Steve is called upon by private parties, including Fortune 50 companies, and the judiciary to serve as both mediator and neutral arbitrator in commercial, injury and probate cases. Steve’s extensive training in alternative dispute resolution builds on advocacy skills honed over more than four decades, both in and out of the courtroom.
Regardless of the difficulty or complexity of the matter at hand, Steve is an active listener who seeks to fully understand all aspects of a dispute before working with the parties to fashion a workable solution. Steve’s people skills and sensitivity to the human emotions underlying contention enable him to be an empathetic sounding board for all parties involved. Notably, Steve is at his best when helping parties through even the most contentious and seemingly intractable acrimony.
Steve is also able to account for, address, separate himself from, and move beyond the emotional components of a dispute in order to serve as a catalyst for realizing a compromise that can work for everyone. Able to establish immediate rapport and patient when working through issues of all kinds, Steve knows the law and the rules of evidence. Ultimately, he helps parties focus on how juries and judges are likely to apply both to the facts at issue.
Steve received the preeminent “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell in 2000 and every year since, recognizing superior legal ability as judged by his peers. He has also been selected for inclusion in the “Pennsylvania Super Lawyers” listing in eight of the last nine years and has been named a “Top Lawyer” by Main Line Today magazine over multiple years.
Practice Areas
Education
- University of Maine School of Law, J.D. (1974)
- Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
- Graduate, Mediator Training Program (2008)
- Northeastern University, M.S. (1975)
- Georgetown University, B.S.F.S. (1971)
Admissions
- Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (1974)
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1976)
- Court of Appeals of Maryland (2015)
- United States Supreme Court (1980)
Memberships
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
- Kent County Maryland Bar Association
- Chester County Bar Association
- Co-chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2009-2017)
- Mediator, Civil and Orphans’ Court Mediation Programs
- Delaware County Bar Association, (Associate Member)
- Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
- American Bar Association
- Member, Dispute Resolution Section
- Member, Forum Committee on the Construction Industry
- Hon. John E. Stively, Jr. American Inns of Court
- Charter Member and Master of the Bench
- Association for Conflict Resolution
- Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- Chairman, Hearing Committee 2.07 (1994 to 2000)
- Penn State Great Valley Advisory Board
- Founding Member (1991 to 1997)
- Chester County Solid Waste Authority
- Member and Vice Chairman (1987 to 1994)
Other Involvement
- Special Counsel, Chester County Board of Commissioners (2004 to 2017)
- Solicitor, Chester County Department of Community Development (2001 to 2017)
- Solicitor, Controller of Chester County (1998 to 2003)
- Solicitor, Chester County Office of Housing and Community Development (1993 to 2000)
- Solicitor, Redevelopment Authority of Chester County (1990 to 1992)
- Solicitor, Prothonotary of Chester County (1984 to 1987)
Martindale Hubbell Rating
- AV Rated*
*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards. For more information, see http://www.martindale.com.
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