Biography
Vasil L. Kirifides is a founding partner of Schmidt, Kirifides, Rassias, & Rio and has devoted his legal career to representing injured workers in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation cases for more than three decades. Since 1990, Vasil has been recognized for his deep command of workers’ compensation law and his disciplined, results driven approach to litigation on behalf of injured workers.
Vasil represents injured workers in the full range of workers’ compensation matters, including new injury claims, denied claims, wage loss disputes, medical treatment issues, utilization review, independent medical examinations, penalties, and settlements. He routinely litigates cases from their earliest stages through hearings, appeals, and final resolution, and is respected for his preparation, strategic judgment, and persistence in contested matters.
In addition to his trial level practice, Vasil has argued and won numerous workers’ compensation cases before the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. His appellate advocacy has resulted in multiple precedent setting decisions that continue to be relied upon by claimants, attorneys, and courts throughout the state. Notable cases include Sebastiano, involving an injured worker harmed as the innocent victim of workplace horseplay, and Heffernan, which addressed workers’ compensation benefits arising from complications related to opioid medications prescribed for a work injury.
Vasil’s work has earned consistent recognition from peers and clients alike. He has been selected to Pennsylvania Super Lawyers each year from 2021 through 2026 and has been named a Top Lawyer by Main Line Today and The Delaware County Daily Times. His experience and appellate record have made him a respected authority in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law.
Vasil was raised in the region and earned his undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University in 1985, followed by his law degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1990. He continues to practice in Pennsylvania, bringing decades of experience and judgment to the representation of injured workers throughout the Commonwealth.
Current Employment Position
- Founding and Managing Operations Partner
