Fred Goldsmith, serving Pittsburgh, PA, WV, OH, TX & MA, is a formally trained mediator, approved to serve as a mediator, arbitrator, and early neutral evaluator by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is also listed as a qualified mediator by the West Virginia State Bar and serves as a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the West Virginia State Bar, and the Arbitration and ADR Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
Following graduation from Tulane Law School in 1990, Fred served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Howell Cobb of the Eastern District of Texas. He then worked as a defense attorney with two firms in Houston, focusing his practice on representing major and independent oil and gas companies, oilfield service companies, and commercial vessel operators in significant injury, death, and property damage cases arising from oil and gas drilling and production onshore and in the Gulf of Mexico. He also defended top tier recreational vessel manufacturers in product liability suits.
In 1997, Fred relocated his practice to Pittsburgh, where he grew up, initially forming his own firm, then serving between 2000 and 2005 as an associate with defense firm Burns, White & Hickton, LLC, and then as an equity partner with Blumling & Gusky, LLP. From 2000 to 2002, he served as Vice President & General Counsel of Cleveland-based The Great Lakes Towing Company, managing the company’s and its affiliates’ personal injury, property damage, and commercial claims and litigation across the Great Lakes, in Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.
In 2006, Fred and Rich Ogrodowski formed Pittsburgh-based Goldsmith & Ogrodowski, LLC. The firm initially focused on defending serious personal injury and death cases arising from harbor towing of ships on the Great Lakes, inland river towboat and barge operations, and recreational boating casualties. In 2010, the firm segued to representing industrial workers, individuals, and families in a variety of personal injury and wrongful death litigation, ranging from admiralty & maritime, railroad, personal injury, wrongful death, auto, motorcycle, property damage, product liability, Dram Shop, and insurance coverage.
Fred is licensed to practice and has litigated cases in state courts in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas, and Ohio. He was recently admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Fred is also admitted to and has practiced in federal trial courts in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, and New York. He is an active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the former chair of the ACBA’s Federal Court Section, and a longtime member of the ACBA’s Court Rules Committee. He is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, 10/10 by Avvo, and has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer from 2006 to 2008 and from 2017 to the present.
Between college and law school, Fred worked in TV news for four years as a reporter, anchor, and cameraman. He is an experienced motorcycle rider, of both off-road “dirt” bikes and street bikes. Fred has published numerous articles in legal and industry trade magazines and journals and has spoken frequently to lawyers and industry groups on trial and litigation tactics and substantive and procedural law.
With over three decades of litigation experience, including serving on the staff of a federal trial court, and trying jury and bench trials in state and federal courts around the country, representing plaintiffs, defendants, individuals, families, major insurers, and small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations, Fred has both the legal and life experience to appreciate the factual and legal nuances of your case, and to help you and your client achieve a pre-trial or post-trial resolution.
Fred conducts mediations in-person and via Zoom.
For scheduling and fee inquiries, please contact Heather Trainer at 412-281-4340 or hlt@golawllc.com.