Stephen Raptis has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, bolstering the national expansion of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group.
Over his 25-year career, Steve has represented commercial policyholders across the nation in complex coverage disputes. His broad insurance recovery practice involves everything from traditional environmental contamination and mass torts to directors and officers and errors and omissions claims to cutting-edge cyber/data breach claims and privacy work.
Steve represents clients in all phases of coverage litigation, as well as pre-litigation coverage analysis and pre-litigation claim disputes. He has handled some of the largest and most complex coverage matters in the country, netting clients hundreds of millions of dollars of insurance proceeds. He also provides strategic advice to clients regarding insurance aspects of mergers and acquisitions, purchase of all types of commercial insurance, and handing of complex indemnity disputes.
“I have known Steve for nearly 20 years and can attest to the fact that he is a stellar coverage lawyer and a wonderful person who fits in perfectly with our teamwork culture,” said Barry Buchman, an Insurance Recovery Group partner based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. “Steve will significantly help our Insurance Recovery Group continue to expand its coast-to-coast presence.”
Ernest Martin, a firm partner and chair of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Group, added: “We are excited to have Steve join our team. His broad insurance recovery focus complements our ever-growing practice group and adds depth to our team’s capabilities for our national clients.”
Steve comes to Haynes and Boone from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, where he was an insurance recovery litigation partner.
The West Virginia native said he was attracted to Haynes and Boone’s broad national reach and decades-long commitment to representing commercial policyholders. “Haynes and Boone’s insurance recovery practice has a very strong reputation that continues to grow nationally. I’m very excited about the opportunity be a part of that expansion,” he said.
Steve said he was also attracted to Haynes and Boone’s entrepreneurial spirit, the energy and enthusiasm of the insurance recovery group members, and its flexibility to partner with clients on many types of innovative alternative fee arrangements.
In addition to his diverse insurance work, Steve has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work. He has represented victims of domestic violence his entire career, as well as victims of human trafficking, individuals with developmental disabilities, and other needy clients. He also serves on the board of the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Haynes and Boone is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With more than 575 lawyers, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It also ranks among the nation’s most recommended law firms by general counsel, according to BTI Consulting Group’s “Most Recommended Law Firms 2019” report.
The firm’s Insurance Recovery Group repeatedly has been ranked in Band 1 (Texas) by Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners (2005-2019), and the group also has been ranked among the leading insurance practices nationwide by the Benchmark Litigation U.S. directory, published by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (2019-2020). Several members of the group, including in Washington, D.C., also have been included in The Best Lawyers in America published by Woodward/White, Inc. (2016-2020).
The following publications reported his move to the firm: