Attorney Bio - Stephenson Rife

Attorney Mike Stephenson

Mike Stephenson has over 30 years of experience and is a trusted advisor to many individuals and companies. His current practice is dominated by civil litigation in state and federal courts. He focuses much of his time on handling catastrophic injuries caused by all types of accidents, including motor vehicle, trucking, workplace injuries, product liability, and fire, just to name a few. He also works extensively in construction accidents.

Mike believes that a thorough and detailed investigation is required to determine all possible legal theories which may be available to fully protect the client’s interests and to identify the total extent of the damages. He recognizes that a thorough analysis often requires hiring experts in all types of fields, including medical, visibility, engineering, reconstruction, and wood science. He has retained experts from around the world, including a gentleman who obtained the first patent for a specific tool when the product design and function was at issue. He has also retained an expert from Europe when the design of another product was in question.

Recently named a Super Lawyer in Indiana, Attorney Mike Stephenson is one of the most experienced trial lawyers in the state.

More often than not, the first thing M. Michael Stephenson does before cross-examining a witness is offer him or her a glass of water. “I want to be the nicest guy in the room,” says Stephenson, partner at Stephenson Rife and one of the state’s most experienced trial lawyers. “People help those they like. If they don’t like me, they may punish my client. So I try to do everything I can to be pleasant, professional and polite to everyone in that courtroom.”

Mike is a proven advocate and trial attorney. He has served as lead trial counsel in more than 100 civil jury trials, and has handled litigation in 18 states. He uses the most advanced technology available to most effectively demonstrate and aid in the presentation of his client’s position. The firm uses state-of-the-art software to integrate sound, still photos, and moving images to illustrate to juries critical information that words cannot accurately describe. Mike has worked extensively with High Impact Litigation, Inc. and other similar companies to provide detailed animations to demonstrate and allow a jury to visualize significant evidence.

Mike takes great pride in compassionately listening to the personal needs of his clients, whether helping individuals and their families whose lives have been devastated or tragically altered as a result of an accident, or when he advises an individual who has been sued and is frightened by the legal process and potential consequences of an adverse jury verdict.

State and local polls of attorneys have listed Mike as one of Indiana’s top lawyers, and in a poll of 14,000 Indiana attorneys from 2004-2016, he has been identified as one of the top 5% of the attorneys in his area of practice. He is one of few attorneys recognized with this distinction for thirteen consecutive years. Martindale-Hubbell has rated him as an AV attorney, the highest possible rating.

Partnering With Injury Firms Across the Country

Stephenson Rife often works in partnership with other law firms, adding its experience, legal acumen and resources to the effort to bring compensation and justice to those injured by negligent individuals or businesses. For example, we currently are working closely with a renowned national personal injury law firm on a double-fatality accident caused by a trucker for a large multinational corporation who fell asleep at the wheel after having worked too many hours in the oilfields. Our reputation and track record in trucking accident cases and other personal injury situations extends past the borders of Indiana, resulting in significant wins for injury victims countrywide.

Areas of Practice

Bar Admissions

Indiana, 1982
U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 1982
U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 1982
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1993

Education

Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana J.D.
Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky, 1979 B.S.
Honors: Magna Cum Laude / Major: Criminal/Police Administration

Honors and Awards

Indiana Super Lawyer, 2003 – 2013

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Litigation Counsel of AmericaTrial Lawyer, Honorary Society
American Board of Trial Advocates
Indiana State Bar Association, Member
American Association for Justice, Member
Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA). Member