Steptoe & Johnson (West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a regional law firm in the U.S. with 11 offices in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It is one of the largest law firms in the region employing over 200 lawyers in 30 practice areas. The firm has particular strengths in energy, labor, employment and litigation and has been top-ranked by Chambers USA in the areas of Corporate/Commercial, Litigation/General Commercial, Real Estate, Natural Resources and Labor & Employment. The firm was also ranked in the 100 largest U.S. practices in the areas of employment, energy, and insurance.
, Philip P. Steptoe was the son of an Episcopal minister. He graduated from Virginia Law School in 1902 and soon became known as one of the leading chancery lawyers in West Virginia. Possessing a "keen analytical mind and sense of equality", Steptoe was considered quiet, reserved and very scholarly.
was born in Roanoke, Virginia
in 1891. He was a heavyweight boxer and wrestler, graduated from Virginia Law School and traveled to West Virginia to launch his legal career. Known as "The Colonel", Johnson was a dignified, outgoing man. He served as the Assistant Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and was the Secretary of Defense under the President Harry S. Truman
.
History
The origins of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC date back to 1913. The firm was established in Clarksburg, West Virginia by Philip P. Steptoe and Louis A. Johnson, distinguished graduates of the University of Virginia Law School. The two men met when Johnson, preparing to take his first case before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, sought a mentor and approached Steptoe, an established attorney ten years his senior, who had a 'fine reputation as a low-key, methodical, and scholarly attorney.' They took an immediate liking to one another, complemented one another and attracted prominent clients.Philip P. Steptoe
Born in 1877 in Brandy Station, VirginiaBrandy Station, Virginia
Brandy Station is an unincorporated community in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. Its original name was Brandy. The name Brandy Station comes from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad station that was constructed in the 19th century....
, Philip P. Steptoe was the son of an Episcopal minister. He graduated from Virginia Law School in 1902 and soon became known as one of the leading chancery lawyers in West Virginia. Possessing a "keen analytical mind and sense of equality", Steptoe was considered quiet, reserved and very scholarly.
Louis A. Johnson
Louis Arthur JohnsonLouis A. Johnson
Louis Arthur Johnson was the second United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from March 28, 1949 to September 19, 1950....
was born in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
in 1891. He was a heavyweight boxer and wrestler, graduated from Virginia Law School and traveled to West Virginia to launch his legal career. Known as "The Colonel", Johnson was a dignified, outgoing man. He served as the Assistant Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and was the Secretary of Defense under the President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
.
Offices
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has 11 offices in the continental U.S.:- BridgeportBridgeport, West VirginiaBridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,306 at the 2000 census.The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, John Simpson entered the area and gave his name to Simpson Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816....
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
- CharlestonCharleston, West VirginiaCharleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
- ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
- HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- HuntingtonHuntington, West VirginiaHuntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
- LexingtonLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
- MartinsburgMartinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
- MeadvilleMeadville, PennsylvaniaMeadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- MorgantownMorgantown, West VirginiaMorgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
- Southpointe, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- WheelingWheeling, West VirginiaWheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
General Timeline
| 1913 | Steptoe & Johnson founded in Clarksburg, West Virginia |
| 1928 | Charleston, West Virginia office opened |
| 1945 | Washington, DC office opened |
| 1980 | Firm amicably divides into two separate law firms (Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Steptoe & Johnson LLP) |
| 1988 | Morgantown, West Virginia office opened |
| 1990 | Martinsburg, West Virginia office opened |
| 1994 | Wheeling, West Virginia office opened |
| 2003 | Huntington, West Virginia office opened |
| 2007 | Columbus, West Virginia office opened |
| 2009 | Lexington, Kentucky office opened |
| 2010 | Relocation of Clarksburg office to Bridgeport, WV |
| 2011 | Houston, Texas office opened |