Named to Super Lawyers and “Top Lawyers” by Main Line Today, Stephen R. McDonnell is chair of the management committee at Gawthrop Greenwood and focuses his law practice on helping corporations and individuals avoid and resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation and/or litigation. His practice is concentrated in the areas of contract disputes, construction claims, employment issues and insurance matters. His day-to-day experience working with large businesses, as well as smaller, growing businesses and individuals, gives him a unique understanding of their needs and concerns in the context of the larger local business landscape as well as the public sector.

Stephen has a diverse litigation background with extensive trial experience and more than 50 trials to verdict in State and Federal Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He has represented Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized companies, small businesses, contractors and individuals in a variety of litigation matters including contractual disputes, employment issues, construction defect/injuries and other matters.

Stephen is a member of the Chester County Bar Association, and a past member of the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations and Counsel for Litigation Management. He has also served on the United Way community impact team, the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce’s member retention committee, and on the board of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry.

Stephen has taught classes on Indemnity in Construction Contracts, and Bad Faith in Insurance Coverage. He has also written various published articles, including:
10 Steps Needed to Properly Fire Someone, Entrepreneur.com, 2015
Like It or Not, Employees Can Say What They Want on Social Media, Philadelphia Business Journal, 2014
Effective Pennsylvania Share Act, Mealey’s Publication, August, 2002
Pennsylvania and New Jersey Defense Litigation Manual, Litigation Forum
Geyer v. Ingersoll Publications Co.: Insolvency Shifts Directors’ Burden from Shareholders to Creditors, The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, Volume 19, 1994

Prior to joining Gawthrop Greenwood, Stephen was a partner with Philadelphia law firm Delany & O’Brien. He has been selected to serve as an arbitrator by his peers and appointed as an arbitrator by the Chester County and Philadelphia Courts of Common Pleas. Stephen also served as Counsel for Travelers Insurance.

Stephen has lived in the Philadelphia area his entire life. He earned a B.S. in Finance from Drexel University in 1990 and graduated cum laude from Widener University School of Law in 1994 where he served as an articles editor for the Law Review program.