- Managing Member: Susan S Brewer, CEO
Firm Overview:
Steptoe & Johnson is a business focused firm with strengths in energy, employment, labor and litigation, supporting 30 areas of practice. The firm is AV Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Over 275 lawyers resident in fourteen locations in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
Main Areas of Practice:
Energy:
Formed nearly a century ago to represent clients in the energy industry; today the firm represents top energy producers and suppliers throughout the nation, including traditional energy companies and shale gas producers. The energy practice is ranked #1 in various energy practice areas in PA, OH, and WV by The Best Lawyers in America® 2012. Steptoe & Johnson’s Energy Team provides:
• 100 years of Appalachian Basin energy experience
• Multi-billion dollar oil and gas transactions in the Marcellus and Utica shales
• Governmental affairs support to national energy developers
• Largest mineral title practice group in the Appalachian Basin
• 100 energy attorneys and 100 paraprofessionals
Experience:
• FERC compliance/midstream
• Lead transactional acquisition experience, including recent oil and gas equity acquisition valued at over $150 million
• Experience in private placements for natural gas drilling programs with IDC tax credits
• Lead counsel in dispositions and monetizations of a substantial block of Utica shale acreage including negotiation and sale of assets to Texas-based company
• Local counsel experience in recent multi-billion dollar oil and gas transactions in OH, WV and PA
• Permit and environmental due diligence teams for a mineral acquisition involving over 100,000 acres of reserves
Labor & Employment Law:
Steptoe & Johnson’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group represents employers in all aspects of labor, employment, employee benefits, and occupational injury law. Group lawyers help clients address management issues as well as adversarial matters in industries such as energy, manufacturing, education, health care, construction, and natural resources. The labor and employment practice is ranked #1 in WV by The Best Lawyers in America® 2012.
Experience:
• Defended discrimination claims of race, gender, age, disability, religion and national origin in state and federal court, as well as claims brought before the EEOC and state human rights agencies in WV, KY, PA, LA, TN, NY, FL and SC
• Litigated several multi-million dollar discrimination lawsuits involving known government contractor
• Negotiated pre-suit settlements for clients in sensitive employment matters
Real Estate & Natural Resources:
Steptoe & Johnson provides comprehensive legal services to real estate developers, commercial banks and lending institutions, governmental entities, energy companies, buyers and sellers of business assets and investors. The group’s broad experience positions the firm at the forefront of the legal profession in the region. The real estate practice is ranked #1 in WV by The Best Lawyers in America® 2012. The natural resources practice is also ranked #1 in OH and WV by The Best Lawyers in America® 2012.
Litigation:
Steptoe & Johnson litigators have built a reputation in trial and appellate courts based on a strong record in dealing with complex cases. The firm is recognized for providing clients with common sense advice to help clients reach their litigation goals. Knowing that cost control is a critical factor in any successful strategy, their attorneys are also adept at analysis, budgeting and alternative dispute resolution. Thirty individual litigators are recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012.
Experience:
• Lead counsel energy litigation experience, including defense of claims in excess of $250 million regarding allegations of contract breach, fraud and tortious interference in a natural gas measurement dispute
• Defended an oil and gas producer in a dispute over ownership of oil and gas rights worth over $70 million
• Defended a Fortune 100 coal company in a $100 million fraud and breach of contract action
• Represented Fortune 500 insurance carriers in litigation where plaintiffs sued more than 400 insurance companies for violations of state Unfair Trade Practices Act
Environmental:
Steptoe & Johnson’s environmental attorneys are seasoned litigators who handle commercial and energy related litigation in high profile cases, and experienced counselors who help clients to meet environmental obligations. The group counsels clients on environmental issues including industry and penalty and enforcement actions, site remediation and planning, hazardous and solid waste disposal permitting and enforcement. Five environmental attorneys are recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 in environmental law.