Award is given annually to the individual who best exemplifies
the integrity and values held by the late Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice.
Philadelphia (July 13, 2023) – Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP managing partner Samuel H. Pond has been named by the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association as the recipient of the prestigious 42nd annual Justice Michael A. Musmanno Award. Sam is the first workers’ compensation attorney to receive the award.
The award is a distinguished honor that recognizes outstanding contributions to the legal profession, particularly in the areas of human rights, civil liberties, and social justice. It is given annually to an individual who best exemplifies the same high integrity, scholarship, imagination, courage, and concern for human rights as exhibited by Justice Michael Musmanno.
“It is an honor to receive this award and join the ranks of the previous honorees; I’ve always looked up to and admired them as being giants who have changed our society,” said Sam. “My partners and all the staff at Pond Lehocky Giordano are part of this honor since no one person can do our work alone, getting justice for those who have been injured and to fight employers and large insurance companies who refuse to honor their legal and often moral obligations.”
Sam has practiced workers’ compensation law exclusively for the almost four decades he has been an attorney. He is a staunch advocate for injured and disabled people and a champion for the vulnerable, especially union workers who he believes are the last bastion of the middle class. In addition to his tenacious advocacy inside the courtroom, Sam has spent decades in leadership positions in legal profession associations, engaging face-to-face with politicians and other political stakeholders to ensure new laws and regulations do not strip legal protections or rights from injured workers.
“Sam’s exceptional work in workers’ compensation has changed the case law, influenced the development of legislation and policies, protected the rights of tens of thousands of individuals, and promoted justice across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Pond Lehocky Giordano CEO Shawn Lehocky. “His dedication to advocacy, mentorship, and legal education has earned him widespread respect and admiration from his peers and other professionals within the legal community—both in Philadelphia and across the U.S.”
Sam will officially receive the Justice Michael A. Musmanno Award at an event to be held on October 5 in Philadelphia in his honor.
Editor’s note: watch Sam’s acceptance speech embedded below.
About Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP
Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP is the largest workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, and short- and long-term disability law firm in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the U.S. The firm’s nationwide referral network, which includes more than 2,000 attorneys and through which more than 160,000 cases have been referred, helps injured and disabled Americans across the country obtain the legal assistance they need to get their lives back in order. The firm has been recognized by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a “Top Workplace,” the Philadelphia Business Journal as a “Best Place to Work,” and The Legal Intelligencer as one of the top law firms in Philadelphia for gender diversity. For more information, please visit www.pondlehocky.com.
