Our Associates

Matthew James Ayers, Esq. is an Associate at Crawford & DeSantis, LLP, licensed to practice law in New York since 2020. He represents a variety of clients in corporate litigation matters. He joined the Firm in August of 2022. 

Matthew received his Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in 2019, where he was a Dean’s Scholarship recipient.

Prior to joining Crawford & DeSantis, Matthew was an Assistant District Attorney with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office. During his time as an ADA Matthew advocated zealously for the people of Staten Island and prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases including violent crimes and domestic offenses. 

After leaving the District Attorney’s Office Matthew continue to bolster his litigation skills as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney where he represented clients in complex injury cases in New York Supreme Court.

Matthew is a member of the New York and Richmond County Bar Associations.

John W. Pilkington, Esq. is an Associate at Crawford & DeSantis, LLP, and has been practicing law since 2011. Mr. Pilkington relocated to New York in 2021. He was admitted to practice law in the State of New York and joined Crawford & DeSantis, LLP in 2022.  

Mr. Pilkington has represented clients across a broad range of legal fields and has extensive trial court experience. His practice now focuses primarily upon complex commercial litigation, real estate, and commercial transactions.

Mr. Pilkington earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2007 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2011. He is currently admitted to practice in New York and Iowa.