Steven Bader

Steven Bader is a North Carolina board-certified specialist in appellate practice. He is chair of the firm’s Appellate Law Practice Group, where he has served as lead counsel on more than 100 appeals in state and federal courts.

Steven is a storyteller who crafts arguments that not only persuade but resonate. He distills complex issues into simple arguments supported by the law and the facts. Steven is often hired to assist trial counsel with motions, objections, and issue preservation. Steven has handled landmark North Carolina Supreme Court cases involving arbitration agreements, governmental and public official immunity, and access to law enforcement agency recordings.

Beyond appellate work, Steven maintains an active litigation practice, defending municipalities and businesses in complex matters. His experience spans 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims, professional liability cases, and insurance coverage disputes. Steven has tried more than 15 cases to jury, including multiple trials in North Carolina’s federal courts.

Steven is an active member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, where he currently serves on the amicus curiae committee. Steven is also a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), an invitation-only defense organization, and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). Steven maintains an AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has been named to Business North Carolina Legal Elite, North Carolina Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America®.

Steven is a cum laude graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law, where he served as articles editor of the Gonzaga Law Review, an associate editor of the Gonzaga Journal of International Law, and a judicial extern at the Washington Court of Appeals. Steven earned his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Cloud State University (Minnesota), where he was captain of the men’s track and field team and a four-time all-North Central Conference and academic all-North Central Conference selection.

Steven and his wife are parents to three young boys and two energetic German Shepherds. When not practicing law (or watching his boys play soccer), Steven enjoys running, reading, history, and cooking.

ARTICLES, PRESENTATIONS, AND PUBLICATIONS

• “Communicable Disease Coverage in the Age of COVID-19,” DRI, For the Defense, Vol. 64, No. 1, January 2022
• “The Last Line of Defense: The ISO Virus Exclusion Meets COVID-19 Business Interruption Suits” (co-author with CSH colleague Jennifer Welch) DRI, For the Defense, Vol. 62, No. 12, December 2020
• “Down on the Farm: Does the Pollution Exclusion Remove Coverage for E. Coli Infections Linked to Petting Zoos” DRI, For the Defense, Vol. 61, No. 7, July 2019
• “Supreme Shift: Lessons the Defense Bar Can Learn from Recent Supreme Court Opinions” Minnesota Defense, Volume 39, Issue 3, Fall 2018
• “Join the Retail and Hospitality Committee” (co-author), Minnesota Defense, Volume 38, Issue 2, Summer 2017
• “Develop Effective Trial Themes from Discovery to Trial” Featured Article, DRI Trials and Tribulations, the Newsletter of the Trial Tactics Committee, Volume 22, Issue 4
• “The Joke is on Your Client: An Analysis of Liability Coverage and Defense for the Creators of Online Parody Accounts” DRI, For the Defense, Vol. 57, No. 4, April 2015
• “Every Dog Has its Day (In Court) – Defending Dog Attack Cases in Minnesota” Minnesota Defense, Volume 35, Issue 1, Spring 2014
• “When the Grass Turns Brown: Prosecuting Marijuana Mixtures in Minnesota” Bench and Bar of Minnesota, Volume LXIX Number 1, January 2012