Best Social Security Disability Lawyer in Philadelphia
Joseph F. Aceto
Social Security Disability Lawyer
As an intellectual property (IP) attorney, Joe works with clients to develop and secure their IP estate, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Joe works closely with the client and their technical staff to understand and meet the legal needs of their particular technology. This may include guiding clients through the process of filing a patent and prosecuting the application before the United State Patent and Trademark Office, assessing the strength or validity of a new trademark, filing and prosecuting a new trademark, or working with a client to acquire technology or license their own technology to a third party.
Through his network of attorneys outside the United States, Joe is able to streamline protection both in the U.S. and abroad. He works with clients to protect their current and future IP interests. Further, in collaboration with Obermayer’s litigation group, the firm provides comprehensive protection and enforcement of his client’s IP.
In his free time, Joe is a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan, following them through winning seasons, as well as those seasons when the wins were few and far between. He is extremely grateful to have seen the Eagles win a Super Bowl in his lifetime.
David F. Chermol
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Mr. Chermol is a Founding and Lead Partner at the disability law firm of Chermol & Fishman, LLC. He represents Social Security disability and SSI claimants across the United States both at the administrative level and in federal court.
From 1997 until 2007, Mr. Chermol was as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Social Security Administration’s Office of the General Counsel in Philadelphia.
In this capacity, he served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Commissioner of Social Security in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Delaware.
Mr. Chermol was a GS-15 level attorney and served as the Commissioner’s senior disability litigator in Mid-Atlantic Region III.
He personally litigated or developed litigation strategy in most of the major disability cases resulting in published decisions in the Third and Fourth Circuits during his ten years at SSA. He received two Excellence in Service Awards and a General Counsel’s citation in his career at SSA, along with numerous other awards.
Mr. Chermol provided national and regional training to SSA’s administrative law judges with respect to disability law and how to issue legally defensible decisions. In coordination with the Department of Justice, he provided national training to SSA’s attorneys on effective oral and written appellate advocacy.
David R. Machek
Social Security Disability Lawyer
When you are trying to apply for disability benefits, you must go through a huge bureaucracy with a complex set of requirements. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the process even before you begin. A lawyer with experience in Social Security Disability law can help you at almost any stage in the process, advising you on how to proceed and arguing on your behalf before a judge.
At the Disability and Injury Law Offices of David R. Machek, disability law is all we do. Our founding attorney has more than 25 years of legal experience in Social Security Disability law and has helped thousands of people to get the disability benefits they need and deserve.
Biography
Current Employment Position
- Attorney
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1995
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2003
- U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals, 2007
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
Samantha Xander
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Lisa Cunningham
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Lisa is the Managing Attorney for the Social Security Disability/Veterans Disability Department at the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore. Her practice focuses on Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability Benefits.
Lisa earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore, where she received the Dean’s Citation Award for Outstanding Achievement. Lisa is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Disability Law Committee. She is licensed to practice law in New York State.
Jason Krasno
Social Security Disability Lawyer
In 1999, Jason was hired as a general litigator and worked in a variety of fields including criminal, civil, and domestic law. It only took a year for him to realize his calling was in workers’ compensation law. Jason has litigated cases across the state and is familiar with the judicial process in every county.
Presently, Jason runs the firm from Philadelphia, which is one of its two main office locations, the other being Pottsville.
Raised in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania and getting his college degree in a town built on the Steel Industry, Jason understands the plight of the injured worker and those individuals who become totally disabled. He applies this understanding and compassion to his practice where he has represented thousands of injured workers over his career.
As a workers’ compensation lawyer, Jason has won tens of millions of dollars for his clients. This looks good on paper, but it is the bond he forms with each of his clients that gives him real satisfaction. You will not find Jason sitting behind his desk; he is in court every day, because that is where the lawyers at Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo belong.
In 2014, Jason was recognized as The Nations Top 100 Injured Workers’ Attorneys. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers since 2006. In 2015, Jason and his father, Lester, were proud to have their family’s firm recognized by Best Law Firms as having the Preeminent Workers’ Compensation Firm in Pennsylvania. Jason believes these awards are a reflection of the knowledge handed down to each lawyer and staff member over the past 80+ years. It is a team effort at Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo, so everyone deserves credits for the accomplishments bestowed on the lawyers and the firm.
