Philly workers' comp lawyer installed as new president of Pa. Assoc. for Justice

A Philadelphia-based workers’ compensation attorney was recently installed as the new

president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.

The recent appointment of Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano attorney Jerry Lehocky as president of the state’s trial lawyers association marks the first time an attorney who practices solely in workers’ compensation law has sat at the helm of the group, according to a Pond Lehocky news release.

The firm, at which Lehocky is a partner, announced that the lawyer’s appointment was effective July 1; he was inducted on June 29 during the PAJ’s annual retreat in Bedrod, Pa.

“Being elected President of this esteemed organization is such an honor,” Lehocky said in a statement. “It’s especially important to me because it marks the culmination of more than 20 years of my affiliation with this group, including sitting on the board and serving as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section for twelve years."

Lehocky continued: “Most importantly, however, it provides an even greater platform for me to help injured victims and advocates for workplace justice.”

As president of the PAJ, the law firm stated, Lehocky will be responsible for promoting what the group calls the “efficient enforcement of justice,” while leading the 3,000 or so trial lawyer members who represent plaintiffs in civil cases.

Lehocky, a western Pennsylvania native, has practiced law for more than 25 years, with much of that time focused on the areas of workers’ compensation and Social Security law.

In a professional biography, Lehocky attributed his dedication to helping injured workers to his upbringing, which involved an ailing plumbing father who was diagnosed with lupus at a young age.

“Because of this, he has experienced firsthand the toll that being disabled can take on a man and his family,” the firm’s news release states. “He spent a significant amount of time in hospitals with his father who, between the time of his diagnosis and his death at age 65, suffered four heart attacks and had three sets of triple bypass surgery.”

Lehocky has said that if it were not for the union-provided health insurance and Social Security Disability benefits, his family would have been out on the street.

In his statement, Lehocky said that as president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice offers him a platform “to help injured victims and advocate for workplace justice.”

The law firm stated that Lehocky’s own life experiences have impacted his decision to both advocate for injured workers in civil court and become involved in political action and the legislative arena.

The latter was referenced by Pennsylvania State Rep. Ed Neilson, a Democrat representing parts of Philadelphia, in a congratulatory citation written in honor of Lehocky’s appointment, one that was read by State Sen. Mike Stack, a fellow Philadelphia Democrat, during the induction ceremony, according to Pond Lehocky.

Lehocky is a graduate of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia.

Pond Lehocky was formed in 2010 when Lehocky and fellow partners Samuel Pond and David Sterm, as well as three associates, left the firm of Martin Banks Pond Lehocky & Wilson, the region’s largest workers’ compensation firms, to form their own law firm, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The old law firm, Martin Banks, now goes by the name Martin LLC after Halmon Banks left the law practice earlier this year, the Business Journal reported.