WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CLARKSBURG -– Steptoe & Johnson is pleased to announce that the firm was top-ranked in five practice areas by Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business. In addition, seventeen Steptoe & Johnson attorneys have been ranked as "Leaders in Their Field."

"We are pleased that the firm was top-ranked in five practice areas by Chambers USA," firm CEO Susan Brewer said. "The rankings reflect the firm's strength in the areas of energy, business, litigation, and labor and employment law.

"The number of attorneys selected for these accolades has increased with each year's rankings, reflecting the value our clients place on our relationships."

Each year, Chambers USA conducts in-depth interviews with clients to assess the reputations and expertise of business lawyers across the United States. Attorneys are ranked by their clients on qualities such as technical ability, professional conduct, commitment, client service and commercial awareness.

Steptoe & Johnson was top-ranked in the following areas of law:

* Labor & Employment – West Virginia

* Real Estate – West Virginia

* Corporate/Commercial – West Virginia

* Natural Resources – West Virginia

* Litigation: General Commercial – West Virginia

The following Steptoe & Johnson attorneys are individually recognized by Chambers USA as "Leaders in their Field." David Goddard and John Merinar are joining their peers for the first time in this year's rankings.

* Rodney L. Bean - Labor & Employment – Morgantown

* Susan S. Brewer - Litigation: Healthcare – Morgantown

* Bryan R. Cokeley - Labor & Employment – Charleston

* Patrick D. Deem - Corporate/Commercial; Natural Resources – Clarksburg

* David E. Dick - Labor & Employment – Morgantown

* Louis E. Enderle Jr. - Real Estate – Clarksburg

* Sharon O. Flanery - Natural Resources – Charleston

* William E. Galeota - Litigation: General Commercial – Morgantown

* David E. Goddard - Litigation: General Commercial – Clarksburg

* John R. Merinar Jr. - Labor & Employment – Clarksburg

* C. David Morrison - Labor & Employment – Clarksburg

* Jeffrey K. Phillips - Litigation: General Commercial – Lexington, Ky.

* James A. Russell - Natural Resources – Morgantown

* Christopher L. Slaughter - Labor & Employment – Huntington

* Robert M. Steptoe Jr. - Labor & Employment – Clarksburg

* John C. Stump - Corporate/Commercial – Charleston

* L. Frederick Williams Jr. - Corporate/Commercial; Corporate/Commercial: Tax – Charleston

Chambers' rankings are based upon the recommendations of clients and lawyers throughout the United States. Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked on a scale of 1-6, with an additional ranking awarded to those considered "up and coming," and for lawyers with exceptional recommendations in their field.

Chambers and Partners, based in London, publishes the annual Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Top firms and top attorneys are ranked and their merits described – usually in the words of clients the publisher has interviewed. For more information, visit www.chambersandpartners.com

Established in 1913, Steptoe & Johnson is no stranger to leading lawyer directories. Its attorneys frequently appear in surveys listing top practitioners -- publications such as The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, as well as achieving the highest peer review rating given by Martindale-Hubbell.

Steptoe & Johnson is a business-focused firm with strengths in energy, labor, employment and litigation. It comprises over 180 lawyers resident in eight locations throughout West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. For nearly a century, Steptoe & Johnson has demonstrated its commitment to quality, devoting personal attention, experience, skill, and resources to client-focused service.

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