Our Team

Jonathan Schochor is the Chairman and founding partner of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and  Cardea, PA, with a specialized focus on medical malpractice, sexual abuse and class action/mass  tort law. With over 50 years of dedicated legal practice, Mr. Schochor has established himself as  a leading advocate for victims of medical negligence, sexual abuse, and those injured through the  negligence of others. He completed his undergraduate degree at The Pennsylvania State  University and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the American University School of Law,  where he served as the Associate Editor in Chief of the Law Review. Recognized for his  expertise, he has lectured at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,  Medstar, and other medical institutions and groups. He also frequently appears as a guest expert  on law, medicine, tort reform and other subjects across radio, television, and print platforms. He  additionally has testified before the Maryland Legislature on issues involving medical  malpractice and tort reform.  

Mr. Schochor holds numerous professional memberships, including the Supreme Court of the  United States, Maryland (State and Federal), and the District of Columbia (City and Federal)  bars. Additionally, he is affiliated with the Maryland State Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Maryland Association for Justice and the American Bar Association.  

His continuous, exemplary service has earned him many awards – too many to list here. They  include being named Trial Lawyer of the Year (twice); Influential Marylander Award; Maryland  Icon Award; Maryland Power 30 list; Maryland Leadership in Law Award; Maryland Lifetime  Achievement Award; Smart CEO Cornerstone Award in Baltimore; Marquis Who’s Who Leaders  in American Law, Leaders in the World, and the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement  Award; Maryland Super Lawyers; and Best Lawyers in America. His law firm has also been  voted by readers of the Daily Record as the best firm in the State of Maryland for medical  malpractice, personal injury, and civil litigation for the last 7 years.  

More important than these prestigious awards, however, is the fact that behind every award-and  every case victory-are real people whose lives were upended by tragedy. Whether sexual abuse,  negligence, or malpractice, every client who comes to Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea is  in desperate need of help. 

“With our extraordinary success, we have helped thousands of people who have been injured at  the hands of others,” says Jonathan Schochor, Founding Partner and Chairman, who was recently  selected by The Daily Record as one of Maryland’s power players for its inaugural Power 30  Law List. “It is an honor to pursue full, fair, and just compensation for our clients and help them  gain access to the appropriate medical and psychological care needed to rebuild their lives.”

Over the years, the firm has won over $1.6 billion for its clients. Its team of dedicated attorneys  have led more medical negligence cases than any other firm in Maryland and led the largest  class-action settlement in Maryland state history-a verdict of $190 million awarded to  approximately 8,000 sexual abuse victims of a local hospital. 

The firm’s victories have changed not only its clients’ lives but the course of the U.S. justice  system. 

CASES IN ACTION 

Schochor was an early pioneer in HIV-related cases. At the beginning, when the disease was  widespread and heavily misunderstood, Schochor led litigation against a surgeon who performed  invasive procedures in the absence of standards that required him to disclose his positive HIV  status. The case was won on appeal, creating a new standard of care in Maryland where surgeons  are required to inform patients of their HIV status prior to an invasive procedure. It was a policy  adapted widely across the country. 

Presently, the firm is heavily involved in two cases for survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic  Church. One case represents 945 survivors involved with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the  second involves a putative class action against the Archdiocese of Washington (AOW). Five  Maryland counties are included in the AOW; therefore, the firm sued the Archdiocese under a  new Maryland law called the Child Victims Act. Under this law, the statute of limitations was  lifted, permitting Maryland sexual abuse survivors who were children to come forward and  pursue civil actions against the AOW. The Archdiocese challenged the law, arguing that it is  unconstitutional. The case was argued in Maryland’s highest Court in September of 2024, and the  survivors are awaiting the Court’s ruling. 

The firm has also been significantly involved in opioid litigation, has advocated on behalf of first  responders exposed to aqueous film-forming foam, and has successfully triumphed in water  contamination cases. 

“I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, not just for our clients but for the future  of the justice system,” says Schochor. 

WHERE LAW MEETS MEDICINE 

“To excel in these areas of law, it is essential to have both passion and compassion, as well as a  deep understanding of law and medicine. It is not just one thing that leads to success; it is a  combination of factors,” says Schochor. “Grounding it all is the simple yet profound sentiment of  caring deeply about our clients and their lives. 

“We spare no expense to provide clients the highest level of representation possible. We have to  level the playing field against giant corporations and billion-dollar insurance companies to  provide our clients with the highest probability of success,” he says. Every case is accepted on a  contingency basis, meaning that clients do not pay a cent if the firm does not win. The firm’s  battle-ready arsenal includes full-time medical investigators, not to mention attorneys with  decades upon decades of experience and a track record of irrefutable success.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS 

A first-generation American, Schochor was instilled with a strong work ethic and a straight moral  compass from an early age. His father, an immigrant who fled Ukraine at 14 during a brutal  invasion, worked long hours to build a stable life for his family. Schochor began accompanying  his father on construction job sites at just 8 years old, learning trade skills such as roofing,  carpentry, road cutting, and the operation of heavy machinery. “My parents taught me that no  amount of work is too hard,” Schochor says. 

Schochor went on to work busboy and waiter jobs during high school and college. It was at the  Pennsylvania State University where he met his wife, Joan. The couple now funds scholarships  and has volunteered on an advisory board for the university. “I grew up at Penn State,” he says.  “I will do anything I can for them.” 

However, it was his father-in-law-a pioneering physician who helped “break the blue wall of  silence” for doctors to testify about medical malpractice on behalf of plaintiffs-who first exposed  Schochor to the field of medicine. He invited his son-in-law to observe operations; Schochor  quickly realized he had a knack for it. “I understood it, and I loved it,” he recalls. “My father-in law was the one who suggested I get into medical negligence plaintiff work.” 

That was in 1974. Schochor worked under an elder lawyer for a decade before launching his own  firm with co-founder Kerry D. Staton in 1984. The rest, as they say, is history. 

A PROUD LEGACY 

At 78 years young, Schochor has no plan to slow down. He continues to build legacies both  personal and professional. His two adult children are “incredible people,” he beams, and his firm  is one he believes “will be here into perpetuity.” 

He continues to mentor younger lawyers on “how to do it right”-an amalgam he describes as  taking care of each client as an individual, protecting them, communicating effectively to teach  clients patience within the legal process, and navigating the challenges that inevitably come with  a high-stakes, high-reward legal profession. 

“Taking on cases is an enormous responsibility to not just clients but also their families. We hear  a lot of tragedies, but we must do everything in our power to remain objective so we can  effectively help. If you fall too deeply into these tragedies, you are unable to help,” Schochor  says. 

For Schochor, it is the thousands of rebuilt lives and the triumphs of justice that make it all worth  it. “We’ve established a law firm that has and will stand the test of time,” he concludes. “I’m  proud to be known as a highly successful practitioner who consistently practices at the highest  level and has never compromised integrity.”