The Litigating Employee Relations Claims
Attorney Mike Wagner & Attorney Jim Garver
This presentation will be held at the Blair County Convention Center
Registration and Presentation Timeline:
- Wednesday, June 18, 2025
- Meeting Registration: 7:30 AM - 7:50 AM
- Breakfast served during registration
- HRMABC Business Announcements at 7:50 AM
- Presentation begins at 8:00 AM
- Presentation ends at 9:30 AM
Recertification Credits: 1.50
Topic: Litigating Employee Relations Claims with Attorney Mike Wagner and Attorney Jim Garver
Details:
Attorney Michael Wagner and Attorney Jim Garver will conduct an interactive session updating our group on the current Workers' Compensation legal environment and its impact on Human Resources by presenting a case study scenario of the Workers' Compensation process from IME through hearing and mediation.
Using a case study a scenario that starts with an IME of a malingering Claimant. Following the IME, we will have a meeting with the Claimant and Attorney Garver that was set up in light of our Petition to Terminate based on our IME conclusion of full recovery. Following that segment, we will demonstrate preparation of the first hearing testimony from the employer. During the meeting, we will discuss the implications of the company firing the Claimant when he refused to return to work following a job offer letter. Thereafter, attendees will be walked through a mock hearing followed by a mock mediation.
As always, Mike will engage us with his wit and wisdom on this topic and provide us with an entertaining and meaningful session. Adding Jim to this enlightening session will add, not only to the entertainment, but the educational aspect of this session!
Biographical Details:
Attorney Mike Wagner:
Mr. Wagner is a founding partner with the Law Firm of Wagner & Finn Attorneys At Law, P.C. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Human Resource Management at the Saint Francis University Graduate School of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management. For approximately 20 years Mr. Wagner taught employment law, employment discrimination law, as well as workers compensation. Mr. Wagner has served as a Hearing Committee Chairman for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He is former member of the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Currently, he is a member of the Workers Compensation and Employment Law Sections of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr. Wagner concentrates his practice in workers compensation and employment law. Mr. Wagner has been selected every year from 2006 through 2022 as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer®
Mr. Wagner is Past President of the Board of Directors for the Blair Regional YMCA. Currently he serves as Secretary for the Blair Regional YMCA Board. He is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Altoona-Sunrise, where he is a two-time past President and a current Board member. Mr. Wagner currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Southern Alleghenies Management Group. Previously, he was a Board member of the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society. He currently serves the shelter as their Pro Bono Solicitor. Mr. Wagner resides with his wife, Chrissey, in Hollidaysburg, PA
Bar admissions
• Pennsylvania, 1983
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 1984
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1996
Education
• J.D., Dickinson School of Law, 1983
• B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1977
Attorney Jim Garver:
Mr. Garver joined the firm of Pond Lehocky in February, 2025. Previously he was with Edgar Snyder & Associates as a workers’ comp lawyer from April, 2000 through February, 2025. He also worked for a defense firm, Peters & Wasilefski in Harrisburg, from 1997-2000.
Having dedicated his legal career to representing injured workers, Jim Garver brings over 25 years of experience to his practice. As a Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist and expert in the Social Security disability system, he guides his clients through every step of their case, ensuring that they are supported and never left to navigate complex legal procedures alone.
A proud alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Jim is licensed to practice in all State and Federal Courts of Pennsylvania. Raised in Blair County, his commitment to community is evident in both his professional and personal life. In recognition of his dedication, he was honored with the Hometown Favorite Attorney Award by the Altoona Mirror in 2020. Jim has also been named as a Best Lawyer every year since 2013 and a Super Lawyer every year since 2014.
Jim’s client-focused approach and extensive legal expertise ensure that every aspect of your case is managed with precision and care, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.
Jim is a member of the Americal Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and Wokers Compensation Section of Pennsylvania Bar Assocation.
Bar admissions
• Pennsylvania
Education
• Juris Doctorate, University of Pittsburgh, 1996
• B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1993
