History of Steptoe & Johnson
1913
Philip P. Steptoe and Louis A. Johnson established the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson in Clarksburg, West Virginia, due to its centralized location and variety of manufacturing, banking, mineral, and service-related industries; Clarksburg proved to be an ideal base of operations. Steptoe & Johnson soon became prominent in the fields of banking, insurance, litigation, mineral, and public utility law.
The 1920s
The firm continued to grow and in 1928, Steptoe & Johnson opened an office in the State capital of Charleston, which facilitated the expansion of the firm’s practice before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, its interaction with numerous West Virginia regulatory agencies, and its involvement in various legislative activities.
The 1940s
In 1945, the firm opened its Washington, D.C. office. Initially specializing in post-war governmental regulation, the firm rapidly expanded its national practice in many substantive areas.
The 1950s & 60s
The firm acquired major national and international clients in airline, energy, railroad, banking, insurance, steel & chemical manufacturing, publishing, and public finance sectors.
1970s
Steptoe & Johnson continued to grow, and its three offices employed 175 attorneys and more than 300 support personnel. The Washington office grew to be one of the five largest in the District of Columbia in the1970s.
The 1980s
In 1980, the firm divided into two separate law firms – one in West Virginia and one in Washington, D.C., - each continuing its practice under the Steptoe & Johnson name. The Washington office became Steptoe & Johnson, Chartered and is currently known as Steptoe & Johnson LLP. The partnership of Steptoe & Johnson continued its practice in the Clarksburg and Charleston, West Virginia offices and now is known as Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. In 1988, the firm opened an office in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The 1990s
In 1990, Steptoe & Johnson acquired Avey & Steptoe, a prominent Martinsburg firm with almost fifty years of experience in the general practice of law. The firm continued its expansion by adding an office in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1994.
The 2000s
In September 2003, the firm opened an office in Huntington, West Virginia. The decision to move to Huntington came at the encouragement of clients and allowed the firm to continue to expand the practice in southeastern Ohio. In 2007, Steptoe & Johnson opened its first regional office in Columbus, Ohio, thus expanding its presence as a regional law firm with particular strengths in energy, labor, litigation, and business. In January 2009, Susan S. Brewer succeeded Robert M. Steptoe, Jr. as the CEO and managing partner of the firm while becoming the first female managing member of a major West Virginia law firm. Under her direction, the firm opened an office in Lexington, Kentucky in June 2010, adding an eighth location.
The 2010s
In August 2010, after 97 years in its original location, the firm’s Clarksburg office was moved to the newly-erected Steptoe & Johnson office building in the White Oaks business park in Bridgeport, West Virginia. In September 2010, Steptoe & Johnson acquired the energy practice group of the western Pennsylvania firm of Culbertson, Weiss, Schetroma and Schug, P.C. (CWSS), opening its first Pennsylvania office and its ninth regional office. In October 2010, Steptoe & Johnson acquired the Columbus based firm of Carpenter Lane and integrated their litigation and business practices into its Columbus office. In December 2010, the firm opened its tenth office, and its second office in Pennsylvania. The office, located in the Southpointe Business Park in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was opened to serve the needs of the burgeoning Marcellus shale gas industry.