Stephen's experience includes defending clients in toxic tort, environmental, products liability and professional liability cases. He also has extensive experience representing clients in the alcoholic beverage industry in regulatory, licensing and franchise litigation matters. He also represents self-insured clients in occupational disease and catastrophic injury claims.
Steve is the former chair of the firm's toxic tort and environmental litigation department, and formerly served as a member of the firm's Executive Committee and Board of Partners.
President, 2010; President-Elect, 2009; Board of Governors, Chair, 2008; Chair, Civil Litigation Section, 2003; Chair, Young Lawyers Section, 1990, Virginia Bar Association
President, 2018; Board of Directors, 2011-present; Vice President, 2016; The Virginia Law Foundation
Board of Directors, Legal Services Corporation of Virginia, 2011-2013
Member, Boyd-Graves Conference, 2005-present
Member, Board of Trustees, 1998-2007, President, 2001-2002, United States Law Firm Group, Inc.
Member, Defense Research Institute
Member, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
Member; Standing Committee on Lawyers Public Service Responsibility, 1986-1989, American Bar Association
Chairman, Board of Directors, 2000; Board of Directors, 1993-2008, Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Member, Board of Governors, 2004-2010, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, Virginia
Troop Committee Member, Boy Scout Troop 444, 2003-2007
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, 2005-2022; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2019-2022; Woodward/White, Inc.
Selected for inclusion in America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: Products Liability, Virginia, Chambers USA, 2014-2021
Named to "Virginia Super Lawyers," Civil Litigation Defense, Class Action/Mass Torts, Administrative Law, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2008-2021; Named to Virginia Top 100, 2020
Named "Lawyer of the Year," Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Richmond, The Best Lawyers, 2021
Named a "Local Litigation Star," Virginia, Benchmark Litigation, 2013, 2016, 2018
Selected for inclusion as a "Leading Lawyer," Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Consumer Products, Toxic Tort - Defense, Legal 500 US, 2016-2018
Selected for inclusion as a "Leading Lawyer," Transport: Rail And Road, Virginia, Legal 500 US, 2017
Named to Virginia's "Legal Elite," Civil Litigation, Virginia Business, 2013-2015
Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 2013
Fellow, Virginia Law Foundation, 2012
AV Rated; Top Rated - AV Lawyer in Mass Tort Litigation, Martindale-Hubbell