Steptoe & Johnson
Encyclopedia
Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an international law firm
recognized for representation of clients before governmental agencies, advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, and advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has 500 lawyers in offices in Beijing
, Brussels
, Century City, Chicago
, London
, Los Angeles
, New York
, Phoenix
, and Washington, D.C.
.
, classmates from the University of Virginia School of Law
, formed Steptoe & Johnson in 1913 in Clarksburg, WV. In 1928, Steptoe & Johnson opened an office in Charleston, WV, to meet the expanding legislative and regulatory work available in the state capital. Meanwhile, Col. Johnson helped found the American Legion, bringing national prominence to himself and the firm when he served as the organization’s commander in the mid-1930s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
appointed Col. Johnson deputy secretary of war in 1937.
After leaving the Roosevelt administration, Col. Johnson opened the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson in 1945. Shortly thereafter, Col. Johnson was again tapped for public service, this time by President Harry S. Truman
, for whom he served as secretary of defense until 1950.
The firm’s Washington office grew quickly under Col. Johnson’s influence. Among its first clients were the members of the growing airlines industry, as well as pipelines, railroads, and foreign companies whose assets had been seized during World War II. In assisting these clients and building on a string of successful representations, Steptoe gained a solid national and international reputation as a prominent firm in regulatory law, tax, and international trade.
In 1980, the firm began a period of dynamic growth, starting with the amicable separation of the Washington and West Virginia offices. The West Virginia firm known as Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is still based in Clarksburg, WV.
In 1987, a combination of client needs and business opportunities led to the opening of a Steptoe office in Phoenix. Phoenix was just the beginning. From 1997 on, the firm began rapidly expanding geographically. During this time, Steptoe opened offices in Los Angeles (1997); London (2001); Brussels (2002); New York (2005); Century City, CA (2006); Chicago (2007); and Beijing (2010).
The firm’s attorneys have continued Col. Johnson’s legacy of government service, with dozens of Steptoe attorneys having served in high-level government positions. The firm also has a strong and long-standing commitment to pro bono service and community involvement in all of the cities in which it has offices.
, telecommunications and internet/e-commerce, intellectual property
, energy and natural resources
, transportation, major litigation (including insurance coverage, toxic tort
, employment
, and general commercial litigation), antitrust
/competition, corporate transactions, tax planning and litigation, pension
benefits, and white-collar criminal investigations.
project, known as Action for Children of Trafficking (ACT) to provide direct assistance to victims of international child trafficking and address the systemic obstacles that confront them.
The firm’s attorneys also contribute significantly to pro bono matters in the following areas:
Steptoe’s public service activities — whether performed by the firm or by individual attorneys — have been honored by the District of Columbia Bar, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, the Children’s Law Center, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, the Washington Council of Lawyers, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
, the Volunteer Lawyers’ Project, the Public International Law & Policy Group
, the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, the Service members’ Legal Defense Fund, and the Solicitor’s Pro Bono Group in London.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
recognized for representation of clients before governmental agencies, advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, and advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has 500 lawyers in offices in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Century City, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
History
Philip Steptoe and Col. Louis A. 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....
, classmates from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
, formed Steptoe & Johnson in 1913 in Clarksburg, WV. In 1928, Steptoe & Johnson opened an office in Charleston, WV, to meet the expanding legislative and regulatory work available in the state capital. Meanwhile, Col. Johnson helped found the American Legion, bringing national prominence to himself and the firm when he served as the organization’s commander in the mid-1930s. 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...
appointed Col. Johnson deputy secretary of war in 1937.
After leaving the Roosevelt administration, Col. Johnson opened the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson in 1945. Shortly thereafter, Col. Johnson was again tapped for public service, this time by 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...
, for whom he served as secretary of defense until 1950.
The firm’s Washington office grew quickly under Col. Johnson’s influence. Among its first clients were the members of the growing airlines industry, as well as pipelines, railroads, and foreign companies whose assets had been seized during World War II. In assisting these clients and building on a string of successful representations, Steptoe gained a solid national and international reputation as a prominent firm in regulatory law, tax, and international trade.
In 1980, the firm began a period of dynamic growth, starting with the amicable separation of the Washington and West Virginia offices. The West Virginia firm known as Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is still based in Clarksburg, WV.
In 1987, a combination of client needs and business opportunities led to the opening of a Steptoe office in Phoenix. Phoenix was just the beginning. From 1997 on, the firm began rapidly expanding geographically. During this time, Steptoe opened offices in Los Angeles (1997); London (2001); Brussels (2002); New York (2005); Century City, CA (2006); Chicago (2007); and Beijing (2010).
