Joseph Goldberg

Retired
Philadelphia
2000 Market Street
Suite 1300
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Joe Goldberg represents a wide array of clients, including private employers, municipalities, religious institutions, transportation companies, and higher education institutions. His practice spans diverse areas such as catastrophic loss, civil rights, employment law, municipal liability, and product liability.

Joe is exceptionally skilled in managing cases involving catastrophic losses for clients in high profile litigation arising out of a host of different industries including religious institutions, correctional facilities, residential treatment facilities, nursing homes, surgical centers, commercial transportation and motorcoach industries. His proficiency in navigating complex legal situations is evident in his work on psychiatric/medical malpractice, sexual abuse, and assault cases.

In the healthcare sector, Joe has a strong track record in defending high-stakes liability cases. Joe represents healthcare practitioners, long-term healthcare facilities, and hospitals. He also defends employers, supervisors, managers, and business owners in various employment matters.

Joe has had an AV® rating by Martindale-Hubbell for over 35 years and has been included in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list since 2005. He has also been included in The Best Lawyers in America® for Product Liability Litigation since 2012, for Personal Injury Litigation since 2014, and for Litigation – Labor and Employment since 2025. In 2020, Joe was selected as a Best Lawyer in Pennsylvania by The Wall Street Journal.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • DRI (Defense Research Institute)
  • TIDA (Trucking Industry Defense Association)
  • Pennsylvania Defense Institute
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel

Speaking Engagements

  • 09.19.23 Speaker, “Zen of Defense,” Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel
  • 06.16.22 Panelists, “Investigating Sexual Misconduct Claims – The Do’s, Don’ts & Challenges of Defending Claims that Occurred Decades Ago,” Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
  • 10.25.16 Presenter, “Involuntary Medication: Clinicians’ Defense Against Civil Rights Lawsuits,” Annual National Conference on Correctional Health Care

Cases and Experience

Secured a Dismissal of Third Party Defendant in New Jersey Superior Court. The Court agreed that our clients were not joint tortfeasors under New Jersey's Joint Tortfeasors Contribution Law (JTCL).

Secured summary judgement and won appeal in favor of a municipality under the Recreational Land Use Act and the Tort Claims Act in a death action suit.

Secured summary judgement for a dentist in a dental malpractice and civil rights suit before the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against an 8th Amendment claim for denial of medical/dental care and a claim for medical/dental malpractice.

Secured summary judgment in favor of a township and its police department in a suit relating to a motor vehicle pursuit and fatal crash where the court concluded our clients owed no duty to the plaintiff as a matter of law

Obtained summary judgment in favor of the private mental health services provider to Delaware's prison system in a case venued in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The Court found the mental health services provider did not violate the plaintiff's constitutional rights and therefore could not be liable based on a theory that it established or maintained an unconstitutional policy or custom responsible for violating the plaintiff's rights. The Court determined the evidence of record does not support the plaintiff's claim of deliberate indifference to his mental health needs.

Prior results cannot and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter that we or any lawyer may be retained to handle.

News & Presentations

01.02.26 | Firm News, Press Releases | Civil Rights & Municipal Liability, Employment, Professional Liability, Public Entity & Civil Rights, School Leaders’ Liability
04.17.24 | Firm News, Press Releases | Casualty, General Liability, Product Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Insurance, Professional Liability, Employment, Medical Malpractice, Business Transactions & Commercial Litigation, Family Law
09.19.23 | Speaking Engagements | Business Transactions & Commercial Litigation, Business & Commercial Litigation
Speaker, “Zen of Defense,” Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel
09.07.23 | WG Alerts & Insights | Medical Malpractice, Professional Liability | Healthcare

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1975
  • Ohio University, B.S., summa cum laude, 1972

Practices

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • District of Columbia
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court for the Third Circuit
  • United States Supreme Court

Industries

Awards & Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® rating
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, 2005 – 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America® for Product Liability Litigation 2012 – 2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America® for Personal Injury Litigation 2014 – 2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation – Labor and Employment 2025 – 2026
  • Best Lawyer in Pennsylvania award from The Wall Street Journal, 2020
Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, LLP
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