On his ninth grade career day, Jerry Sisk had the occasion to spend the day with a lawyer. He recalled, “He had been involved in a fairly well-publicized trial, and he had a hearing. I found it all very interesting, and I realized that’s what I wanted to do.” Sisk ran into that attorney recently, and he had the opportunity to say thank you for role he had played in helping Sisk find his professional path.
Sisk has lived his whole life in Minnesota, except for the four years he spent earning his undergraduate degree from the prestigious James Madison College at Michigan State University. Through high school and in law school, Sisk worked for his father’s restaurant chain “flipping burgers.” It wasn’t glamorous work, but the commonsense life lessons he got there have served him well as an attorney representing workers’ compensation claims.
“It’s helped me to have a better appreciation for the dichotomy between employers and employees,” he explained. “There is immediate strife between the parties as soon as a claim arises. Each side is upset. The employee wants help and is worried about their job, and the employer is worried about fraud and the cost of liability.”
Sisk began his career doing insurance defense work. This experience provided him with an intimate knowledge of the now opposing side. “I had the opportunity to handle hundreds of employee depositions and thousands of files. I worked with great lawyers and learned something from each one of them. They are all highly respected within the workers’ compensation community, and I look at them as my mentors in many respects.”
Eventually, Sisk felt compelled to begin advocating for workers and he eventually joined the Law Office of Thomas Mottaz. He received a parting gift from a co-worker at his former firm, a lightsaber.
“She said, ‘Make sure you wield it for the good.’ Ever since, I’ve been here representing injured workers. This firm holds the same ideals and values that I have, centered on providing excellent customer service and going the extra step to get benefits for our clients. When I take a case, I’m planning to try it, not settle it quickly and move on. On average, we try a lot of cases, and that’s a good thing for our clients. Our staff works diligently to gather medical support and records, so we have options. I’d put our staff up against any other workers’ compensation firm. I wouldn’t be the attorney I am without them.”
Sisk strives every day to be a better lawyer, in part by staying on top of changes in the law and sharing them with his colleagues. He is a regular contributor to Minnesota Trial Lawyer, a magazine published by the Minnesota Association for Justice; a frequent speaker throughout the state on topics relating to changes in workers’ compensation statutes and new case law; vice president of the Anoka Bar Association; and a mentor to young attorneys.
Sisk is a Super Lawyers Rising Star attorney who maintains a 10.0 Avvo rating, and an integral member of a firm that has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Tier No. 1 law firm representing injured workers in Minnesota. His commitment to justice for injured workers is unwavering.
“I enjoy what I do immensely. It’s why I continue to try to adapt and grow as a professional. I’ve learned a lot along the way, not only about the practice of law, but about the people I represent. Each case isn’t just a file; it’s a person with a family and a career that has been upended. My goal is the same as theirs, to get them the benefits they’re owed.”
