Donald Petrille, Jr.
Bucks County Business & Estate Planning Lawyer

As an attorney, Donald Petrille, Jr. primarily represents businesses as they wrestle with complex legal issues and individuals in estate planning matters.

High Swartz LLP
Doylestown Law Office

Bucks County, PA

As a business lawyer, Donald Petrille, Jr. primarily represents businesses and their shareholders as they wrestle with complex issues in today’s ever-changing legal environment. Don has helped businesses through all phases of their development -- starting with initial organization, through the operational stage, and eventually ending with sale, acquisition, or dissolution.

Don has spent his entire career helping small-business owners succeed. He addresses corporate governance, contracts, procurement, compliance, human resource issues, and creditors’ rights. His client base includes companies in diverse industries, including:

  • Real estate management
  • Alternative energy
  • Market research
  • Pharmaceutical services
  • Telecommunications
  • Construction
  • Software development.

Don is a member of the firm’s wills, trusts, estate planning, and probate team, where he advises clients on methods of wealth preservation and transfer and business succession planning. As a member of the firm’s real estate team, Don advises clients on purchasing, selling, financing, leasing, and improving real estate. He has served as a closing agent on scores of transactions.

IMI qualified certified mediatorDon is also an an IMI (International Mediation Institute) Qualified Mediator. He delivers alternative dispute resolution services in his practice areas of general commercial law and estates and trusts. Don frequently enjoys delving into the intricacies of conflict psychology, communication strategies, and power dynamics inherent in the mediation process.

Don has volunteered legal services for Living Hope Community Church Bucks County emergency management associations. He has also served as the solicitor for the Bucks County Department of Health. He has been a director of Discover Dublin, Inc., a community development organization whose mission is to improve the residential and business communities in Dublin, PA, Bucks County, and the surrounding areas. Don is a director of the Bucks County Board of the Penn State Cooperative Extension and recently served a 4-year term as Bucks County Register of Wills.

During his time in public service, Don served as President of the Registers of Wills and Clerks of the Orphans’ Court Association of Pennsylvania and as its Legislative Liaison to the General Assembly. He served as President of the Pennsylvania State Association of Elected County Officials. Don helped write and pass Acts 113 and 114 of 2018, which the General Assembly passed unanimously and Governor Wolf signed into law.


Get to Know Bucks County Business & Estate Planning Lawyer Donald Petrille, Jr.

Affiliations & Honors

  • Bucks County Bar Association, Member
  • Orphan’s Court Section, Member
  • Dispute Resolution Section, Member
  • Bucks County Estate Planning Council

Community Involvement 

  • Trustee – Grand View Health Foundation
  • President and Legislative Liaison – Registers of Wills and Clerks of the Orphans’ Court Association of Pennsylvania
  • President – Pennsylvania State Association of Elected County Officials
  • Appointed by Governor Wolf as a member – Pennsylvania County Records Committee
  • Appointed by Bucks County Commissioners – Bucks County Penn State Cooperative Extension Board of Directors
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court Access to Public Records Policy Implementation Committee
  • Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Court Judicial Application Design Committee
  • Alternate – Pennsylvania Supreme Court Advisory Council on Elder Justice
  • Director – Discover Dublin, Inc.
  • Pro Bono Counsel to Ottsville Volunteer Fire Company, Living Hope Community Church, Little Lambs Nursery School

Practice Areas

Background

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania, 1998
  • New Jersey, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1999
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2000
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit, 1999
  • U.S. Tax Court, 2005

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 1998
  • College of William and Mary, B.S., Chemistry, 1994

Experience

Certified as an IMI (International Mediation Institute) Qualified Mediator

Don Petrille's Legal Insights

Client Testimonials

Yvette & John Greenwood

We highly recommend Don Petrille & the Staff of High Swartz. We met Don when we needed legal advice regarding the dissolution of a Business partnership. At all times, we found him to be extremely knowledgeable & professional as he handled our case. We trusted his advice implicitly. His Staff spent many hours handling our paperwork, answering our concerns & fielding our phone calls. Don & the expertise of High Swartz helped us win our case. We highly recommend them!

Barbara S.

"I contacted Don at High Swartz for legal guidance for my brother whom had people he was allowing to live at his residence for a 2 months. They did not leave when they were suppose to so Don guided us with the steps to have them removed in the most gentle, but firm way possible. I chose Don, because I know he cares a lot about his clients, he is very thorough, and is outstanding in his profession. With the well written letter from your office, the people living in my brother's home realized that we were serious about them leaving the premises and they did not have any legal right to remain there. My brother and I am very thankful for Don's guidance in this matter, resulting in them moving out of my brother's home."