Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish can trace its roots to 1948 when Irwin W. Barkan started practicing workers’ compensation law in Columbus, Ohio. The history of the present day firm started in 1957 with the formation of the Barkan & Barkan partnership comprised of I.W. and his cousin, Irving Barkan. From offices located at 8 East Long Street, the Barkan cousins focused their practice primarily on workers’ compensation.

1958
When Congress amended the Social Security Act in 1958 to provide benefits for those who became disabled prior to retirement age, Barkan & Barkan was one of the first law firms in the nation to represent such persons.

1960
Frank J. Neff joined the firm as an associate. Frank expanded the practice by doing criminal, divorce, bankruptcy, real estate and probate work. Eventually, he began handling some personal injury cases.

1970
Frank J. Neff became a partner, and the firm name was changed to Barkan, Barkan & Neff.

1980
Irving Barkan left the firm, and the name was changed to Barkan+Neff. By this time, the Barkan+Neff restricted its practice to workers’ compensation, social security disability, personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and probate and black lung cases.

There has been an office in Marietta for nearly twenty years, and four years ago, Barkan + Neff opened an office in Dayton.

1983
Barkan + Neff opened its first office out-of-state in Tampa, Florida. The Florida practice handles social security cases exclusively. Eventually offices were added in Ft. Myers, Dade City and St. Petersburg.

1984
Barkan + Neff started a social security practice in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, there are offices in the central business district of New Orleans as well as, Gretna and Amite.

1986
Barkan+Neff opened an office in Marietta, Ohio located at 75 Putnam Street. The office is currently servicing clients in the same location today.

1989
Barkan+Neff’s offices in Columbus moved from the LeVeque Tower to its own building at 360. South Grant Avenue. The Columbus is still located at 360 South Grant Avenue today.

2006
On January 1, 2006, Barkan+Neff expanded its legal services by merging with the law firm of Handelman and Kilroy. Handelman and Kilroy has a proud and distinguished career representing labor unions and their members, as well as individual employees in wrongful termination and civil rights cases. Handelman and Kilroy has represented organized labor in a wide range of industries and professions. The firm’s attorneys have negotiated collective bargaining agreements in aviation, ground transportation, manufacturing, the service industry, health care, telecommunications, and the governmental sector. Their record of victories in labor arbitration and state and federal litigation is outstanding. The firm has protected the rights of individual employees in state and federal court, as well as before the administrative agencies that regulate the workplace.

Following the merger, our firm is known as Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish, LPP.

Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish, LLP open its first office in Pennsylvania. The office is located in Washington, Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh. The Washington office will handle Social Security Disability, Wage & Hour/Overtime issues and personal injury cases.

2007
Today, Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish, LLP represents Ohioans from all over the state in workers’ compensation, employment law, social security, personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, and wage and hour matters. In Florida and Louisiana, Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish continues to represent clients in social security matters. Through its labor law practice, the firm represents labor unions with members in all fifty states. With its multiple offices in Ohio, Florida, Louisiana and Pennsylvania; Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish, LLP is one of the most unique plaintiff and labor law firms in the nation.