Email: rwstephens@stephensstephens.com
Mr. Stephens has focused his practice over the last 25 years on helping corporations with issues that arise out of sites contaminated with hazardous substances and/or petroleum. He has represented Fortune 50 corporations in numerous PRP groups and has provided leadership as a member or chairman of steering committees. He has defended actions for cost recovery brought by state and federal agencies, and negotiated multi-million dollar settlements with state and federal regulators. He has organized groups of PRPs to coordinate joint action, assisted in hiring contractors and counsel, and represented PRPs and PRP groups in actions against recalcitrant parties for contribution to cleanup efforts.
For the two years following law school, Mr. Stephens served on active duty in the United States Army. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1966 after duty at stations including Fort Lee, VA, Fort Monmouth, NJ, and Saigon, Vietnam. Thereafter, Mr. Stephens was appointed law clerk to Judge John O. Henderson, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, before joining the law firm of Raichle, Banning, Weiss & Halpern, later known as Raichle, Banning, Weiss & Stephens.
EDUCATION: University at Buffalo School of Law (J.D.) ; Canisius College (B.S., Economics)
ADMISSIONS: United States Supreme Court ; United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit ; United States District Court, Western District of New York ; New York State Courts