OUR HISTORY
Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C. began more than 30 years ago when six attorneys started their own practice to help working people. Originally with Baskin and Sears, these six worked in the Frick Building and filed lawsuits for people suffering from lung diseases from working with asbestos products.
As one of the first law firms in the country to sue the manufacturers of asbestos products for causing asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma in their clients, these attorneys became pioneers in asbestos litigation. They conducted depositions and obtained corporate documents to show the manufacturers knew the products were deadly prior to production yet chose to keep the dangers silent in fear of hurting sales. The documents and depositions gathered are still used today by law firms around the country working in asbestos litigation.
Soon a problem developed: several of the companies the attorneys filed suit against were clients of Baskin and Sears and were unhappy to learn they were being sued by attorneys who worked for the law firm that represented them. As a result, the six lawyers left Baskin and formed Henderson and Goldberg in the mid-1980s. Staying in the Frick Building, they worked a few floors away from their former office.
As the firm began to grow, Henderson and Goldberg relocated to 1030 Fifth Avenue. Within the next few years, more attorneys were added and the practice continued to expand.
Changes in the firm led to a 1993 name change from Henderson and Goldberg to Goldberg, Persky, Jennings & White, P.C. When Jennings retired in 2004, the firm became Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C. The sale of the 1030 Fifth Ave building in 2015 led to relocation in October of that year to 11 Stanwix, Suite 1800, where the principle office of the firm resides today.
As one of the largest personal injury law firms in Western Pennsylvania, GPW expanded its practice and opened offices in Johnstown, Pennsylvania as well as Weirton, West Virginia, and Detroit, Michigan.
Attorney Directory
Asbestos Timeline
Asbestos litigation became prominent in the 1960s and 1970s, but suspicion about the adverse effects of asbestos exposure can be traced back centuries. Medical examinations on asbestos workers in the early 1900s laid the groundwork for continued research into the connection between asbestos exposure and disease and by the 1920s, the link was established. However, it wasn’t until the 1971 verdict of Borel v. Fiberboard that the asbestos industry began to admit responsibility for placing the lives of their workers at risk. Today, while not banned outright, asbestos is heavily regulated in the United States and many of the asbestos companies and manufacturers have declared bankruptcy due to the amount of lawsuits.

Adverse effects of asbestos observed

Autopsies on asbestos workers reveal fibers in the lungs

The term "asbestosis" first appears in medical literature

Mesothelioma is connected to asbestos exposure

Landmark case sets precedent for future asbestos lawsuits

Asbestos regulations in the United States
