PERSONNEL FILE: Steptoe & Johnson attorneys names in The Best Lawyers of America

CLARKSBURG -- Fifty-two of Steptoe & Johnson's attorneys representing offices throughout West Virginia and Ohio are honored in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for distinguished work in their legal specialties.

In addition, the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson has been ranked first in West Virginia with 50 attorneys recognized in Best Lawyers. The firm has also been ranked first throughout West Virginia in the following categories:

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Appellate Law with 3 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Commercial Litigation with 5 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Energy Law with 5 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Health Care Law with 3 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Labor and Employment Law with 7 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Medical Malpractice Law with 3 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Oil & Gas Law with 4 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Public Finance Law with 3 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Real Estate Law with 6 attorneys

* Ranked #1 in West Virginia in Tax Law with 3 attorneys

"We are honored to have 52 of our attorneys recognized by their peers as the best of the best in the legal field," said Steptoe & Johnson CEO, Robert M. Steptoe, Jr. "The attorneys selected for this accolade reflect the diversity and strength of the firm's many areas of practice."

The Best Lawyers list is compiled through an extensive peer-review study of thousands of the top lawyers across the country. The following attorneys have been selected:

* Laurie C. Barbe – Insurance Law

* Kenneth J. Barton, Jr. – Real Estate Law

* Michael W. Barill – Tax Law

* Rodney L. Bean – Appellate Law

* Ralph J. Bean – Energy Law

* Armando F. Benincasa – Water Law

* Henry C. Bowen – Workers' Compensation Law

* Michael L. Bray – Bankruptcy & Creditor-Debtor Rights Law

* Susan S. Brewer – Legal Malpractice Law; Medical Malpractice Law; Personal Injury Litigation

* George E. Carenbauer – Government Relations Law

* Bridge M. Cohee – Legal Malpractice Law

* Bryan R. Cokeley – Labor & Employment Law

* Vincent A. Collins – Public Finance Law

* Gordon H. Copland – Antitrust Law; Health Care Law

* Patrick D. Deem – Corporate Law; Energy Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil & Gas Law; Real Estate Law

* David E. Dick – Labor & Employment Law

* Louis E. Enderle, Jr. – Real Estate Law

* Sharon O. Flanery – Energy Law; Mining Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil & Gas Law

* William E. Galeota – Commercial Litigation; Medical Malpractice Law; Personal Injury Litigation

* Brian D. Gallagher – Real Estate Law

* Charles F. Johns – Medical Malpractice Law

* John H. Johnston – Oil & Gas Law

* Patrick D. Kelly – Health Care Law

* Evans L. King, Jr. – Banking Law; Corporate Law

* W. Henry Lawrence – Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; Natural Resources Law

* Douglas G. Lee – Workers' Compensation Law

* Lucien G. Lewin – Insurance Law; Personal Injury Litigation

* Richard L. Lewis – Environmental Law

* Randall C. Light – Real Estate Law

* E. Dandridge McDonald – Energy Law

* Steven P. McGowan – Energy Law

* John R. Merinar, Jr. – Labor & Employment Law

* Katerina E. Milenkovski – Environmental Law

* C. David Morrison – Labor & Employment Law; Mining Law

* Gary W. Nickerson – Workers' Compensation Law

* Jeffrey K. Phillips – Personal Injury Litigation

* Robert D. Pollitt – Mining Law

* Patricia Proctor – Oil & Gas Law

* Ancil G. Ramey – Appellate Law; Commercial Litigation

* Larry J. Rector – Labor & Employment Law

* James A. Russell – Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Natural Resources Law; Real Estate Law

* Robert M. Steptoe, Jr. – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Commercial Litigation; Labor & Employment Law

* H. Toney Stroud – Workers' Compensation Law

* Joanna I. Tabit – Appellate Law

* John C. Stump – Project Finance Law; Public Finance Law

* Thomas A. Vorbach – Tax Law

* Kevin A. Wiggins – Employee Benefits Law

* L. Frederick Williams, Jr. – Corporate Law; Project Finance Law; Public Finance Law; Structured Finance Law; Tax Law; Trusts & Estates

* Walter L. Williams – Health Care Law

* William D. Wilmoth – Commercial Litigation; White-Collar Criminal Defense

* James M. Wilson – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Personal Injury Litigation

* Richard M. Yurko, Jr. – Labor & Employment Law

Steptoe has been featured in the publication for more than 20 years, while Deem, King and McDonald have been listed as Best Lawyers for more than 10 years.

Established in 1913, Steptoe & Johnson's attorneys frequently appear in surveys listing top practitioners – publications such as Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business and America's Greatest Places to Work with a Law Degree - and it has achieved the highest rating given by Martindale-Hubbell.

Published biennially since 1983, The Best Lawyers in America is widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. The Best Lawyers list represents 80 specialties in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
The referral guide is subscribed to by more than 4,000 of the leading law firms in the U.S. and abroad, and by more than 1,000 of the world's largest corporations. For twenty years, law firms and major corporations have used Best Lawyers to locate counsel in unfamiliar jurisdictions for major legal matters.