Legal News

Jeff Lundy, Lawyer for Punxsatawney Phil

By Peter Lattman

With the Super Bowl Sunday and Super Tuesday clogging the airwaves, Punxsutawney Phil got short shrifted on Saturday, but the Law Blog was paying attention. The little guy saw his shadow, portending six more weeks of winter. Click here for the story.

We checked in this morning with Jeff Lundy, the lawyer for Punxsatawney Phil. We first discovered Lundy last year. The 56-year-old Ohio Northern Law School graduate is a Punxsutawney native and is the solicitor for the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. Lundy said despite Phil’s being overshadowed by football and presidential politics, the Groundhog Day ceremony had its largest turnout ever this year, in part because it fell on a weekend.

Lundy is also partner in Lukehart & Lundy, a three-man general practice firm. He says the firm had a fantastic year, including a seven-figure settlement in a personal-injury case. He also spoke fondly of his son Jay Lundy, a 28-year-old lawyer who joined the three-man firm a couple of years ago after his Ohio Northern Law. “He has a good chance of making partner,” hinted Lundy.

But Phil is the firm’s most demanding client. In the past year he’s sent out a few dozen “cease and desist” letters against those looking to exploit Phil’s good name. There’s also the trademark work — he recently spent a day or two working on the release language for the Food Network’s show “Dinner Impossible,” which filmed an episode at Gobblers Knob that will be broadcast this spring.

Phil also presents other challenges as a client. “The work can get a little sparse from November to February when he’s hibernating,” said Lundy. “So I represent other animals.” Like who? “Well, we do pick up a lot of pain and suffering cases from deer,” he said, playfully. Lundy also reps Punxsutawney Phil for free. “I’m not happy about it,” says Lundy. “But what am I going to do?”

He notes some synergies between his clients. When Phil saw his shadow Saturday morning, Lundy immediately received an email from a natural-gas producer in the area who he represents. “Phil’s great,” said the email. “Natural gas prices are going up!”

So while personal-injury and natural-gas client pay the bills, one thing is clear: the cute marmot is Lundy’s No. 1 client. “Some lawyers have the opportunity to argue before the United States Supreme Court,” he told us last year. “But only one represents Punxsutawney Phil.”

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on February 04, 2008 (boomark / email).