Stephen Harper

Stephen concentrates his practice on workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. After graduating from the University of Richmond School of Law, he quickly developed his skills as a trial attorney, trying approximately 50 personal injury jury trials to a verdict in his first four years of practice! An AV Preeminent-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, he lobbies on behalf of injured workers at the Virginia General Assembly. While his primary focus after law school was in personal injury, Stephen began to lean into workers’ compensation claims. He has fought for injured workers in hundreds of cases, and when necessary, represents them in the highest courts, including the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia. He has been involved in numerous cases that set significant precedents in this area of law, including benefits and settlements in excess of a million dollars. In 2021, he helped a well-deserving client receive an award of $5,300,000 – the second-largest workers’ compensation settlement in the history of Virginia, according to Virginia Lawyers Weekly. In 2021, it was the third largest settlement of any kind in the Commonwealth. He is an active member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), where he serves on the board of governors and is the legislative co-chair of their Workers’ Compensation Section. He’s also active within the Richmond Bar Association, the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and is a Fellow within the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Since 2016, he has made the annual list for Best Lawyers in America and Virginia Super Lawyers. In recognition of his success in workers’ compensation, he was named to the Top 100 list in Virginia, and the Top 50 list in Richmond with Virginia Super Lawyers. In 2021 and 2026, Stephen was named Lawyer of the Year for workers’ compensation in Richmond by Best Lawyers in America. In 2021 and 2025, he was named a Go To Lawyer for workers’ compensation by Virginia Lawyers We