Stephen T. Owens is an experienced trial lawyer with practice emphasis on complex business litigation, real estate, banking and governmental agency litigation.

In his 31 years of practice, Stephen has accumulated broad experience in all phases of civil litigation in both state and federal courts, from the initial pleading stage through discovery, law and motion, settlement negotiations and trial. He has also handled numerous appellate matters in both the California courts and the federal circuit courts of appeal, resulting in 11 published judicial opinions. In addition to his extensive trial and appellate work, Stephen has handled a significant number of matters in arbitration, in both the United States and internationally, before arbitrators appointed by the American Arbitration Association and the International Chamber of Commerce.

Highly regarded in the legal community, Stephen has been the recipient of the American Bar Association’s John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award, as well as the President’s Pro Bono Service Award, conferred by the president of the State Bar of California. He has been named a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine each year since 2004.

Over the course of his career, Stephen has taken an active role in public affairs and has served in a number of positions including judge pro tem of the Municipal Court for Los Angeles County and arbitrator for investor claims filed in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Prudential Securities Inc. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Public Counsel, the public interest law firm sponsored by the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations, as well as the boards of directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation and the California Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. He is also special master for the State Bar of California.

One of Stephen's recent federal court victories is embodied in a published decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upholding the dismissal of all claims against two automotive clients on the grounds of international comity (Daewoo Motor America, Inc. v. General Motors Corp., et al., 459 F.3d 1249 (11th Cir. 2006)).