Paige M. Willan

Paige is a co-chair of the Litigation Department and a member of the firm’s lawyers’ professional liability practice group. She is strategic and skilled in handling high-stakes commercial litigation at the trial and appellate level, focusing on matters arising from complex transactions. She is skillful at understanding the technical elements of complex matters and diving into the details of hotly contested factual disputes.

Significant matters Paige has handled include:

• Defended Am-Law 100 law firm against claims for aiding and abetting fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
• Defended Am-Law 100 firm against claims for legal malpractice arising from bankruptcy advice.
• Represented regional bank in mortgage foreclosure and related litigation in state and federal court in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania arising from a $20 million commercial indebtedness incurred by real estate company.
• Managed workout of $13.2 million lending relationship following death of owner/guarantor, including representation of lender in estate proceedings, liquidation of real estate collateral, and restructuring of term loans for financial services business.
• Defended claims against a regional bank for breach of contract and prosecuted counterclaims arising from a commercial banking relationship with a property management company, including obtaining favorable judgment on all claims and counterclaims. Successfully prosecuted $1.5 million interpleader claim and defended tort claims brought by approximately fifty customers of property manager. Obtained permanent injunction barring property manager from using bank’s trademarks.
• Representation of 13 directors and officers of a failed publicly-traded insurer in defense of an action for breach of fiduciary duty brought by a bankruptcy trustee, and as plaintiffs in action for insurance coverage for trustee’s claims, resulting in successful settlement with insurance proceeds after lengthy mediation.
• Representation of a multi-national generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in a successful settlement for compensation from $442 million in bonds posted as security for preliminary injunctions entered in underlying patent infringement litigation won by the generic manufacturer.

She primarily handles the following types of litigation:

• Ethics and professional liability
• Commercial debt collection and related litigation
• Financial services litigation, including defense of consumer claims, contract disputes, and defense of claims against trustees
• M&A litigation
• Directors’ and officers’ liability and corporate governance
• Shareholder and partnership disputes, including shareholder derivative actions
• Internal investigations
• Intellectual property disputes, including misappropriation of trade secrets and trademark litigation
• Restrictive covenant disputes

In July 2019, Governor Wolf appointed Paige to a six-year term as a member of the Pennsylvania Transportation Commission.

Paige also serves as Chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. She has led the committee in creating and implementing a successful Fellowship Program for law students dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Paige previously practiced at a large firm in Manhattan. Before becoming a member of the bar, Paige lived and worked in Ukraine for an organization promoting public diplomacy through educational and cultural exchange. She is fluent in Russian and proficient in Ukrainian.

An avid climber, hiker and paddler, Paige supports many organizations dedicated to preserving public lands and promoting access to outdoor recreation.

Presenter, “Remote Work: A Jurisdictional Dilemma?” accredited CLE program, January 16, 2024

Mentioned, “Klehr Harrison adds to litigation leadership,” Philadelphia Business Journal, October 4, 2023

Press Release, “Two Attorneys Named “Best of the Bar 2023” by The Philadelphia Business Journal,” September 25, 2023

Press Release, “Klehr Harrison Adds to the Litigation Department Leadership,” September 18, 2023

Quoted, “Klehr Harrison Taps New Chair For DEI Committee,” Law360, October 17, 2022

Press Release, “Klehr Harrison DEI Committee Appoints Willan as New Chair,” October 17, 2022

Presenter, “Don’t Let It Slip – Best Practices for Identifying and Protecting Privileges in E-Discovery,” accredited CLE program, August 24, 2022

Mentioned, “Klehr Harrison Partner Moves In-House At Univest,” Law360, July 28, 2021

Author, “Pennsylvania Businesses Are Strictly Liable for Violations of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Holds,” February 26, 2021

Author, “SCOTUS Rules That Federal Law Protects Employees From Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity,” June 18, 2020

Author, “Travel Restrictions: What to Expect Now and for the Foreseeable Future,” April 6, 2020

Presenter, “E-Discovery Disasters and How to Avoid Them,” accredited CLE presentation, October 24, 2019

Presenter, “Letters of Intent: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” accredited CLE presentation, September 20, 2018

Presenter, “20/20 Hindsight: A Litigator’s Critique of Merger and Acquisition Agreements in Private Company Transactions,” accredited CLE presentation,

Presenter, “Mobile Strategies for Trial Presentations and Traveling for Trial,” accredited CLE presentation

Presenter, “Finding the Money: Piercing the Corporate Veil & Successor Liability,” accredited CLE presentation

Presenter, “Basics of U.S. Contract Law,” presented for a group of Bosnian attorneys in connection with the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative’s Balkan Regional Rule of Law Network program

• Representation of a former member of management for a dissolved Am-Law 100 law firm, successfully defeating a petition to vacate favorable arbitration award.
• Handled workout and subsequent litigation arising from $7 million relationship with construction company based in Pennsylvania, including liquidation of real estate, equipment, and accounts receivable.
• Representation of a financial guaranty insurer in successful litigation related to restructure of power facility bonds, resulting the termination of the client’s exposure under the financial guaranty.
• Defended financial guaranty insurer in adversary proceeding in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, which sought to disallow claims by the insurer for funds due arising from certain residential mortgage-backed securities totaling $1.83 billion.
• Defended claims for breach of contract, violation of Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and other business torts arising from workout of commercial lending relationship between regional bank and consumer product manufacturer.
• Obtained dismissal at the pleading stage of claims brought under ERISA against regional bank arising from lending relationship with private equity fund.
• Obtained two successive dismissals on the pleadings of claims for tortious interference with contract, the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, tortious interference with rights of inheritance, invasion of privacy, indemnity, and injunctive relief on behalf of a regional bank and an attorney in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
• Obtained dismissal at the pleading stage of claims brought against regional bank by retail bank customer for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Obtained summary judgment dismissing claims for violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, breach of contract, and negligence for a recreational vehicle distributor.
• Obtained multiple dismissals at the pleading stage in both state and federal courts of claims for violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law and breach of contract for a recreational vehicle distributor.
• Obtained dismissal after bench trial of breach of contract claim against provider of vehicle service contracts.
• Obtained a dismissal on the pleadings of claims against the directors and officers of a food and beverage distributor.
• Conducted internal investigation on behalf of audit committee of publicly-traded company in the medical device industry in connection with shareholder demand alleging accounting malfeasance and compliance failures.
• Conducted internal investigation of potential claims against directors and officers of a retail company in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of an IT services company in an AAA arbitration involving allegations that the company misappropriated trade secrets and breached contractual confidentiality provisions in a license agreement.
• Successfully defeated a preliminary injunction sought by the customer of an IT services company in connection with a contract dispute.
• Obtained preliminary injunction and prosecuted claim for misappropriation of trade secrets on behalf of manufacturing company against competitor and former employee.