About Gilbert P.
Gilbert P. High built a legal foundation at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, earning a B.A. and then an LL.B. He moved from the classroom to courtrooms and municipal chambers, carrying those degrees into a long career in Pennsylvania law. His education set a formal tone for a practice rooted in public law and civil procedure.
He became a partner at High Swartz in 1965 and remained tied to that firm throughout his career. Admission to practice in Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania allowed him to handle matters at both the state and federal level. Over the decades he developed an array of work that includes municipal matters and environmental issues, often where the two intersect.
He has been active in bar circles for many years. At the Montgomery Bar Association he chairs the Municipal Law and the Judiciary Committees. He maintains membership in the Pennsylvania Bar Association and formerly served in its House of Delegates. Those roles have kept him engaged with rules, procedure and the legislative side of legal practice.
His involvement in continuing legal education has been steady. He spoke on urban forest liability issues for the Pennsylvania State University Extension School from 1994 through 2001. He took part in the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Municipal Law Colloquium between 1999 and 2001 and appeared at the Environmental Law Forum in 2005. Those appearances reflect recurring work advising local governments, landowners and professionals about regulatory responsibilities and risk allocation.
Outside the bar world he serves as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve. That appointment runs alongside his civilian practice and the committee work he does locally. The combination of military service and municipal law practice has informed how he approaches administrative and procedural questions.
Colleagues describe him as steady and methodical in handling courtroom preparation and municipal counsel responsibilities. He has represented local governments, served on committees that shape municipal practice, and presented on issues that tie land use to environmental regulation. He continues to be a presence at High Swartz, where he handles municipal and environmental matters for a range of clients.
He currently practices municipal and environmental law at High Swartz.
