CHARLESTON -- Gary W. Nickerson of Steptoe & Johnson has been elected President of the West Virginia State Bar.
Nickerson will serve in the post for one year, at which time Steptoe & Johnson attorney James Wright will step into the position. This marks the first time in the State Bar's history that two attorneys from the same firm will consecutively serve as president.
"I am honored to have been elected to serve as well as lead our State Bar lawyers," Nickerson said. "It is a privilege to represent the firm as we work to strengthen the judicial system in West Virginia."
At Steptoe & Johnson, Nickerson concentrates his practice in the representation and counseling of employers in workers' compensation and related employment matters. Having joined the firm in 1984, he serves as the Managing Member of the Bridgeport office.
Nickerson is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of workers' compensation law. As a member of the West Virginia State Bar's Board of Governors from 2006-2009, Nickerson served on the Workers' Compensation Committee. In addition, Nickerson is a member of the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Workers' Compensation Committee and the West Virginia Self-Insurers Association.
Within the community, Nickerson has served as president of the Bridgeport Kiwanis, deacon of his church and vice president of the Friends of the Bridgeport Library. He remains active in youth sports, having previously coached baseball for twelve years and assisting in coaching a girl's fast pitch softball team. He serves as president of the Bridgeport High School softball boosters and has sponsored teams for Babe Ruth Baseball, fast pitch softball, and summer league young men's basketball.
Nickerson is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A.), and the College of William and Mary School of Law (J.D.).
Wright – a member in the firm's Wheeling office - was elected State Bar Vice President, and will take over as president at the conclusion of Nickerson's term next year and serve through 2013. Wright focuses his practice in the areas of complex and commercial litigation, particularly in the areas of energy, labor and employment, and construction law.
Steptoe & Johnson is a regional, business-focused firm with strengths in energy, labor, employment, and litigation. It comprises more than 200 lawyers resident in ten locations throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
For more information, visit www.steptoe-johnson.com.