Labor Law

Mr. Brumbaugh is the senior shareholder of Walstead Mertsching. He joined the firm in 1992 and has been a shareholder since 1996. He primarily represents victims of motor vehicle collisions and medical malpractice. He is licensed in Washington and Oregon and practices in both State and Federal trial and appellate courts. He has successfully argued before the Washington State Supreme Court. His areas of focus include: wrongful death claims; automobile, motorcycle and trucking collisions; medical and nursing home malpractice; and defective product claims.

Corey Pollard is the managing partner of Jenkins Block & Associates‘ Richmond office and heads the Virginia Workers’ Compensation department of the firm. Mr. Pollard focuses his practice on representing individuals who have suffered injuries at work or through the fault of others, including car accident, motorcycle wreck, construction accident, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. And when these personal injuries and other medical conditions lead to problems in the workplace or permanent health impairments, Mr. Pollard helps individuals obtain the monetary awards they deserve through state and federal employment law and Social Security Disability. Born and raised in Newport News, Virginia, Mr. Pollard grew up in a construction family. A graduate of Menchville High School, where he was a Virginia High School League (VHSL) State Champion in Swimming, Mr. Pollard earned his Bachelor’s Degree with honors from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. While in college, Mr. Pollard was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity. Mr. Pollard obtained his J.D. with honors from the University of Richmond School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Pollard was selected as a member of the Richmond Journal of Law and the Public and Interest. He was also selected as member of the school’s Client Counseling & Negotiation Board after winning the Environmental Negotiation Competition in 2007. Prior to joining Jenkins Block & Associates, Mr. Pollard worked as an insurance defense attorney where he gained valuable experience and training while representing many of the nation’s largest employers and insurance carriers. Now he uses that experience to represent individuals who sustained personal injuries and disability and to fight back against insurance companies and their tactics. Mr. Pollard’s wife, Leigh, is a Human Resources Manager who provides “real world” advice and insight on employment and labor law matters. The Pollards have two children, Knox and Rivers, who keep them busy and running around, and a 5-pound dog named Simba. They are members of Bon Air Baptist Church. In his spare time, Mr. Pollard enjoys spending time with his family, going to the beach, and playing pickup basketball and golf. When he is in the mood for punishment, he roots for his favorite football team, the Washington Redskins.

Jason Cox is an Associate Attorney in the Litigation Department, concentrating his practice in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and premises liability. Mr. Cox also practices employment law, primarily focusing on Wage and Hour/Overtime violations under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable Ohio laws. Mr. Cox is an Ohio native and attended law school in Columbus, Ohio. While in law school, Mr. Cox worked full time as a law clerk for Barkan Meizlish in their Litigation Department, as well as the Social Security and Workers’ Compensation departments. Mr. Cox graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies, specializing in Security & Intelligence. Mr. Cox received his law degree from Capital University Law School, graduating Cum Laude, with a concentration in dispute resolution. Mr. Cox is an avid sports fan, remaining active by playing golf and ice hockey. He also enjoys cheering on the Buckeyes. Mr. Cox lives in Lewis Center with his wife, Julie, and his two daughters, Mackenzie and Charlotte.

Mr. Math, is originally from New York and after having served in the U.S. Navy relocated to Los Angeles where he attended California State University at Los Angeles, graduating in 1968. Mr. Math subsequently attended and graduated from Loyola University, School of Law. While attending he was, as a result of his having excelled in Moot Court Competition and Legal Writing, awarded a Teaching Fellowship. Mr. Math graduated from Loyola University in 1972 afterwhich he attended UCLA, Institute of Industrial Relations under a grant of the U.S. Department of Labor and was trained as an Arbitrator. Mr. Math has served as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Judge pro tem. Our firm is composed of experienced attorneys and associates with over 70 years of cumulative experience in many aspects of the law. Our firm focuses on representation of individuals and small businesses in areas of employment law, alternative dispute resolution, representation before all types of administrative agencies and in all courts, state and federal within the State of California. We also offer counseling and advice with respect to employment policies and procedures, contracts and all aspects of civil litigation. We have successfully represented thousands of clients within areas of practice engaged in by our firm.

Throughout my 35 plus years of practice, I have represented individuals in all aspects of employment law in order to protect their jobs and families from the arbitrary actions of management who often view their employees as disposable. I have been proud to represent victims of discrimination of all types and effectively prosecuted their claims in either federal or state court. More recently my firm has advocated for an employee who has been harassed on the basis of their sex, age, or race. We have discovered that simply because an employer may have a procedure for reporting such harassment does not mean that the employee is protected or that the claims are fully investigated. The Law Offices of F. Benjamin Riek III has won significant victories for whistleblowers in both administrative and state court actions. We are proud to represent those few individuals who are willing to put aside the fears of retaliation and bring forth the illegal or dangerous actions of their employers -whether it is a pollution violation or misstating financial records. There are strong laws to protect employees in many areas who become aware of illegal activities at work. We are always willing to represent you before the proper agency or in court. In recent years, I have seen a significant increase in the number of cases of retaliation from employers for either reporting discrimination or harassment or cooperating in the company’s investigation of the claim. The employees targeted for retaliation are not just those who were victimized but also the witnesses who saw and heard what happened and told the truth, however inconvenient it might be to management. Don’t let the human resource department or a supervisor intimidate you! It is surprising that even today many companies try to cheat their employees out of the proper earnings through a variety of illegal activities. Some of the more obvious are forcing their workers to work off the clock, either before or after their shift, failing to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week, or telling you that you are an independent contractor when you have no control over your work hours. All of these actions violate the Fair Labor Standards Act which has been enforced since the 1930s. If you are classified as an independent contractor, not only does the company avoid withholding taxes, they also don’t pay their portion of social security and unemployment taxes that could affect you as you near retirement. I have a broad and diverse background representing employees and am always willing to meet with you to discuss your situation.

