WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CLARKSBURG -– The law firm of Steptoe & Johnson has announced that the construction phase of the firm's new building along the Interstate 79 Corridor has begun.

A contemporary, 4-story, 78,000 square foot facility located at White Oaks, a high-end business park, is expected to be completed by October 2010. West Virginia's largest law firm will be the lead occupant in the building that will also bear the Steptoe & Johnson name.

"As Morgantown, Fairmont and Clarksburg become a single economic area, we want to be closer to the center of these developments," said Susan Brewer, CEO of the firm. "This relocation is a reflection of our confidence in the market's recovery and a commitment to the growing potential of north central West Virginia."

Brewer said the move reflects an understanding of client service, legal recruitment and modern workplace environment.

"We recognize that today's lawyers and professional staff members, particularly younger individuals, want to work in a state-of-the art complex," she said. "This enthusiasm translates into increased efforts to provide the best possible legal services to our clients."

According to a release, Steptoe & Johnson's new home office will reflect characteristics for which the firm has gained its reputation: client-centered, technologically savvy, collegial, and responsive. In addition, the firm will continue to focus its attention on supporting new and existing industries that move into the area.

"The new office environment will be exactly what people expect from a modern law firm," said Gary W. Nickerson, managing member of the Clarksburg office. "After nearly a century of providing legal services to clients in this region, we feel it is a natural step for a firm of our size and culture. We are reinvesting in the area that our firm calls home."

Steptoe & Johnson was established in Clarksburg and gained prominence in the fields of banking, insurance, litigation, mineral and public utility law. Today, Steptoe & Johnson is a business-focused firm with strengths in energy, labor and employment and litigation.

With more than 185 lawyers and a support staff over 300, Steptoe & Johnson maintains eight offices throughout West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

For more information, visit the firm's Web site at www.steptoe-johnson.com.