Matthew L. Wilson
Social Security Disability Lawyer
MATTHEW L. WILSON is a partner at Martin Law and has practiced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law exclusively for more than 35 years. After Mr. Wilson’s affiliation with two major defense firms, he was recruited by his partners in 1993 to protect the rights of injured workers. In the spring of 2015, Mr. Wilson became a certified specialist in Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation by the PA Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law as authorized by the PA Supreme Court. *
He frequently lectures to other lawyers, doctors, and insurance groups on workers’ compensation in a variety of subject areas. For the last 14 years he has co-authored the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Workers’ Compensation Practice and Procedure Manual, which is known among attorneys and judges as the “bible” on workers’ compensation law.
Since 1997, Mr. Wilson has been a featured speaker at the biennial “Tough Problems in Workers’ Compensation” seminar. He has also presented multiple lectures at the spring and fall meetings of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Section as well as the statewide biannual practice and procedure program. Mr. Wilson has served on the Workers’ Compensation Law Section Council of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 2007 and is a past Chair of the organization. He is a member of the committee that implemented and manages a groundbreaking certification process for Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys. He is an active member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Associations as well as the Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group. Mr. Wilson was inducted into The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in 2011. In 2017, Mr. Wilson was named Best Lawyers 2017 Workers Compensation Law – Claimants, “Lawyer of the Year” in Philadelphia
Samuel H. Pond
Social Security Disability Lawyer
It should surprise no one that Sam Pond is a staunch advocate for injured and disabled people and a champion for the vulnerable, especially hard-working union members injured while working jobs that put food on the table for their families.
His father was a union machinist for the Philadelphia Gas Works. Sam himself was a union laborer in his late teenage years, working 90-hour weeks laying a pipeline throughout Pennsylvania during his junior year of high school.
This experience, as well as Sam’s upbringing and other work experiences before entering the law—including working tough, on-your-feet-all-day jobs at Philadelphia institutions like The Philadelphia Inquirer (working for a local mailer’s union), Christian Schmidt Brewing Co. (known affectionately as “Schmidt’s”), and Tastykake—put him on a path leading to him becoming a founding partner and the managing partner of one of the largest workers’ compensation and disability law firms in the country.
LARRY PITT
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Larry Pitt, Esq., founder of Larry Pitt & Associates of Philadelphia, was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1977, after attending Temple University for both undergraduate college and law school. While in law school Mr. Pitt was involved with the Trial Advocacy Program for students.
He held a clerkship with Judge I. Raymond Kermer, followed by two years working as the in-house counsel for the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Insurance Company, giving him great insight into the thought processes of insurance companies. He established Larry Pitt & Associates in 1981, focusing on the practice of workers’ compensation litigation, Social Security Disability claims, Pennsylvania personal injury law, and immigration and naturalization, thus keeping in line with his “workers’ rights” outlook.
Attorney Pitt created his workers’ compensation firm with the understanding not only of complex and in-depth areas of public sector law, but also with the empathy that comes with helping those in their time of crisis. Due to his understanding, Mr. Pitt is involved with many civic and professional organizations. In 1989, Mr. Pitt was awarded the Human Relations Honor Award for his contribution to the Philadelphia-to-Philadelphia Sister City project. This Project brought hundreds of Philadelphians to Mississippi for a Civil Right Commemoration to improve race relations.
In 2008, Mr. Pitt was awarded the “Spirit of Life Award” from the AFL-CIO City of Hope Hospital. He has also been a proud platinum sponsor of the Friends of the American Cancer Society for many years, providing monetary support for those victims afflicted with cancer in his community. In 2009, Mr. Pitt received the Ambassador of Hope Award from the AFL-CIO City Of Hope Hospital.
Brian E.Quinn
Social Security Disability Lawyer
I have been defending individuals charged with crimes for over 30 years. I have tried hundreds of cases in both the state and federal courts. I have also represented hundreds of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other healthcare professionals in disciplinary proceedings before the Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
Starting with our first meeting, I will gather all of the facts and perform a thorough investigation. I will explore every option in order to get the best result for you.
In professional licensing matters, after an extensive interview, I will explore with you all your options. In some cases, we will reach an agreement with the prosecutor. In other cases, we will proceed to a hearing. I will make sure that the prosecution proves its case and I will also explore any mitigating factors.
