Social Security

Samuel H. Pond has concentrated his practice in the area of workers' compensation litigation since his graduation from Temple University School of Law in 1984. He is a founding and managing partner of Pond Lehocky Giordano. Mr. Pond’s advocacy for his clients has resulted in some of the largest settlements in Pennsylvania and the nation. Mr. Pond is a member and past president of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and the current treasurer of the organization’s political action committee, the Committee for a Better Tomorrow. Mr. Pond is the past chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, past chair of its Education and Ethics Committee and its Workers' Compensation Section Executive Committee. Mr. Pond was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve on the Board of Law Examiners. He also served on the Board of The Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Charitable Foundation. Mr. Pond was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Pennsylvania to the Workers' Compensation Advisory Board. He is a current board member of the Pennsylvania Alliance and the USC Shoah Foundation's Next Generation Committee. He sits on and has served on numerous other boards. Mr. Pond is also president of Union Services Access, a legal consulting services network for unions and their members. In addition to his practice as a workers' compensation attorney, Mr. Pond is a frequent author and lecturer in workers' compensation matters. His Martindale-Hubbell rating concerning Legal Ability and Ethical Standards has been given the highest grade. Mr. Pond was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® from 2007-2016. Mr. Pond has also been selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers® Top 100 in Pennsylvania and Top 100 in Philadelphia lists for consecutive years. Through lectures and seminars, Mr. Pond educates union members and employees throughout the region on their rights under the Workers' Compensation Act. His charitable contributions are extensive and focused on children and education; they include the Union Services Access Scholarship Fund, The Pond Lehocky Trial Advocacy Scholarship and The Pond Lehocky Legal Studies Department Head Office at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. He also created the Marie Pond Scholarship Fund in honor of his mother, which is a yearly scholarship awarded to a member of the Torresdale Boys Club.

Based in Greenville, South Carolina, our lawyers have over 40 years of combined experience, we represent individuals, small businesses and corporations throughout South Carolina. Our goal is to provide fair, honest representation and achieve successful results. Our primary focus involves work-related issues arising from on-the-job accidents, repetitive trauma, occupational diseases, exposure to chemicals or other toxins, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. We have participated in hundreds of workers’ compensation hearings over the years. We have experience with catastrophic cases involving permanent brain injury, spinal cord injury, paralysis, and paraplegia. Our emphasis on job-related claims led us into our other practice areas, Immigration, Social Security Disability, and Brain Injury. We have handled numerous Social Security Hearings and Immigration matters. Because of the growing number of Hispanic clients we serve, we have a Spanish speaking paralegal devoted to assisting with their cases. Se Habla Español. For more than 10 years, we have been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with an AV rating, the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards. Since our firm was founded, we have been listed every year in A.M. Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys. We also received a “Superb” rating from AVVO, an online lawyer rating service. Our lawyers’ memberships include the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the South Carolina Bar Workers’ Compensation Section, the Greenville County Bar, the South Carolina Bar, the State Bar of Georgia, and the North Carolina State Bar. We want to help our clients better understand the challenges and opportunities presented by their particular situation, keep them informed throughout the process and achieve successful results. Our clients’ interests come first. Flexible fee arrangements, including contingency fees, flat fees, hourly billing, and value based billing are available.

Justin L. Lawrence is the managing partner of Lawrence & Associates, the successful law firm he founded in 2005. Along the way, Justin has started and built up the firm’s practice areas in personal injury, worker’s compensation, social security, wrongful death, and bankruptcy. Justin is a 2002 Cum Laude graduate of the University of Kentucky with Bachelor degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. While at the University of Kentucky, he was awarded the prestigious Woodson B. Gudgell scholarship. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 2005. In law school, he served as Vice President of the SBA and Justice of Phi Alpha Delta’s Hoffman Chapter. Justin was also honored with the Alex P. Hotchkiss Award for outstanding Chapter Justice, and the Hoffman Chapter was awarded the international Stanley H. Kohn Award for best chapter. Justin has years of experience in making sure his clients recover or save the maximum amount possible under the circumstances of their case. Sometimes this means representing injured men and women in civil cases against insurance companies and large corporations. Sometimes it means saving a family’s home. Regardless of the case, Justin is responsible for over one hundred million dollars paid to his clients in settlements and verdicts, paid in ongoing benefits, and saved from shady creditors. More importantly, Justin is passionate about the idea that law firms should provide better customer service, and has ensured that his firm is more responsive than its peers, with a higher staff to client ratio than other large plaintiff’s personal injury practices.

