Steptoe
CLARKSBURG -– Robert M. Steptoe Jr., chairman of Steptoe & Johnson, has been chosen to receive the Distinguished Leadership Award from Leadership West Virginia, a statewide program that develops, strengthens and connects emerging leaders throughout the Mountain State.
Steptoe will be recognized and presented with the award on April 22 in Morgantown.
"Leadership West Virginia is an important player in the cultivation of our state's most promising talent, and the organization's recognition of Bob as an example of leadershipsuccess is a most fitting tribute," stated Susan S. Brewer, CEO of Steptoe & Johnson.
"This award is a tribute to the dedicated service and exemplary leadership that Bob has provided to the state's legal community, to the business community and throughout our state," said Steve Roberts, President of the Leadership W.Va. Board and President of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. "Bob's temperament, wisdom and grace are shining examples of how true leaders conduct themselves."
"Bob has been a dedicated attorney, community leader and a wonderful friend to all of us in West Virginia over the many years. He also has been a strong supporter for Leadership West Virginia," said Pam Farris, Executive Director of Leadership West Virginia. "It is a pleasure to be honoring Bob as a distinguished leader in West Virginia and to elevate him among the company of the late Governor Cecil Underwood and businessman James "Buck" Harless." Underwood and Harless are past recipients of this distinguished honorarium from Leadership West Virginia.
For over 35 years, Steptoe has practiced law in the areas of civil litigation and employment law. He has tried over 100 jury and non-jury cases, and has argued over 50 appeals in the West Virginia Supreme Court and the United States Courts of Appeals.
Steptoe has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He is also recognized by West Virginia Super Lawyers® and Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Additionally he is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference.
Within the legal profession, Steptoe has served as President of The West Virginia Bar Association, President of The West Virginia State Bar, and President of the West Virginia Bar Foundation. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the West Virginia Bar Foundation.
Active in the West Virginia business community for his entire career, Steptoe has served as Chairman of the Board of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, President of the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce, President and Campaign Chair of United Way of Harrison County, Board member of United Hospital Center, and a member of the West Virginia Ethics Commission appointed by Governor Caperton. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy (West Virginia Chapter) and as a Board Member of West Liberty University. In 2007, Steptoe was named to Who's Who in West Virginia Business by The State Journal.
Steptoe received his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia, after which he was commissioned an officer in the United States Naval Reserve and served two years on active duty. Following military service, he attended the West Virginia University College of Law, where he was Associate Editor of the Law Review and a member of the National Moot Court Team. After graduation from law school, Steptoe remained active at his alma mater, serving as Chairman of the Visiting Committee of the College of Law, member of the College of Law Development Council, and Adjunct Professor of Appellate Advocacy.
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 more information, visit the firm's Web site at www.steptoe-johnson.com.
The organization Leadership West Virginia has been seeking and developing emerging leaders in the Mountain State since 1991, when it was formed by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and some of their key board members. As community-based leadership programs were developing around the state, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce saw the need to bring the groups together to form a statewide organization to bring up-and-coming leaders together from a variety of backgrounds.
After several years, a statewide network of Leadership West Virginia alumni target areas of involvement and actively engage in finding solutions that will aid West Virginia's future growth and prosperity. The alumni meet to strengthen relationships developed and to maintain and build on the knowledge gained during their Leadership experience.