Thomas J. Giordano, Jr. joined the firm in October 2005 and currently heads the Social Security Disability department, where he focuses his practice solely on obtaining Social Security Disability benefits for disabled individuals. Mr. Giordano has represented individuals before Administrative Law Judges throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. He has been invited by labor and disability organizations as well as physicians throughout the tri-state area to lecture on Social Security Disability law. He is currently a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) as well as a member of the Social Security Disability law section of the American Association of Justice.Prior to joining the firm, he was an associate with a large Philadelphia defense firm where he represented self-insured and commercial insured businesses in a wide variety of industries, as well as to third-party administrators throughout Pennsylvania. He also served as a legal intern for the Philadelphia District Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Mr. Giordano is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, in communications from Towson University in Maryland. He received his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law - Camden. He is an active member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Associations, and the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Attorney James S. Bettersworth was raised in Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas Lutheran University. He later went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s Law School in 1997, a feat he was able to accomplish in just two-and-a-half years. Upon graduating from St. Mary’s, he became license on June 4th, 1998. Since then, he has successfully represented clients in legal matters that pertain to a very wide range of laws. Some of these include, but are not limited to: Personal Injury Car Wrecks Truck Accidents Wrongful Death Nursing Home Abuse Premises Liability Defective Products Medical Malpractice In addition to being licensed to practice in the state of Texas, Mr. Bettersworth is also licensed to practice in the Federal Courts of the Western District of Texas. He also holds a license that allows him to practice in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, located in New Orleans and has had the distinct honor of arguing before a judicial panel for the court. Mr. Bettersworth is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, for his successes as a personal injury lawyer. He maintains a Superb rating on the Avvo legal directory. He is also a member of the Texas Bar Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. In May 2015, Mr. Bettersworth was elected as the New Braunfels Independent School District Board of Trustees. Mr. Bettersworth is well known throughout the legal community for his aggressive and straightforward approach. He relentlessly concentrates his efforts on achieving the best result for his clients in a timely manner. Mr. Bettersworth works with all types of clients to help resolve legal matters pertaining to work-related injuries, construction accidents, and other personal injury matters. To schedule a free consultation with Mr. Bettersworth, visit his website, or call 830-606-0404

I am a native of El Paso, Texas. I am licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico. My practice focuses on representing employees who have been wrongfully terminated and/or suffer severe work injuries. These include claims for wrongful termination/discrimination because of race, sex, religion, national origin, sexual harassment, workers' compensation, and work injuries.

WHEN IT MATTERS The trial lawyers at Votava Nantz & Johnson specialize in claims involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death. It attorneys have consistently secured for their clients many verdicts and settlements totaling millions of dollars since the law firm was founded. We focus on cases involving trucking and commercial motor vehicle crashes, worksite and construction accidents, bad faith insurance claims and other cases involving death or catastrophic injury. Call or email us when you or a loved one suffers injury or is killed due to someone else’s negligence. We happily provide free consultations to potential clients. Contact us at 816.895.8800 or help@vnjlaw.com to request your FREE consultation to get started.

David treats every case from day 1 as if it will be presented to a jury and explains each step of the litigation process so that you are an informed client and trial partner. David joined the firm as a “Summer Associate” in May of 2013 after completing his second year of law school. His position was originally for a limited time period spanning the summer months. However, David impressed the partners of E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy with his ability to write, critically think on his feet, and the ease of which he understood the new legal issues thrown at him. David stayed on to become a full time Associate Attorney after he graduated. Over the years David has proven himself a zealous trial advocate for his personal injury cases amassing jury verdicts and favorable settlements for his clients. Having tried an assortment of different personal injury cases, David knows from start to finish what it takes to get the result his clients deserve. As the head of the firm’s small class action litigation department, David was lead counsel for a class of over 34,000 people against Stewart’s Shops, which resulted in financial compensation to every class member. David is actively engaged in pursuing compensation for victims of timber theft where he has several trial victories and multiple favorable appellate decisions on the topic, including an appellate decision increasing a $12,000 monetary award to $124,000. David is also very active in the local Rugby community in and around the Capital District. David was introduced to Rugby at Albany Law School. In his second year, David became the Vice-President of the team and eventually became President of the team his third year. While in law school, David became one of the founding members of the Albany Bootleggers, a local social rugby club named after one of E. Stewart Jones’ most famous defense clients, Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond. The Albany Bootleggers not only play rugby but concentrate on fraternity and charity, adopting families in need during the holiday season so nobody has to go without, holding annual cancer research fundraising events and holding fundraising events for wounded veterans. Besides Rugby, David otherwise spends a considerable amount of time with his blind rescue dog Betsy and her brother Murray.