Richard Frankel

Managing Partner

Fax: (856) 234-4848

Rich Frankel is the managing partner of Bross & Frankel. He is a member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania bars. He has focused exclusively on disability and compensation benefits since 2005. Mr. Frankel joined what is now Bross & Frankel after having watched his father struggle with disability, fighting a lengthy illness. Mr. Frankel founded the firm’s veteran’s law practice and substantially grew the long term disability practice, focusing Bross & Frankel’s ability to fight for all of the disability benefits available to his clients. Mr. Frankel additionally fights for clients in court, obtaining frequent victories in Social Security appeals and against insurance companies in Federal court.

Mr. Frankel speaks and writes about disability benefits issues to various groups and other attorneys nationwide. Some recent events have included: SSDI Appeals: Top Arguments and Defenses in Federal Court: A National teleconference for attorneys on effective handling of federal Social Security Appeals and Handling a Social Security Case: A full Day “boot camp” to help new practitioners learn the nuts and bolts of representing Social Security claimants from application to appeal.

Mr. Frankel graduated with honors from the University of the Arts and is a 2005 graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Frankel participated in the Beasley School’s nationally acclaimed “Integrated Trial Advocacy Program” and was the founding president of the law school’s chapter of the American Constitution Society. Mr. Frankel was also a Certified Legal Intern at the Temple Legal Aid Office, where he successfully represented clients in Social Security/SSI cases.

He is also an accomplished musician who plays trumpet and keyboard. He resides in Media, PA with his wife, daughter and son.

Additionally, Mr. Frankel authored a chapter of a book for attorneys interested in representing veterans: Navigating Legal Issues for Military Veterans, in which he discusses the representation of veterans in compensation and pension claims. The book is available at Amazon and other popular retailers. An excerpt from Mr. Frankel’s chapter is available as a free download here: Inside the Minds Excerpt

Representative Cases

Representative Cases District of New Jersey – Federal court vacated Unfavorable Social Security Decision where the ALJ failed to adequately explain the impact of non-exertional limitations (i.e. fatigue, pain, concentration limitations, ability to stay “on task”) on the occupational base.

District of New Jersey – Federal Court vacated Unfavorable Social Security Decision where the ALJ failed to address the impact being off-task around a half hour per day in addition to “normal breaks” would have on the ability to work. Specifically the ALJ failed to address apparently conflicting testimony where a 6 minute difference in the amount of time off-task rendered an individual capable or incapable of work.

Bradley v. Liberty Life – Federal Court reversed the decision of long-term disability insurer where it arbitrarily refused to credit the opinions of the Plaintiff’s treating physicians, erroneously found that she had not been under appropriate treatment, and arbitrarily tacked on new reasons for a denial in its final decision, unfairly preventing the Plaintiff from responding to its erroneous conclusions.

Ellseworth v. Harleysville Life – Federal Court reversed the decision of a long-term disability insurer where it improperly calculated the Plaintiff’s benefits based on a 5-day workweek, despite his 6-day work schedule and failed to adequately consider submitted evidence of his impairments and the nature of his disability. The Court also ruled in Plaintiff’s favor in interpreting the statute of limitations under State Law.