| November 29, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Bob Steptoe’s arrival at Steptoe & Johnson. Actually, there is a little controversy surrounding the date. In checking firm records, Bob’s official start is listed as November 29, 1971. But in discussing this matter with him, Bob disclosed that his actual first day of work was 2 days later, due to the fact that he was still living in D.C. at the time with his wife Mary Pat and very young son Robert, and his trip across western Maryland was delayed by a snowstorm. Being the good steward of firm assets that I am, and after consulting with our bean counter extraordinaire Rick Mackessy, we determined that for the 2 days Bob was paid without working, and thus unjustly enriched, he now owes the firm the sum of $1,143,212 – 2 days of pay at an annual salary of $11,000, with compound interest since December 14,1971, arriving at the aforesaid amount of $1,143,212 (we used a plaintiffs’ economist to aid us in our calculations). But good news Bob – I understand that by a vote of 5-2 the firm’s Executive Committee has decided to forgive your debt. But no gold watch when you retire (which we all hope is never). Bob was leaving a firm where he had practiced his first couple of years after law school to join the firm started by his grandfather in West Virginia. The uninformed may think there was some sort of legacy thing going on here, but Bob’s grandfather Phillip, who established Steptoe & Johnson with the Colonel (Louis A. Johnson) in 1913, had passed away when Bob was 4 years old, and Bob’s dad practiced in his own firm in Martinsburg, where Bob grew up. So, there was no “insider” advantage. Bob barely knew of Clarksburg or S & J. Firm icon Willis “Bud” Shay had learned that Bob was in law school at WVU and had offered him a summer clerkship. That is what eventually led Bob to Clarksburg and the Union Bank Building at the corner of Third and Main. Bob has held every position there is to hold in our firm, most notably and visibly head of our Executive Committee (i.e., Managing Partner) from 1988 to 2008. His contributions to the growth and development of the firm, in size and stature and quality and culture, cannot be overstated. The same can also be said about Bob’s contributions to the State of West Virginia and to his local community. Bob just cannot say “no” to a good cause. He is the only person in the history of the state to be both president of the State Bar and the State Chamber, and he did it in successive years and while running the firm! He is always willing to help any local organization in need. He is also the first one called on by every nimrod in the state who wants to run for public office. While not a politician himself, far from it, every erstwhile candidate in West Virginia knows that Bob’s support carries credibility with it, but he always carefully considers his responses and does not recklessly lend his support. In other words, he has turned down many a nimrod. Of all our firm’s core values that Bob embodies, community service and good citizenship are at the top of the list. Lest folks think that Bob has lived a life of all work and no play, let me dispel you of that notion. He has run dozens of marathons (including 4 Boston’s) and climbed mountains on every continent and skied many a slope. He loves his time with his dogs and his friends. At times I think his dogs are his best friends. He bird hunts merely to spend time with them. Bob and his wonderful wife Becky (a widower and widow merger) have 112 grandchildren between their combined families (I exaggerate slightly) and have traveled extensively and delightfully. He is also a man who is known to enjoy a nice glass of wine and the “occasional” bourbon. He is the “Master of the Meticulous Manhattan”. I mentioned earlier that most of our firm remembers Bob, as well they should, as Managing Partner for 20 years, and as labor lawyer extraordinaire, but for me there is a much more personal connection. In the fall of 1979, Bob and Jeep Wilson interviewed me on campus at my law school in Virginia. I did not know where Clarksburg was (I was thinking Tennessee). I had a couple of offers in hand in my home state. But I was encouraged by one of my older classmates, who was significantly more worldly than I was (as were all my other classmates), to sign up to interview with the firm. He knew my aversion to city life as well as my conflicting desire to have more than a will, deed, and divorce practice. His exact words were “Steptoe is a good firm in the middle of nowhere – you’ll love it”. So, I interviewed. I’m not sure what Bob and Jeep saw in me. At that time, I had limited self-confidence and little presence, and other than looking good on paper, I was not a 5-star recruit, maybe a 3-star at best. Developmental guy. And I remember going to the interview wearing a forest green polyester suit and a 5- and 1/2-inch-wide yellow tie, resembling Bozo the Clown more than a young associate in a big law firm. But I got invited for a 2nd interview in Clarksburg, bought a suit made of stuff that grows in nature for the trip and got the job. I was not the only one recruited into the firm by Bob and Jeep. The sports fans among you know of the Belichick Coaching Tree and the Saban Coaching Tree. Well, I am proud to be part of the Steptoe Lawyering Tree. There are many of us. Bob had a vision and a belief in developing a firm that would grow and prosper, based on hard work and meritocracy. I can’t say that he foresaw what we have become, an AmLaw Top 200 firm with 18 offices and about 300 lawyers, but he wanted to attract and bring in talented lawyers with a desire to be the best. When I was hired, firm leader Willis Shay told me he wanted lawyers with “fire in the belly”. Bob went after those types of folks, chairing the recruiting committee in the early 80’s, bringing in or helping to develop lawyers like Susan Brewer and David Morrison and Irene Keely (a federal judge in West Virginia for the last 30 years) and Hank Lawrence and Gordon Copland and Randy Light and Bryan Cokeley and Rodney Bean and Randy Fife and Susan Deniker and Gary Nickerson and Walter Williams (my classmate in law school) and Dink Yurko and Amy Smith and Larry Rector and Jack Merinar and many, many more. Quite a tree in my opinion, the branches being great lawyers and great citizens and great people. Thank you, Bob. Wa Hoo Wa. We don’t care what date you started; it was a banner day for S & J. |
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