Nicholas Zaita

A Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s New Jersey office, Nick delivers exceptional representation to contractor and corporate clients in construction and business disputes. Nick’s practice includes advising clients throughout all phases of claims and litigation, ranging from complex infrastructure projects to commercial development to residential home construction.

Nick regularly represents heavy-highway construction contractors, sitework utility contractors, and specialty subcontractors, among others, in state and federal court. He guides his clients through all stages of a case – from case assessment through initial pleadings, discovery, motion practice, mediation, trial and even appeals. He has tried several cases to verdict or judgment and has secured numerous dismissals, judgments and favorable settlements for his clients. With a deep understanding of the complex legal landscape surrounding construction contracts and procurement, he also represents clients in bid protests and serves as a guest lecturer at Columbia University’s College of Engineering on the subject.

Nick also devotes a significant portion of his practice to serving as corporate counsel to a variety of businesses in the construction industry and the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan area business community at large. He provides legal guidance on contract drafting and negotiations, employment policies, and insurance coverage. Nick commonly acts as a sounding board for his clients, to first identify and define the challenges facing the business, and then to formulate solutions to all sorts of issues in a collaborative and efficient manner.

Two significant published decisions where Nick obtained favorable outcomes for clients include E.E. Cruz & Co., Inc. v. Axis Surplus Insurance Co., 87 N.Y.S.3d 173 (1st Dep’t 2018) and Ernest Bock & Sons-Dobco Pennsauken Joint Venture v. Township of Pennsauken and Terminal Construction Corp., 477 N.J. Super. 254 (App. Div. 2023).

In addition, Nick regularly authors articles and presents seminars on a variety of construction-related topics. He has also garnered accolades within the legal and business communities as a NJBIZ “Leaders in Law” honoree, New Jesey Law Journal’s New Jersey Legal Awards “Mentor” honoree, and being named among Bergen County’s top construction lawyers by Bergen Magazine.

Prior to pursuing a career in the law, Nick followed his passion for athletics and the sports industry by earning degrees in Sports Management from the University of Tampa and University of Florida. In law school, Nick integrated his experience in the sports industry with the law, working as a law clerk for the National Football League Management Council.

After graduating from New York Law School, Nick served as the law clerk for the Hon. Robert P. Contillo, P.Ch. (Ret.), in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen Vicinage. During his clerkship, he gained invaluable knowledge of the inner workings of the court system, which he uses daily to provide the most effective representation for his clients.

Nick lives in Morris County with his wife and three children.