History

Pond Lehocky Giordano opened its doors in July 2010 with five Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys, one Social Security disability attorney and only 22 total staff members. Today, they are one of the largest workers’ compensation, Social Security disability and Long-term disability firms in the country, recovering billions of dollars for their clients and earning dozens of national awards for their legal representation and holistic client care.

However, Pond Lehocky Giordano’s true origin story started over 30 years earlier when Sam Pond and Jerry Lehocky were adversaries in the workers’ compensation arena. Immediately, they formed a mutual respect and admiration of each other’s zealous advocacy for their clients. Rather than continue to battle each other in the courtroom, they decided to join forces at a prior law firm, representing injured workers’ and ultimately transforming Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation forever. Some years later, Tom Giordano joined that firm and with their encouragement and support, began to grow and lead their Social Security Disability practice.

In 2010, both Sam Pond and Jerry Lehocky knew it was time to start their own firm. A place where the client is always first and where unrelenting advocacy on behalf of injured workers is not the exception, but the norm. With Tom Giordano, they formed Pond Lehocky Giordano and have never forgotten their mission – help as many injured and disabled people as possible. Just a few short years after its opening, Pond Lehocky Giordano expanded from the firm’s original office location in Center City, Philadelphia and opened additional offices throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 2016, we opened a main office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Jerry Lehocky, and led by our partner Steve Miller, a native of Western Pennsylvania.

Our Social Security disability department

Led by Tom Giordano, Pond Lehocky Giordano’s Social Security disability department has grown tremendously, having secured benefits for over fifty thousand (50,000) disabled Americans in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In January 2015, the Social Security disability department became Disability Justice, now known as Pond Lehocky Giordano Disability. Pond Lehocky Giordano Disability is a Social Security disability (SSD) advocacy group that provides excellent customer service, access to top-quality legal representation and educational resources. It focuses its political action efforts solely on issues affecting SSD.

We have also expanded into additional practice areas for workers—Pond Lehocky Giordano now helps short- and long-term disability clients throughout the country, with their legal matters.

Our referral department

At Pond Lehocky Giordano, our mission has always been to help as many people as possible. One of our proudest achievements to date is the formation of the Pond Lehocky referral department. To date, we have helped tens of thousands of individuals throughout all 50 states, find the best attorney and law firm for their legal needs. If we do not handle your specific legal issue, we have a relationship with someone who does, at the highest level, in your city, town, and state. We can help you access the most brilliant and hard working legal minds in the country and all with the touch of a button.

More than just a connector, the Pond Lehocky Giordano referral department has also revolutionized the way we analyze your information. For example, you may be calling our office about a work injury or disability but through our pointed questions and proprietary software, we can determine whether you are entitled to any other benefits or have any other legal recourse, whether its from a defective product, a hazardous material you were exposed to or negligence from a medical provider or institution. We are constantly monitoring the legal landscape in order to determine if our clients or potential clients have legal rights that they do not even know about. That is why we are your law firm for any legal needs, anywhere, anytime.

Our accolades and accomplishments

Pond Lehocky Giordano’s meteoric rise has been accompanied by many accolades and accomplishments that highlight both the firm’s expertise and its impact on the legal community, and the firm’s founding partners have led the charge. Notably, Sam Pond’s negotiation of a $3 million settlement stands among the highest ever awarded in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation, second only to Jerry Lehocky’s $4.4 million settlement obtained in 2020. Additionally, Lehocky’s efforts in co-authoring the bill establishing the “Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund” (a fund which provides workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers whose employers do not carry workers’ compensation insurance) helped deliver the first pro-workers piece of Pennsylvania workers’ compensation legislation in more than 30 years.

Additionally, Pond Lehocky Giordano has been named to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Firms list in the ‘Tier 1’ group for workers’ compensation, the highest classification. Partners Sam Pond, Jerry Lehocky and Thomas Giordano Jr. have all been named to The Best Lawyers in America list and the Super Lawyers® list as well. Many of the Firm’s Partners and attorneys have been named Super Lawyer Rising Stars, an honor bestowed on less than 2.5% of all eligible attorneys in Pennsylvania.

Pond Lehocky Giordano has also been consistently recognized as one of the region’s best workplaces. The Philadelphia Business Journal has named the firm to its Best Places to Work list seven times, including in 2020. The Philadelphia Inquirer has also named the firm one of the Top Workplaces in the region multiple years.