Cynthia Porta-Clark has spent her entire career advocating for the rights of thousands of individuals who have become injured or disabled due to no fault of her own. She has litigated personal injury claims throughout all of Pennsylvania and into West Virginia and has done appellate work for her clients, arguing their cases before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. She has represented clients in all aspects of workers’ compensation cases in order to secure for them the benefits they deserve and desperately need. She has also assisted her clients in social security disability and unemployment compensation claims, as many of her cases have overlapping claims for benefits in various areas of law.

Cynthia is a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania. She attended undergraduate school at Dickinson College, where she played basketball for the Centennial Conference championship team, graduating in 1995 cum laude. She graduated law school from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1998. She is admitted to the practice of law in Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

She is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania State Bar, the West Virginia State Bar, and the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. She was elected as a “Rising Star” with the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in 2007-2008, 2010-2013, an award and election bestowed by her peers for her reputation and litigation abilities. She was also elected a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer from 2014-2025. She was named a Top Attorney in Pennsylvania from 2019-2024 and a Top Attorney in Pittsburgh from 2019-2022. She was named among America’s Most Honored Professionals in 2015 and America’s Most Honored Lawyers from 2020-2024.

Cynthia is married and is the mother of two wonderful sons. She is an avid dog lover, outdoor enthusiast, gardener, crafter, and enjoys going to the gym and attending theater.

James C. Ward has devoted his entire legal career to serving the injured and disabled by protecting his client’s rights and advocating on their behalf. For 25 years, Jim has handled thousands of cases, including civil personal injury claims, workers compensation claims, and Social Security Disability claims. Proud to be well versed in these areas of the law, Jim has frequently been a “one-stop” attorney for a client who can singularly represent a client who suffered a work-related accident and disability due to another’s negligence. Over his career, Jim has litigated personal injury and workers’ compensation claims throughout western Pennsylvania and has handled Social Security cases from initial application throughout the appellate process, including appeals to the Federal District Court. Jim is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Jim is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, coming from a humble, blue-collar background. Being raised by the owner of a small business, he developed a strong work ethic and solution-oriented attitude early on in life. Originally enrolled in the School of Pharmacy, James graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science. However, it was during this time that he discovered his true passion for law. Jim thereafter attended Duquesne University’s School of Law and graduated cum laude in 2000 with his Juris Doctorate. Over the course of his career, Jim has been nominated for various awards, including “Rising Star,” “Who’s Who Among Lawyers,” and “Elite Lawyer,” to name a few. Nonetheless, Jim believes his biggest compliment comes when a client or a peer refers and recommends his services to their friends and family members. Over the years, Jim has developed a stellar reputation and relationship with the bar and among the respective Judges and Administrative Law Judges before whom he practices.

Believing that “nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion” (as quoted by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel), Jim is passionate about the law and his family. In the latter regard, Jim is a proud husband, father, brother, and son. In his free time, he enjoys spending family time (especially game nights); spending time outdoors with his two dogs, golfing, and supporting our local sports teams.

Finn focuses his practice on representing people who are not only injured but are often also being devalued and sometimes deceived by insurance companies. He represents the individuals going up against the large corporations that insure bad drivers, negligent property owners, and the makers of improperly designed products. Finn also helps individuals who get hurt at work but are then ineffectively or improperly informed of their rights and obligations or who are deceived, misinformed, or otherwise discounted by their employers and workers’ compensation insurance companies. Finn is able to help people deal with the labyrinth, which is the Social Security Disability process, taking claims all the way to Federal Court if necessary. He wants you to know that if he is the attorney you sign up with, he will be the attorney who handles your claim through to its conclusion. His clients are always able to reach out to him directly with questions or about anything else to do with their case.

Originally from Columbus Ohio, Finn attended Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where he earned a full scholarship and a B.A. in English. He then earned a full scholarship to Duquesne University School of Law, graduating cum laude in 2008. After stints in the fields of electronic discovery, oil and gas, and mortgage and titles, he began to work in personal injury with Porta Clark and Ward. He has tried cases before arbitration panels and juries throughout Western Pennsylvania. He has represented clients before Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability, and Unemployment Judges. Finn has been with Porta Clark and Ward since 2011, representing injured individuals whose lives have been turned upside down. He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, and is admitted to practice in both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Tammy Kelly is the Firm Administrator/Operations Manager at Porta-Clark & Ward, LLC. She is a native of Bethel Park, PA. She brings over 25 years of experience in the Legal Assistant field and over 12 years of experience in the Administrative/Management role. Tammy is dedicated to enhancing organizational efficiency. With her great communication and critical thinking skills, Tammy works smoothly with everyone, including our clients. It is her goal to help build a strong relationship with our clients and colleagues.

Outside of work, Tammy is happily married and a proud mother of a successful son and daughter. Tammy enjoys candle making (for her small family-owned business) and spending time with her family hiking, fishing, and hunting. She loves spending family time at her cabin. Being with nature gives her a sense of beautiful peace.