Steptoe & Johnson Welcomes 20 New Associates to the Firm

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Steptoe & Johnson PLLC welcomes 20 Associates, including our First Year Associates Class, who joined the firm during the fourth quarter of 2025: Dakin W. Alderson, Tanner A. Cava*, Laney S. Christy*, Hannah R. Courtney*, Parker A. D’Antoni, Mary G. DiDonato, Reilly M. Geraghty*, Taylor N. Goldstrohm*, Karlie M. Gorall*, Lauren V. Hoang, Brent M. House, Jinah Jung*, AnnaMarie E. Miller*, Gabriel P. Ngo, Kristen E. Podolak*, John M. Quinn, Mikha R. Slone, Kara D. Taylor Curran*, Makenzie P. Violette*, and Nylan W. Yancy. Eight of the Associates are joining the Energy and Natural Resources department, seven are joining the Litigation department, three are joining the Business department, and two are joining the Labor & Employment department.

*Indicates First Year Associate Class

Alderson advises energy clients on mineral title and due diligence matters and is located in The Woodlands, Texas office. He drafts drilling and division order title opinions and assists with title review related to asset acquisitions and divestitures. He earned his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Cava’s practice focuses on labor and employment litigation and is based in the Bridgeport, West Virginia office. He is a former Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson and currently researches complex areas of employment law and provides practical legal advice and litigation support to clients. He earned his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.

Christy focuses on mineral title and due diligence matters and works from the Southpointe, Pennsylvania office. She helps to draft and analyze title opinions, identify title defects, and assists with the creation of various pretrial materials. She earned her law degree from Duquesne University Kline School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Washington & Jefferson College.

Courtney provides litigation guidance to clients across a variety of industries and works in the Charleston, West Virginia office. As a former Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson, she conducted extensive legal research and drafted memorandums and motions. She earned both her law degree and her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.

D’Antoni focuses his practice on professional liability and is based in the Huntington, West Virginia office, assisting with civil cases from the pre-suit phase through trial and post-trial motions. He has experience supporting clients in medical malpractice, employment law, pro se claims, and government compliance matters. He earned his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Marshall University.

DiDonato assists clients in the energy industry with drafting and reviewing contracts and conducting due diligence and works in the Southpointe, Pennsylvania office. She also researches and creates legal agreements for leases, commercial agreements, title examinations, and easements. She earned her law degree from Duquesne University Kline School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University.

Geraghty is based in the Louisville, Kentucky office and helps guide businesses, professionals, and individuals through a wide range of disputes. Her practice focuses on commercial defense, professional liability, and railroad litigation. She earned both her law degree and her bachelor’s degree from University of Louisville.

Goldstrohm is located in the Wheeling, West Virginia office and helps clients with energy contracts, transactional, mineral title, and due diligence projects. Previously, she was a Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson where she assisted with research and preparation of client memorandums, briefs, contracts, and depositions. She earned her law degree from West Virginia University College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Point Park University.

Gorall focuses her practice on employment litigation and is in the Columbus, Ohio office. She collaborates with colleagues on a range of pretrial litigation matters by conducting case research and preparing witnesses for depositions. She was previously a Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson. She earned her law degree from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University.

Hoang focuses her practice on energy contracts and transactions and is located in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma office where she assists with due diligence, leases, agreements, and easements. Additionally, she researches, prepares, and reviews legal documents for transactional matters and assists with title examinations, real estate closings, and data analysis for contract development. She earned her law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

House focuses on a diverse range of areas and is based in the Lexington, Kentucky office, including general litigation, workers’ compensation defense, employment and labor law, business compliance and contracts, insurance defense, commercial litigation, real estate, and health care compliance and audits. He earned both his law degree and his bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky.

Jung focuses on finance and energy matters and is based in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma office, with an emphasis on commercial transactions and energy financing. She is a former Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson and spent the first part of her career working as a global business development manager in the IT industry. She earned her law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Hanyang University.

Miller supports clients in litigation, including commercial, energy, insurance, and general liability matters and works from the Martinsburg, West Virginia office. She previously served as a summer intern in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and later as a judicial extern in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. She earned both her law degree and her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.

Ngo supports clients in business litigation and assists with all aspects of trial preparation and is in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma office. He also defends claims of fraud, contract breach, commercial disputes, unlawful employment practices, and business interruption claims. He earned both his law degree and his bachelor’s degree from University of Oklahoma.

Podolak works on estate planning and administration matters and is based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office. As a former Summer Associate for Steptoe & Johnson, she assisted with tax-related and transactional matters. She earned her law degree and MBA from Duquesne University, her M.S.I.T from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and her bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University.

Quinn focuses his practice on energy contracts and transactions, including leases, agreements, and easements and is based in the Southpointe, Pennsylvania office. He researches, prepares, and reviews legal documents for transactional matters and assists with title examinations and data analysis for drafting contracts. He earned both his law degree and his bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University.

Slone supports mergers and acquisitions and works in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma office by managing due diligence, drafting transaction documents, and coordinating closing logistics. She is experienced in reviewing and negotiating complex terms and conditions for business entity formation and governance, and drafts articles of incorporation, bylaws, and conflict of interest policies. She earned both her law degree and her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University.

Curran focuses her practice on litigation across a broad range of industries and issues and is located in The Woodlands, Texas office. She previously served as a Summer Associate at Steptoe & Johnson, where she helped with civil litigation matters including will contests, breach of contract, and premise liability. She earned her law degree from University of Houston Law Center and her bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University.

Violette focuses on energy law and mineral title and due diligence matters and works from the Southpointe, Pennsylvania office. She is a previous Summer Associate at Steptoe & Johnson, where she engaged in various pretrial matters, drafted deeds, and conducted research on legal issues including property and mineral ownership disputes. She earned her law degree from Duquesne University Kline School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.

Yancy defends clients against construction defect and personal injury claims and is based in the Collin County, TX office. He regularly drafts litigation documents, including deposition outlines for direct and cross examinations, pleadings, motions, and confidential settlement agreements. He earned his law degree from Baylor University Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Trinity University.