In many criminal and professional licensing cases, drugs, alcohol and other mental health issues are a factor. I have had extensive experience in dealing with these issues. I work closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, certified addiction counselors and other counselors who specialize in addiction and who are dedicated to helping persons struggling with addiction issues. I recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction and will make a referral to the appropriate treatment provider. I will work closely with that provider during your treatment and will request the appropriate expert reports and documentation to assist in your defense. I am knowledgeable with the services of the drug and alcohol treatment centers, outpatient facilities and counselors in this area
David Bross
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Mr. Bross is the founder of Bross & Frankel, P.A. He has been licensed in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1981. Before opening his own office in 1995, Mr. Bross was the chief New Jersey partner for 10 years for the civil litigation firm of Marks, Feiner, Fridkin & Bross. Mr. Bross was formerly a Benefit Authorizer for the Social Security Administration, and has utilized his experience to compile an outstanding record of success representing clients before the Social Security Administration.
Mr. Bross is a sustaining and active member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), the New Jersey chapter of the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), and various county associations. Mr. Bross has served as an insurance arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and the court-administered arbitration programs in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Philadelphia counties. He is also a certified arbitrator for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (federal court), where one of his recent victories against a long-term disability insurer was published in the New Jersey Law Journal.
Paul H. Young
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Paul H. Young is the founding partner of Young, Marr and Associates. After starting his legal career at the Social Security Administration, he has been in private practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey state and federal courts for over 30 years with a primary emphasis in representing bankruptcy, social security disability and long-term disability clients. Paul has helped represent 1000’s of claimants obtain social security benefits in multiple states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, California, South Carolina and New York.
He has also successfully handled over 10,000 consumer bankruptcy matters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has received numerous awards in both areas. He has taught bankruptcy at the college level and has lectured in both areas.
Paul is a lifelong Pennsylvanian, growing up in Philadelphia and now living in Bucks County with his wife of thirty-four years, daughter and family dog, Marley. He s a proud alumnus of LaSalle University, where he graduated cum laude and a graduate of Widener School of Law. Outside of law, he has a passion for sports, particularly football. He also enjoys classic rock and blues music and is an avid fan of the movies.
Having the best social security disability lawyers in Philadelphia, or anywhere else for that matter, can significantly benefit individuals who are seeking disability benefits. Here are some reasons why having competent and experienced lawyers in this field is crucial:
Complex and ever-changing regulations: The process of applying for social security disability benefits involves navigating a complex system of rules and regulations. A skilled lawyer who specializes in this area will be well-versed in the laws and regulations related to disability benefits. They can guide applicants through the process, ensuring all necessary paperwork is properly completed and submitted.
Increased chances of approval: Statistics show that applicants who are represented by disability lawyers have a higher likelihood of being approved for benefits. Lawyers understand the criteria used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to evaluate disability claims and can present evidence in a compelling manner to support the applicant’s case.
Gathering and presenting evidence: Successful disability claims often hinge on the quality of the evidence presented. Lawyers know what type of medical evidence and documentation is necessary to strengthen a claim. They can work with medical professionals to obtain the required evidence and ensure it is presented effectively to the SSA.
Handling appeals: If an initial disability claim is denied, applicants have the right to appeal the decision. The appeals process can be complex and time-consuming, but having an experienced lawyer can make a significant difference in the outcome of the appeal.
Reducing stress and anxiety: Dealing with a disability claim can be emotionally draining and stressful, especially when facing financial difficulties due to the inability to work. Hiring a skilled lawyer can alleviate some of that stress by taking on the legal aspects of the case, allowing the applicant to focus on their health and well-being.
No upfront costs: Many social security disability lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means they only get paid if the applicant’s claim is successful. This arrangement makes legal representation accessible to individuals who may not have the financial means to hire a lawyer upfront.
Familiarity with local judges and procedures: Local lawyers who regularly handle disability cases are likely familiar with the administrative law judges in Philadelphia and their tendencies in handling disability claims. This knowledge can be invaluable when preparing a case for a particular judge’s review.
Overall, having the best social security disability lawyers in Philadelphia can significantly increase an applicant’s chances of receiving the benefits they deserve and make the process smoother and less stressful.