Steven Popps leverages his government experience to represent clients in litigation, investigations, and enforcement actions. An experienced litigator who is also adept at helping clients navigate sensitive and high-profile issues, Steven brings exceptional insight gained from senior leadership positions in the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and more than a decade of private practice. As co-leader of the firm’s State Attorney General Enforcement & Investigations team, he provides clients with strategic counsel on matters involving state attorneys general, multistate enforcement actions, government investigations, regulatory compliance challenges, and complex commercial litigation.
Steven recently returned to McGuireWoods after serving in senior leadership roles at the Virginia Office of the Attorney General. As Chief Deputy Attorney General of Virginia, Steven led an office of more than 600 employees and set legal strategy for Virginia’s agencies, boards, and officials on civil, criminal, and regulatory matters. He also previously served as the Deputy Attorney General in charge of the office’s civil division, including oversight of consumer protection enforcement, utilities regulation, and civil rights matters. During his time in government, Steven served as Virginia’s top litigator, working closely with both the Governor of Virginia and the Attorney General of Virginia on the Commonwealth’s most important and sensitive legal matters, including enterprise crisis management. Steven also delivered argument on behalf of Virginia in numerous highly publicized court cases, including defending executive orders issued by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Before his government service, Steven spent more than a decade at McGuireWoods representing businesses and executives in high-stakes disputes across state and federal courts. His practice focuses on litigation, state attorney general investigations and enforcement, and other matters before state and federal administrative agencies.
Steven began his legal career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson of the Eastern District of Virginia. In law school, he was a lead articles editor of the William and Mary Law Review. Prior to law school, Steven worked on the staff of United States Senator John W. Warner of Virginia.
- Representation of a privately-held business in connection with breach of contract and corporate dissolution claims.
- Representation of a financial firm in several disputes and lawsuits.
- Representation of several corporate trustees in connection with fiduciary matters and lawsuits.
- Representation of a financial institution in various litigation in federal and state courts throughout the country.
- Representation of a court-appointed special receiver overseeing a high-profile residential property in the City of Richmond.
- Represented a corporation in state and federal litigation related to an acquisition.
- Counseling and advice to chief executive officer of startup business venture.
- Counseling and advice to multiple corporate clients regarding political law compliance.
- Represented a company in bench trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on breach of contract claims.
- Representation of an insurance company in several class actions brought in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Representation of a financial institution in a grand jury investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and SIGTARP alleging misadministration of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which resulted in a non-criminal resolution.
- Represented a trustee in a lawsuit alleging breach of fiduciary duty.
- Tried a civil rights case to a jury in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Counseled former chief executive of a corporation regarding business disputes.
- Represented a university as plaintiff in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond in civil litigation alleging violations of Virginia’s Fraud Against Taxpayers Act and other violations of Virginia law.
- Representation of a family business in fiduciary litigation.
- Represented a bank in state court regarding garnishment matters.
- Represented a credit card corporation in connection with consumer litigation.
- Representation of a special servicer in connection with a receivership petition concerning commercial real estate.
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021, 2022
- Named to “Legal Elite,” Administrative/Government/Legislative, Virginia Business, 2025
- Named to “Legal Elite,” Business Law, Virginia Business, 2015-2021
- Named to “Virginia Rising Stars,” Business Litigation, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2019, 2020
- Appointed in 2019 to Merit Selection Panel by the judges of the Eastern District of Virginia to identify and recommend candidates for vacant federal magistrate judge position