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sylvester_beozzo

Mr. Beozzo is engaged extensively in both the administrative and appellate levels of workers' compensation practice throughout western Pennsylvania. He has been involved in numerous reported and unreported appellate cases in which he has challenged existing statutory and case law interpretations on behalf of his clients. He was successful in the first appellate case which allowed the use of Compromise and Release Agreements for pre-1996 work injuries. (Young v. Giant Eagle, Inc./OK Grocery, 12PAWCLR 1036, 1997).

In the case of Giant Eagle, Inc. v. W.C.A.B. Bensy, 651 A.2d 212 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1994), Mr. Beozzo successfully challenged the decision rendered by a workers' compensation judge against his client on the basis that the judge's determination was capricious such that no reasonable person could have drafted such findings of fact and conclusions of law. Mr. Beozzo sought and was granted a rehearing before a different judge at which time he secured a successful result for his client. Mr. Beozzo relied upon Section 425 of the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act, as amended, 77 P.S. 856 for the requested relief. This section of the Act is rarely utilized, and this case may well have been the first time that this section was relied upon by a Court to grant a hearing de novo as a result of capricious fact finding by a workers' compensation judge.

Mr. Beozzo is a member of the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section). He is also a member of the Allegheny Count Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section) where he has served as a continuing legal education course planner and lecturer.

In addition to his workers' compensation defense litigation experience, Mr. Beozzo had previously devoted a substantial portion of his practice to the representation of members of several labor unions in various areas of law, including workers' compensation. He has served as a lecturer in the area of workers' compensation law to both claimant and defense groups, and has, for many years, served as an instructor for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, as well as a guest speaker at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Mr. Beozzo has also been a guest lecturer, explaining workers compensation issues to business students, at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2005, Mr. Beozzo served as guest defense counsel in a seminar entitled "Workers' Compensation Practice" which was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (PaTLA) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2005, Mr. Beozzo was also recognized by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America (2005-2006 Edition) in the practice area of Workers' Compensation. He has also been so recognized in the 2006-2007 edition of this publication.

In February 2006 and July 2006, Pittsburgh Magazine recognized Mr. Beozzo as being one of Pittsburgh's Best Lawyers in the practice of Workers' Compensation.

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Practice Concentration

  • Workers' Compensation

Education

  • University of Pittsburgh, J.D., 1977
  • Law firm clerkship 1975 - 1977
  • Pennsylvania State University, two B.A.s Magna Cum Laude (Sociology and Social Welfare), 1974

Honors

  • Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Societies

Admitted to Practice

  • Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania