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February 27, 2009

Get to Know Lawyers from ColumbusLawyerFinder.com

Philip Gauer (profile)

What experiences (work and personal) help you to be a better attorney?
I had great attorney mentors both while I was at the Attorney General's office and in private practice and I certainly benefited from their valuable experience and expertise. I also think I've become a better lawyer since launching my own Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability practice because my legal fees are directly related to whether or not I'm successful for my clients. My family relies on my income so I'm more motivated to be creative, informed, and personally involved in my clients' cases so that we can all be successful. My motivation to support my family also helps me understand the worries my injured or disabled clients have about supporting their own families.

What made you choose your primary area of law?
At the Attorney General's Office, I worked in the Workers' Compensation Section and was attracted to the idea of jury trials and court litigation. When I decided to launch my own practice, a focus on Workers' Compensation was the natural choice given my background and experience at the Attorney General's Office. The addition of Social Security Disability grew out of my representation of Injured Workers. The two areas of law are often closely connected, and similar legal skills are needed in order to ensure that clients are treated fairly by what can sometimes be a difficult, bureaucratic system.

What makes your law firm unique?
My clients know that I'll handle all the legal details of their individual cases personally, from start to finish, all the way through any necessary appeals. Some firms assign multiple attorneys or paralegals to Workers' Compensation and Social Security cases, and clients might arrive in court to find that a brand new attorney, unfamiliar with their case until that moment, is handling their matter for that day. In contrast, our firm is a family run business and my clients have my full attention all the way until their matter is resolved. My wife Janet helps me run the practice and I think our clients find us to be a comforting and reliable team.

Describe your personal interests and hobbies.
I have more interests and hobbies than I have time to enjoy, but my family tops the list. My wife and I have three daughters and right now I'm enjoying studying karate with the girls (trying to stay one step ahead of them!). I also enjoy camping and bicycling, reading books and watching movies, and just hanging-out with our bull-dogs (one French and one English).

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