Ralph Bean
CHARLESTON -- Ralph J. Bean Jr., a member in the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, has been named Foundation Fellow by the West Virginia Bar Foundation.
The Fellows Program recognizes outstanding leaders of the legal profession in West Virginia. He will join a distinguished group of lawyers and judges whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and honorable service to the legal profession. The individuals selected to become Foundation Fellows reflect the diverse nature of the legal profession in West Virginia.
Bean concentrates his practice in the areas of economic development, international and domestic business matters. He has an extensive background in government relations, public utility and energy concerns.
He began his practice as corporate counsel for C&P Telephone Companies. Bean served as Elections Chief in the office of then-Secretary of State Jay Rockefeller from 1970 to 1972.
In 1974, he joined the Consolidated Natural Gas System (CNG) as corporate counsel and was appointed general counsel of Hope Gas Inc. in 1984.
In 1986, he was named president of Hope Gas and held this position until December 1995 when he joined Steptoe & Johnson as a member of the firm.
A recognized West Virginia business leader, Bean co-chaired the Economic Development Task Force for Gov. Bob Wise's Transition Team. He is a member and past chair of the West Virginia Council for Community & Economic Development, which is responsible for the State's economic development strategy; is chair of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies & Development at West Virginia University; is past Chair of the West Virginia Business Roundtable, an organization for West Virginia CEO's; and is past chair of the I-79 Development Council, a regional economic development group in north central West Virginia. He has participated in two West Virginia trade missions to Asia and serves on the boards of: Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation; West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation; WVU Foundation; Huntington National Bank West Virginia; National Technology Transfer Center; and the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute.
Bean is past Chair of the West Virginia Oil & Natural Gas Association, the West Virginia State Election Commission and the Young Lawyers Section of the West Virginia State Bar. He was the 1993 recipient of the Order of Vandalia award for distinguished service presented by WVU and received the University's Most Loyal West Virginian award in 1992.
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has provided customized legal services to business, industry, and public entities in West Virginia and the region for nearly a century. With more than 160 lawyers and a support staff of over 200, Steptoe & Johnson maintains six offices throughout West Virginia.
For more information, visit www.steptoe-johnson.com