Corboy, Philip Harnett

Getting to Know Sam Cordes:

I became a lawyer because...I wanted in a small way to make a difference in people's lives. Growing up in a working class neighborhood, I often saw the little guy pushed around in disputes with government or large corporations--especially when his or her job was on the line. I became a lawyer because I wanted to help those people push back.

What I like most about the law is: Two things. First, I like taking employment discrimination cases to trial. Nothing in the world equals the feeling of telling your client's story and knowing you are helping to guide a jury - who has the power that very day to do justice - to right the wrong done to your client.

The second thing I like about the law is crafting legal arguments on paper. The law is a jigsaw puzzle in many ways--made up of many little intricate pieces called precedents. Writing a good legal brief is just like putting all the pieces together so the court sees a picture favoring your client.

My most rewarding case...involved an employee who was fired after 30 years because of his age. The president of his employer, a large corporation, told the lower managers that the company's older work force was blocking opportunities for younger workers and that the company needed to get rid of the blockers. We were able to persuade the court to allow documents and other evidence of the president's comments to be introduced at trial, even though the documents were written a year after the company fired my client. The jury awarded my client a quarter million dollars, and the judge ordered the company to pay all of the client's attorney fees, costs and interest on the award. The case was appealed and we won before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Supreme Court of the United States allowed the decision to stand. I was very pleased for my client and gratified that this verdict will help protect the jobs of older workers in the future.

I was honored to be described... in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review as "The Archangel of employment rights in Western Pennsylvania". "Excellent. One of the best. An extremely creative lawyer, which makes him dangerous for the opposition."

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as follows: "He seems to have that unusual quality of being extremely smart in the scholarly sense that produces top-quality briefs and thoughtful discussions on paper. As a trial lawyer, some people have referred to him as a bulldog. He is a very tenacious, aggressive person. He has that practical street-smart sense. You don't see that combination in too many lawyers."

In the 2003-2004 edition of Chambers USA-America's Leading Business Lawyers as Smart, and highly rated for employment litigation. "Juries love him."

My favorite quote is: "Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." From President Franklin Roosevelt's first Inaugural Address.

When not at work, I enjoy...Not at work??? What's that? Just kidding -- I like music--jazz, new age, classical, 60s rock are favorites, theater, movies, college basketball, taking long walks, and reading historical fiction.