The firm’s attorneys have continued Col. Johnson’s legacy of government service, with dozens of Steptoe attorneys having served in high-level government positions. The firm also has a strong and long-standing commitment to pro bono service and community involvement in all of the cities in which it has offices.
Reputation
Steptoe and its attorneys routinely receive top rankings in many practice areas by organizations including Chambers, the Legal 500, the American Lawyer, and the Who’s Who Legal, to name just a few publications.Practices
Steptoe’s main areas of practice include Litigation, Business Solutions, Regulatory and Industry Affairs, International, and Technology. According to Chambers and Partners, Steptoe offers leading practices in the following areas: international tradeInternational trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
, telecommunications and internet/e-commerce, intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
, energy and natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, transportation, major litigation (including insurance coverage, toxic tort
Toxic tort
A toxic tort is a special type of personal injury lawsuit in which the plaintiff claims that exposure to a chemical caused the plaintiff's injury or disease.-Different types:...
, employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, and general commercial litigation), antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
/competition, corporate transactions, tax planning and litigation, pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
benefits, and white-collar criminal investigations.
Pro Bono
Steptoe is engaged in a significant pro bonoPro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
project, known as Action for Children of Trafficking (ACT) to provide direct assistance to victims of international child trafficking and address the systemic obstacles that confront them.
The firm’s attorneys also contribute significantly to pro bono matters in the following areas:
- Civil LibertiesCivil libertiesCivil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
and Civil RightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include... - Community Economic Development
- Criminal
- DisabilityDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
- EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- The Elderly
- EmploymentEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
- Family LawFamily lawFamily law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
- Housing and HomelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
- Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
- Not-for-Profit Corporations
- TaxTaxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
Steptoe’s public service activities — whether performed by the firm or by individual attorneys — have been honored by the District of Columbia Bar, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, the Children’s Law Center, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, the Washington Council of Lawyers, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
, the Volunteer Lawyers’ Project, the Public International Law & Policy Group
Public International Law & Policy Group
The Public International Law & Policy Group is a non-profit organization, operating as a global pro bono law firm providing free legal assistance to developing states and sub-state entities involved in conflicts. To facilitate the utilization of this legal assistance, PILPG also provides policy...
, the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, the Service members’ Legal Defense Fund, and the Solicitor’s Pro Bono Group in London.
Recent Awards & Rankings
- The World Finance Legal Awards have named Steptoe and Johnson LLP as the Best Energy Team (US) (2010)
- Best Lawyers named Roger E. Warin the Washington, DC Insurance Lawyer of the Year and Reid H. Weingarten the Washington, DC Criminal Defense: White-Collar Lawyer of the Year (2010)
- Best Lawyers ranked 44 Steptoe attorneys (2010)
- Chambers UK ranked three practice areas and six attorneys (2010)
- Chambers Global ranked 10 practice areas and 24 attorneys (2010)
- Chambers USA ranked 45 attorneys and 19 practice areas (2009)
- Chambers Europe ranked Steptoe a leading firm and Darren Abrahams a leading individual in the Environment: Regulatory section (2009)
- Chambers Asia ranked Susan Esserman and Charles Schill (2009)
- Legal 500 US recognized 21 attorneys and eight practice areas (2009)
- Legal 500 UK ranked 11 practice areas (2009)
- Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa (2009)
- Legal Experts European Edition ranked five attorneys (2009)
- Legal Experts UK Edition ranked eight attorneys (2009)
- Super Lawyers ranked 61 US attorneys (2009)
- Washingtonian magazine named six Steptoe attorneys Top Lawyers and Reid Weingarten was selected as one of “30 Stars of the Bar” (2009)
- Legal TimesLegal TimesLegal Times is a weekly legal newspaper based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by ALM....
selected Brian Heberlig as a top “40 under 40” rising legal star (2009) - David Roll has been named a Purpose Prize Fellow, an honor for social entrepreneurs over 60 who are using their experience and passion to take on society’s biggest challenges (2009)
- Working Mother Media and Flex-Time Lawyers named Steptoe a “Best Law Firm for Women” (2009)
- Human Resources Executive named Paul Ondrasik a Top Ten ERISA Attorney in the US (2009)
Offices
- Beijing
- Brussels
- Century City
- Chicago
- London
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Phoenix
- Washington, DC