Scott A. Wilkonson, was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 2004. He has over 15 years experience helping in the areas of Social Security Disability, Wills and Estate Planning, Landlord Issues and Property Management Assistance, Asbestos and Mesothelioma Claims, Corporate Formation and Residential Real Estate Transactions. Working with Scott, you are guaranteed professionalism and attention.

Sadly when you suffer an injury at work, it threatens your health, your career, and your livelihood; and for these reasons, it is important that you allow the Messer Law Group, LLC help you through these challenging times, by serving as your DEDICATED ADVOCATES!!! Since 1999, we have helped thousands of injured workers’ get temporary and permanent compensation and medical benefits, after suffering a work related injury. We have also helped thousands of individuals with disabilities get Social Security Disability and Medicaid/Medicare benefits, since 1999. At the Messer Law Group, we are ready to stand by your side and to be your personal advocates in all of your needs, throughout ALL of Arizona (Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu, Bullhead, Kingman, Show Low, or in whichever community your reside in our Great State Of Arizona!!

Timothy Despotes is a practicing lawyer in the state of Kentucky.

At the law firm of Rhea Boyd & Rhea in Gadsden, our lawyers have been serving clients throughout Northeast Alabama since 1954. We are a full-service law firm, with the experience to effectively represent clients in a wide range of practice areas, including Social Security disability benefits, veterans benefits, workers' compensation, and personal injury cases. We handle these matters through all phases, from the beginning of the case through all necessary appeals, both jury and non-jury. Approximately 90 percent of our business comes from satisfied clients who are confident referring family members and friends to us. Referrals also come to us from fellow lawyers.

Attorney/Partner, Craig Van Schouwen concentrates his practice in plaintiffs’ Workers’ Compensation law. A former insurance defense attorney, Mr. Van Schouwen “changed sides” in 1995 when he joined the Valparaiso law firm. He has represented injured workers across the nation since that time. A passionate advocate for his clients, Mr. Van Schouwen takes pride in helping people get the medical treatment and benefits they need. He is a frequent lecturer and conducts seminars to educate workers about their rights and benefits. Understanding that the Workers’ Compensation system “isn’t perfect,” Mr. Van Schouwen participates in activities directed at strengthening that system. Committed to helping the families of injured workers, Mr. Van Schouwen serves on the board of directors of Kids’ Chance, a national organization of attorneys, insurance executives, union representatives and Workers’ Compensation Board members, that provides scholarship funding for children whose parent has been injured in a catastrophic workplace accident. A former runner and cyclist, Mr. Van Schouwen has participated in three Chicago Marathons and several hundred-mile bike rides.

As a partner at the McMahan Law Firm, LLC, D. Seth Holliday litigates disability, health, and life insurance claims on behalf of individuals who have been wrongfully denied their benefits. He is also dedicated to representing the seriously injured in personal injury litigation. Regarding private insurance benefits, Mr. Holliday has sued such insurance companies as Unum, Hartford, Prudential, Standard, Guardian/Berkshire, Cigna, MetLife, Aetna, Liberty Mutual, Mass-Mutual, and others that have denied individuals their private disability insurance (called “long-term disability” or “LTD”), life insurance or health insurance claims. His track record here is superb, and he obtains excellent results for his clients. Mr. Holliday is one of only a handful of attorneys across the United States who practices heavily in these areas. He has represented well over two thousand claimants at Social Security hearings and has a very high success rate.

“Since 1998, I’ve been representing you, the people of Indiana. It has been my great pleasure to serve you. Whether you have been involved in an auto accident, or seek Social Security disability benefits, or are the victim of medical malpractice, I have tried to be here for you. I’ve enjoyed all the people I’ve met along the way and the families I have been able to help. If you ever need me, I will do everything I can to help you.” Born and raised in central Indiana, John Hensley has always possessed an overwhelming desire to protect the rights of his fellow Hoosiers, and therefore, has devoted his practice to assisting those who have been wrongfully injured. John hung his shingle in 1998 by opening his own law office in downtown Indianapolis. There he works daily toward achieving the best results possible for his clients. Known mainly for his compassion for others, John also possesses a common-sense and efficient approach to the practice of law. He will continue to bring experience and integrity to the practice of law and represent his clients vigorously with great success.