Steve counsels corporations with respect to complex business, product liability, construction, and real property litigation. He has extensive experience in both the state and federal Courts in all stages of litigation. Steve also represents clients in a variety of administrative actions with various state agencies. He is the former Managing Partner for the Charlotte office, former member of the firmwide Management Committee, and former Chair of the firmwide Finance Committee.
Steve's experience also includes:
- Defending large manufacturers against class action suits
- Acting as national coordinating counsel managing product liability cases
- Successfully representing a large manufacturer in a multimillion dollar vendor/supplier dispute
- Representing major corporations with ongoing state licensing disputes
- Acting as regional counsel, handling all litigation needs for a large development corporation.
In addition to practicing law, Steve is an active Rotarian. He formerly served on the executive board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Central and Western North Carolina and continues to provide pro bono legal assistance. He also chaired the Mecklenburg County Civil Superior Courts Committee that rewrote the 26th Judicial District Superior Court Division Civil Rules.
Education
J.D., cum laude, Paul J. Hergenroeder Award Recipient, Jessup Moot Court, Case Western Reserve University, 1999
Professional Associations
- NC Coalition on Child Care, Strategic Advisor
- Member of the Product Liability Advisory Counsel (PLAC)
- Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Facilities Committee Member
- Charlotte Rotary, Member, Paul Harris Fellow
- Charlotte Film Commission, Board Member
- Mecklenburg County Court System, 2011, Member, Civil Court Committee
- Bar Leadership Institute, past
- Charlotte Chamber Leadership Program, past
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina, past Executive Board Member
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association Professionalism Committee, past Member
- Providence Country Club, Board of Governors, past
- South Carolina Task Force on Court Appointments, past Member
Honors
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Distinguished Leader, Southeastern Legal Awards by American Legal Media (ALM)/Law.com, 2023
- Best Lawyers in America, 2013 – 2024
- Top 20 Managing Partner in North Carolina by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2023
- North Carolina Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2012 – 2024
- North Carolina Legal Elite by Business North Carolina magazine, 2014, 2022
- Top Ranked U.S. Executive, National Council of American Executives, 2014
- Top Rated Commercial Litigation Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell, 2012
- North Carolina Top Rated Lawyer, 2012
- Leaders in the Law, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2011
- Cambridge Who's Who 2010
- North Carolina Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, 2009 – 2010
- North Carolina Law Impact Leader, Business Leader, North Carolina Legal Guide, 2009
- Top Lawyers in North Carolina, Business Leader magazine, 2009
- Charlotte Mover & Shaker, Business Leader magazine, 2009
- Top Lawyers in Charlotte, Business Leader magazine, 2008
- Past Fellow, Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Litigation Counsel of America
Representative Matters
- Represents an international manufacturer of building products as Regional Counsel defending class action product liability cases
- Represents an international manufacturer of appliances as Regional Counsel defending onslaught product liability attacks from the Plaintiff's bar and associated consolidated actions in federal court
- Acted as National Coordinating Counsel for a manufacturer in defending onslaught product liability cases being brought throughout the United States on product specific lines
- Represents many national corporations in high end licensing disputes with the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Ohio
- Successfully defended a manufacturer in a product liability action where the damages sought exceeded $20 million
- Successfully represented a developer in obtaining a Judgment for half of a million dollars in a breach of contract suit
- Successfully represented a manufacturer in a data theft suit, obtaining $4 million in disputed coverage under its insuring policy
- Successfully resolved a multimillion vendor supplier dispute on favorable terms for a large manufacturer