Portrait of Joseph Armstrong

Joseph M. Armstrong

Principal

Joseph M. Armstrong is a principal attorney in the firm’s Business Law and Transactions Practice Group. With over 25 years of legal experience, Joe’s practice focuses on serving owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs, professional athletes and other high-net-worth individuals in business matters while simultaneously integrating business representation with the preparation of his clients’ long-term succession, estate, trust and tax plans.

Joe guides a variety of entrepreneurs and business owners in the process of owning a business through all stages, from formation to succession planning and eventually exiting, selling or transferring the business. Issues frequently addressed by Joe include entity selection and structure at the time of formation, long-term estate and income tax planning, corporate management, external financing, contract negotiations, asset protection, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and succession planning. Joe leverages his extensive experience in business litigation to guide his owner-managed corporate clients through potential controversies with an emphasis on risk management and avoiding costly disruptive litigation.

Joe enjoys the role of trusted advisor and general counsel to his clients while working with each client’s team of financial advisors, accountants and other professionals to ensure that all of the client’s business and personal plans are consistent and fully integrated.

Recognizing that tax planning and risk management are always essential components of the client’s overall plan, Joe counsels his clients in the use of asset protection trusts, dynasty trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts and other tools to protect and preserve their net worth for generations to come.

Representative Matters

  • Mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses across multiple industries, including music, healthcare, transportation, insurance, real estate and professional practices.
  • Jury and non-jury trials in both the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
  • Appeals before the Commonwealth Court and Superior Court of Pennsylvania, Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Tenth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Education

    • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (J.D.)
    • University of Scranton (B.S., magna cum laude)
      • Finance

    State Bar Admissions

    • Pennsylvania
    • New Jersey

    Court Admissions

    • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
    • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
    • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Bar Association
    • Philadelphia Exit Planning Exchange, Member
    • St. Joseph's Preparatory School, Alumni Board of Governors

Firm Highlights

  • Events
    AIA Tri-State Conference
    Princeton will serve as the backdrop for three days of connection, learning, and design leadership. From keynotes to tours to the Tri-State Design Awards, this year’s conference is designed to go far beyond education sessions. Kick off the week with pre-conference intensives and individual state component Design Award celebrations, followed by three days of education, inspiration, networking, and design excellence at the 2026 AIA Tri-State Conference—featuring pre-conference intensives, three keynote speakers, 25 education sessions, curated tours, an expo, spec academies, and the AIA Tri-State Design Awards—bringing together architects and design professionals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and celebrate the best of the profession. G2. Designing Secure Practices: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Contractual Provisions, and Insurance Risks for Architects (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Architects and design professionals increasingly rely on cloud platforms, BIM software, and digital tools to manage sensitive data, creating cybersecurity and privacy risks. A single incident can trigger liability claims, regulatory obligations, reputational harm, and insurance challenges. Yet many firms underestimate how contracts, insurance, and internal practices intersect during a breach. This program offers legal and insurance perspectives on cyber risk in architecture, examining liability exposure, risky contract provisions, and mitigation strategies. A cyber insurance expert will explain policy responses, coverage gaps, coordination with professional liability, and best practices for aligning insurance with contractual risk and protecting firms from evolving cyber threats. Learning Objectives: Identify key cybersecurity and data privacy risks faced by architecture firms and explain how these risks can impact professional liability and project outcomes. Analyze common contractual provisions to determine which clauses may increase exposure to cyber incidents and propose strategies to mitigate these risks. Evaluate the scope and limitations of cyber insurance policies, including coordination with professional liability coverage, to determine how a policy would respond in a breach scenario. Develop actionable risk management strategies by integrating legal, contractual, and insurance considerations to protect sensitive client and project data.