Stephen R. "Steve" Cornwell - Lawyer in Fresno, CA

Stephen was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, educated at San Jose State (BS 1964) and the University of California, Berkeley? Boalt Hall (JD 1967). He was admitted to the bar in 1967. He spent three years as a prosecutor in the Ventura County District Attorneys Office prosecuting criminals. In 1970, he joined the firm of McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Coyle Best (later named McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte Carruth). At McCormick he specialized in a civil tort practice trying over one hundred and twenty-five jury trials.

His experience involved trials in the areas of general negligenceactions representing both plaintiffs and defendants, flood damage,employment representing both plaintiffs and defendants, fire,electricity, professional liability, crop damage, law firm dissolution,governmental entities, the defense of day-care centers, premisesliability and products liability actions. He has defended several judgesin matters before the California Commission on Judicial Performance. Hehas served, by appointment of the court, as Chair of the DefenseSteering Committee for the 1994 Dust Storm suits, the largest motorvehicle accident in the history of the United States. He has appeared inthe United States District Court, the Fifth District Court of Appealand before the California Supreme Court.