One for All
Mutual respect and a passion for helping others has fueled Pond Lehocky Giordano’s rise as one of the region’s foremost firms devoted to workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, long-term disability matters, and all other legal needs.
When a worker is injured on the job, often he or she feels as though they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Someone in such a position must contend with a range of challenges—physical, financial, and emotional. That’s why it’s essential to have the right team in your corner.
The law office of Pond Lehocky is a full-service law firm committed to helping clients navigate the complexities of workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, long-term disability matters, and all other legal needs. Since launching their legal practice 11 years ago, partners Samuel H. Pond, Jerry M. Lehocky, and Thomas J. Giordano Jr. have maintained their focus on delivering the highest-quality legal care to residents throughout the region.
Although each partner is unique, all three share several commonalities: unflinching trust in one other; a commitment to growth and preparation; and the belief that if they do right by the client, success will follow.
“While each partner has their unique talents which we bring to the table, we all share a common approach to how we advocate for our clients,” says Pond. “Our ‘playbook’ has evolved for 30 years. For us, that’s been a strength, because we each respect each other’s skills and knowledge so much. We’ve always had a vision of being client-focused and being aggressive in helping our client, and that comes with having a bedside manner and being a partner for the client as well as for each other.”
Pond Lehocky is a passion project 30 years in the making. Pond and Lehocky first met while litigating a case from opposing sides three decades ago, before joining forces and working together in a private firm. Giordano joined their team 16 years ago. In 2010, after several years of growth, they decided to form their own firm.
“We grew from 22 total employees to over 130 today,” says Giordano. “It’s been incredibly challenging, and we’ve worked incredibly hard the entire time, but throughout the process we have genuinely had a good time. We love working together, we support each other professionally and personally. It’s a unique partnership in the fact that we have a great friendship and appreciation.”
No Challenge Too Great
The bond among all three partners, and among all team members at Pond Lehocky, is a sincere source of pride. The partners agree that the camaraderie shows in the strength of the work they perform every day.
“The three of us know each other so well and bring different things to the table,” Lehocky adds. “Because of that we are able to understand our strengths and weaknesses and blend those together. It helps us form the same belief, the belief that we fight. We fight hard, and we’ll spare no expense to represent our clients.”
“We have mutual respect, and a great emotional IQ,” echoes Pond. “We listen to each other, we have each other’s backs, and always defer to each other to make sure that we are doing this together. We row in the same direction. I feel like this partnership is a brotherhood first.”
As the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Pond Lehocky continues to make forward progress in its quest to help those who were the most deeply affected. That includes individuals who lost their jobs, those who were hurt or contracted the virus at work during the pandemic, and those who were hit by backlogs in disability payments.
“When the pandemic hit, things like delivery and online businesses boomed and put more people on the roads,” Lehocky says. “Consequently, we saw a lot more work-related vehicle accidents. There was also a huge increase in COVID-19 cases with employees in the healthcare industry who weren’t protected in their workplace. Whether that’s in nursing homes or medical centers, the early lack of care led to many healthcare workers’ claims. That includes fatal claims, people who lost their lives because of a lack of appropriate care during the COVID-19 crisis.”
The partners of Pond Lehocky take pride in their ability to not only help each client recover from a workplace injury, but also formulate a plan to guide the client’s life going forward.
“We want to look at all of the benefits from all angles,” explains Pond. “Are they getting the right medical care? Are they getting workers’ comp? Do they have constant contact to understand what is going on? These are all concierge services that come into play, and we are able to provide resources across all aspects of care.”
Delivering Results
No matter the situation, Giordano says the partners of Pond Lehocky share the same fundamental approach: “If you do right by the client, everything will take care of itself. That’s our philosophy, and it permeates the firm.” Put another way: The client is priority No. 1.
“When an individual calls us for a disability claim, they are at their lowest point,” Giordano adds. “They’re sick, they are low on their funds, and their families have been devastated. One of the reasons that we love what we do is because we guarantee that you are not paying anything out of pocket. It’s 100 percent contingent on you receiving benefits. You never have to worry that you can’t afford help. You have access to an unbiased and professional firm that works for you and doesn’t hurt you in the middle of an already stressful situation.”
Pond suggests every client’s case begins with an initial meeting where someone from the firm can “feel their energy, hear their story, and listen.”
“It’s important to give them a peace of mind and let them know that they are in control and we are right there alongside them,” he says. “We are always optimistic because we believe in our clients.”
This client-first approach has fueled Pond Lehocky’s growth. The firm has grown to a staff of 150, with five offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As a result, the firm has more resources devoted to helping clients, and the ability to investigate cases on their behalf. Those resources, combined with the unbreakable bonds among Pond Lehocky’s leadership team, have made a tremendous difference in clients’ lives.
“We all have similar blue-collar backgrounds,” says Lehocky. “We were raised in families with tremendous work ethics and were taught that, no matter what, never let anyone outwork you. It’s a tough combination to find people who are the smartest and the hardest working in the room, so when we found three people who could accomplish that we stuck together, and that’s led to an immense level of trust, admiration, respect, and love between us.
“We work harder today than we did 30 years ago,” he continues, “and that shows in what we are able to deliver to our clients.”
Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP
1 Commerce Square
2005 Market Street, 18th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(800) 568-7500
Photograph by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, July 2021.
