Edgar Snyder (born September 6, 1941) is a Pittsburgh-area personal injury lawyer.
Born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania to Jewish Polish and Russian immigrants, Snyder attended Penn State University and was the captain of the school's debate team.
Following his graduation from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1966, he served as a public defender for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He opened his first law office in Duquesne, Pennsylvania and initially worked in criminal defense and represented high-profile clients in highly publicized cases. In the 1980s, he expanded his practice into personal injury cases, driving a van around western Pennsylvania to meet with clients.
Snyder's ex-wife, Sandy, worked as his firm's former marketing director and helped expand his firm's reach through advertising.
Snyder credits her with being the driving force behind his image. The advertisements helped propel Snyder's profile to the "near-saturation point," with an estimated 98% name recognition. According to Snyder, Sandy's "mantra" has been "we're going to make you a brand." One of the signatures in his television commercials is pointing his finger at the camera and saying, "There's never a fee unless we get money for you." This slogan emphasized the firm's use of contingency fees, where the firm only collects fees in the event of a legal victory.
Snyder was rated "AV," the highest possible rating, by Martindale-Hubbell and was selected for inclusion in the 2004-2010 editions of Pennsylvania "Super Lawyers". Snyder's firm, Edgar Snyder & Associates, employs over 130 lawyers and staff.
Snyder no longer personally takes on cases, citing his notoriety as being potentially detrimental to his clients. Although he has since continued to oversee and direct the operations of his practice outside of the courtroom, it was reported in 2009 that he was beginning the process of retirement, but that he would continue to run the company for a few years. Outside of his practice, Snyder has hosted a weekly live call-in show on PCNC called "The Law and You," and reports spending "30 to 40 percent" of his time volunteering and traveling for various organizations, especially those focused on the Jewish communities in Pittsburgh, Israel, and the former Soviet Union.
In 2014, he transitioned from partner to founder, of counsel and retired shareholder.. He and his wife began divorce proceedings in 2014.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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