Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1344; Money Laundering - 18 U.S.C. § 1956; Theft or receipt of stolen mail - 18 U.S.C. § 1708, as well as the codes of other states for conversion, financial identity theft, money laundering, fraud, and unauthorized use of an entity's identifying information or documents.
In another matter, Mr. Pedigo is representing a corporation in a $750,000 breach of contract issue.
Currently representing a defendant lead shareholder, director, managing member in a multi-million dollar adversary proceeding in the Delaware bankruptcy court.
As Delaware counsel, he represented a Delaware corporation and two individuals in the defense of a Texas bankruptcy case, Alan M. Jacobs, Trustee of Life Partners Creditors' Trust v. A Roger O. Whitley, Group, Inc. et al., APN. 16-04038, for the avoidance of constructive fraudulent transfers. He saved the clients tens of thousands of dollars in potential litigation costs by analyzing the spurious claims and the major deficiencies of the trustee’s Texas complaint and by rejecting extortive settlement offers. The claim against the corporation was dismissed and actions were not brought against the individuals.
Jeoffrey L. Burtch, Chapter 7 Trustee of AE Liquidation, Inc. (Eclipse), et al. v. Prudential Relocation, Inc., et al., 2013 WL 3778141 (Bankr.D.Del.), Adv. No. 10–55543 (MFW), trial award of $653,323.20. District Court affirmed trial court’s judgment for the Trustee, plus granted Trustee’s appeal on correct interpretation of Section 547(c)(4) for an additional $71,000, and award of pre-judgment interest, 2015 WL 5301553 (D.Del.). In 2018, the Third Circuit denied the last of the appeals of Prudential, and payment of the judgment was made to the Trustee.
As lead counsel represented a defendant North Carolina furniture corporation in a $705,000 preference action, FBI Wind Down, Inc., by and through Alan D. Halperin, as Liquidating Trustee v. Preferred Furniture Components, Inc., Adv. Pro. No. 15-51318 (CSS) in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, resulting in a greatly reduced settlement for the client.
Jeoffrey L. Burtch, Avoidance Action Trustee of Vaso Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Masiz and Frattaroli, 2012 WL 4793241 (Bankr.D.Del), Adv. Pro. 11-52005 (CSS). As lead counsel in litigation on behalf of the client received a summary judgment award for $322,827.00 against one of two corporate insiders in a fraudulent conveyance action pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 544(b) and 6 Del.C. § 1305(b).
Jeoffrey L. Burtch, Avoidance Action Trustee of Vaso Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Masiz, 500 B.R. 384 (Bankr.D.Del. 2013), Adversary Pro. No. 11–52005 (CSS). As lead counsel in litigation on behalf of the client received a summary judgment award for $741,842.45 against the second of two corporate insiders pursuant to an 11 U.S.C. § 547 preference action.
Burtch v. Seaport Capital, LLC, et al. (In re Direct Response Media, Inc.), 466 B.R. 626 (Bankr.D.Del. 2012), Adv. Pro. No. 10-50855 (KG). As lead counsel litigated on behalf of the client an adversary proceeding against corporate debtor's parent company, directors and officers asserting claims for breach of fiduciary duty and avoidance and recovery of alleged fraudulent and preferential transfers, resulting in a $3,000,000 settlement for the client.
Jeoffrey L. Burtch, Chapter 7 Trustee for Factory 2-U Stores, Inc., Case No. 04-10111 (PJW), organized and led a team of attorneys in filing 890 adversary proceedings, that resulted in $14,500,000 in settlements. Also, developed an antitrust action against eight of the largest factoring entities in the retail garment marketplace. Burtch v. Milberg Factors, Inc., 662 F.3d 212 (3d Cir. 2011).
As lead counsel for the Trustee, in Burtch v. Milberg Factors, Inc. and other eight co-defendants in eight adversary actions for the Section 547 avoidance of over $1 million, resulted in a settlement during trial of $400,000 for the benefit of the client.
As lead counsel for the Trustee, in Burtch v. The CIT Group/Commercial Services, Inc., against CIT and their various affiliates and vendor defendants in eighty-two (82) adversary proceedings with a demand of over $9 million, after extensive and complicated litigation, the settlement was $3,850,000.00 for the benefit of the client.
Jeoffrey L. Burtch, Chapter 7 Trustee for AE Liquidation, Inc., et al. (“Eclipse”), Case No. 08-13031 (MFW), organized and led a team of attorneys in filing 142 adversary proceedings, that resulted in $7,700,000 in settlements.
In Burtch v. Stonebridge Partners, LP, et al. (In re O-Cedar Holdings, Inc., et al.), Adv. Pro. No. 05-52388 and seven other adversary actions against a leveraged buyout firm, the controlling shareholder, officers and directors for breach of fiduciary duty, was lead counsel resulting in a $400,000 settlement for the client.
In IT Group, et al., v. ETI Services, Inc., Adv. Pro. No. 04-50534 (PBL), in an opinion dated November 17, 2005, represented the defendant ETI Services in a $493,600 Section 547 adversary proceeding, and won a motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint for failure to state a claim.