Steve is a partner with Larson • King. Over his 25-year legal career, he has worked for clients in the areas of complex commercial, professional liability, construction defect, agricultural, intellectual property, insurance and product liability disputes. That rare breed of lawyer who is a “five-tool player,” Steve is an effective and skilled litigator and negotiator with significant trial and appellate experience in numerous federal and state court jurisdictions.
Steve holds an AV Preeminent ®rating from Martindale-Hubbell ®, representing the highest level rating for strong legal ability and high ethical standards. According to the Martindale-Hubbell ® website, an elite group of just 8 percent of all attorneys holds an AV Preeminent ® rating.
Steve has also been certified by the Minnesota Supreme Court for inclusion on the state-wide roster of Qualified Neutrals.
Steve and his wife keep busy with their boisterous young son, and stay well-connected to the Twin Cities’ East Metro community.
Law School
Drake University, J.D., 1993
College
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, B.S., 1985
Member
Minnesota State Bar Association
Ramsey County Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
Defense Research Institute
Admitted
Minnesota; U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
Honors & Awards
AV Preeminent ®rating from Martindale-Hubbell ®, the facilitator of a peer review ratings process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Publications, Webcasts & Seminars
Federal Court: Start to Finish, National Business Institute (NBI) Webcast, November 2017; Construction Law Start to Finish, NBI Webcast, August 2017; How to be Hundo P and on Fleek: The Millennial Factor in Jury Selection, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Merrie Jo Pitera, FOR THE DEFENSE, July 2017; Construction Project Disasters: Deals Gone Bad, NBI Webcast, April 2017; Construction Law: Ultimate Bootcamp, NBI Webcast, March 2017; Litigating CD Insurance Coverage Claims: A to Z, NBI Webcast, March 2016; Construction Defect Disputes & Litigation: Using Coverage, Case Law and Indemnification to Shift Liability, NBI Seminar, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2015; Indemnification Provisions in Construction Contracts, NBI Webcast, April 2015; Construction Contract Law Start to Finish, NBI Webcast, January 2015; Advanced Construction Defect Litigation, NBI Webcast, September 2014; Federal Court 101 Panelist, NBI Webcast, March 2014; Strategies for Legal Research on the Web, NBI, Minneapolis, April 2013; The Future is Now: The Supreme Court’s Third and Fourth Trilogies Enforcing the Federal Arbitration Act Create Challenges for Commercial Litigators, by Stephen P. Laitinen, MINNESOTA DEFENSE, Winter 2013; Swanson v. Brewster: Are the Minnesota Courts Reforming the Tort System? William Mitchell College of Law, Journal of Law and Practice (April 2011); Social Media: A New “Must See” Tool in Litigation?, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Hilary J. Loynes, FOR THE DEFENSE, August 2010; Managing Expectations: Clients, Opposing Counsel, Neutrals, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Trial Techniques Seminar, August 2009; How Experts Can Best Insulate Themselves From Cross-Examination, SEAK 18th Annual National Expert Witness Conference, Hyannis, Massachusetts, June 2009; Succeeding at Trial/Tips for Assisting with Settlement Negotiations, NBI Webcast, June 2009; Pre-Litigation Crisis Management: Development of Overall Strategies for Upper Level Management to Prepare for Wrongful Death Claims, Care Providers of Minnesota Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2008; Protect Yourself! Effective Management of Nursing Home Wrongful Death Cases, Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2008; ADR Best Practice – Settlement & Preparation: A Case Study, Kramer v. Java World, Inc., Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Mid-Winter Conference, Duluth, Minnesota, January 2008; Case Study Perspective: Wrongful Death Cases, Care Providers of Minnesota Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2007; Destroying the Opposing Expert’s Credibility, by Stephen P. Laitinen and David Classen, FOR THE DEFENSE, September 2007; Civil Juries and the Gordian Knot of Complex Litigation, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Jennifer Lurken, FOR THE DEFENSE, July 2005; Prior Bad Acts: Keeping Your Client’s Skeletons Where They Belong – In the Closet, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Jennifer G. Daugherty, MINNESOTA DEFENSE, Fall 2003 Edition; Defending the Fortress: Guarding Your Client’s Trade Secrets in Minnesota, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Carrie A. Daniel, MINNESOTA DEFENSE, Spring 2002 Edition.
