Stephen D. McGraw

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T 313-961-0200 F 313-961-0388

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Stephen D. McGraw is a Member of Kerr Russell and has served as a Member of its Executive Committee, as a general counsel for the firm, and as chair of the Medical Malpractice group.

Practice Areas

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Medical Malpractice

Physician Licensing, Staffing and Contract Disputes

Bio

Stephen’s practice primarily involves defending and prosecuting matters in litigation and he has had substantial involvement in a wide range of matters including the professional liability of physicians, hospitals, architects, and engineers, toxic torts, product liability, insurance disputes, and other commercial matters.

He is a skilled trial attorney and his extensive knowledge of medical fields and health care regulations puts him in a distinguished position to advocate for his clients and achieve favorable outcomes. Stephen’s strategic approach to litigation involves the analysis of the benefits and risks associated with trial and settlement tactics. He is proficient in providing cost-effective representation in virtually all aspects of the litigation process including pre-suit investigations, litigation, trial and arbitration.

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Stephen has served on the American College of Trial Lawyers State Committee for Michigan, and is a Fellow of both the Michigan State Bar Foundation and the Detroit Bar Foundation. He is a former appointed panel member of the State Bar of Michigan Discipline Board.  

Stephen has been a speaker at numerous seminars on the topics of litigation and health care, and has spoken regarding trial practice for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has also written frequently on subjects such as trial practice and a lawyer’s ethical obligations. He is repeatedly listed in The Best Lawyers in America© and has been recognized as Best Lawyers 2016 and 2021 Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” and  Best Lawyers 2017 Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year.” He has also been recognized in Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, “Michigan Super Lawyers,” DBusiness Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” and “Leading Lawyers” publications. Stephen was named 2013 Outstanding Attorney by the nation’s largest physician owned medical malpractice insurer and is a past President of the Detroit Bar Association.

Stephen obtained his law degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Albion College.

credentials

Affiliations

  • Michigan State Bar Association, Former Panel Member (appointed), Board of Discipline, Negligence Law Section
  • Michigan State Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Past President, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, Former Member, State Committee for Michigan
  • American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Michigan
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Education

  • Washington and Lee School of Law, J.D.
  • Albion College, B.A.
    • cum laude

Insights & News

August 19, 2021

Kerr Russell Attorneys Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® List

Kerr Russell is pleased to announce that 17 lawyers have been included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

April 27, 2021

Kerr Russell Successfully Defends Physician

Patricia C. Schabath and Stephen D. McGraw were successful in obtaining summary disposition for a client in a loss of opportunity medical malpractice matter.

November 16, 2020

22 Kerr Russell Attorneys Recognized as DBusiness 2021 Top Lawyers

A total of 22 lawyers from Kerr Russell are named as DBusiness Magazine 2021 Top Lawyers. The attorneys are selected through a peer review process.  DBusiness polled more than 18,000 attorneys across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston Counties. 

September 18, 2020

Kerr Russell Attorneys Named 2020 Michigan Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Super Lawyers named 11 Kerr Russell members to the list of 2020 Michigan Super Lawyers and included four Kerr Russell attorneys on the list of 2020 Michigan Rising Stars.

September 17, 2020

Meet Kerr Russell's Expanded Medical Malpractice Defense Team

Kerr Russell stands ready and able to handle all of your professional liability defense needs.

September 3, 2020

Stephen McGraw (Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants) Named Best Lawyers© 2021 “Lawyer Of The Year” In Detroit

Congratulations to Stephen McGraw who has been named Best Lawyers© 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” In Detroit for Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and community is honored with a “Lawyer of the Year” award.

August 20, 2020

Kerr Russell Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America© 2021 and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

Seventeen Kerr Russell members were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021. Notably, twelve of the named attorneys have been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for more than five years.

July 14, 2020

15 Lawyers From Kerr Russell Recognized as Leading Lawyers 2020

A total of 15 lawyers from Kerr Russell are named to the 2020 list of Leading Lawyers in Michigan. Only those lawyers who are most often recommended qualify for this honor.

March 17, 2020

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Business Continuity:  A Message to Our Community, Clients and Friends

Kerr Russell is committed to its community, clients and people. As the world navigates through the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we want to assure you that Kerr Russell is committed to supporting our community, clients and people as effectively as we have through every other crisis our Nation has encountered over our firm’s nearly 150-year history. Our firm is fully operational: We have made sure that our lawyers and staff are able to safely and effectively serve our clients’ needs and continue operations on an uninterrupted basis. Most of our people

November 15, 2019

19 Kerr Russell Attorneys Recognized as DBusiness Top Lawyers for 2020

A total of 19 lawyers from Kerr Russell are named as dBusiness Magazine 2020 Top Lawyers. The attorneys are selected through a peer review process.  dBusiness polled 19,000 attorneys across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston Counties.

September 3, 2019

15 Kerr Russell Attorneys Recognized on the 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers List

A total of 15 lawyers from Kerr Russell are named as Thomson Reuters, 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers. The award is given annually to attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

August 15, 2019

15 Lawyers From Kerr Russell Are Recognized In The Best Lawyers In America© 2020

A total of 15 lawyers from Kerr Russell are named to the prestigious 2020 Edition of the Best Lawyers in America©. The award is given annually in recognition of being named as part of the “top legal talent in the U.S.”

September 20, 2018

Kerr Russell recognizes our 2018 dbusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit honorees

Kerr Russell recognizes this year’s dbusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit honorees - 21 attorneys, many for multiple practice areas.

September 7, 2018

15 Kerr Russell attorneys recognized as 2018 Super Lawyers

Congratulations to the following attorneys who have been designated "Super Lawyers" by Thomson Reuters:

August 15, 2018

15 lawyers from Kerr Russell were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019

A total of 15 lawyers from Kerr Russell have been named to the prestigious 2019 Edition of the Best Lawyers in America©. The award is given annually in recognition of being named as part of the “top legal talent in the U.S.”

June 24, 2018

Kudos to Joanna Geha Swanson, president-elect of the Detroit Bar Association

We spy with our little eye ... Kerr Russell member Joanne Geha Swanson in the program of this year’s Detroit Bar Association Annual Meeting. Joanne, we are so proud of your leadership and everything you do for this community. Thank you to William Blasses for sending this from the event ... while it was still in progress!

January 26, 2018

Download Kerr Russell's updated firm brochure and overview of services

Kerr Russell is proud of Detroit. We are proud to have had a seat at the table here since 1874. Our exceptional attorneys understand the unique challenges facing business leaders. Our legal solutions are prompt, accurate, economical, and focused around your needs in every area. We know Michigan business like the back of our hands.

January 3, 2018

Kerr Russell highlighted in Best Lawyers - Business, Winter 2017 issue

Look for Kerr Russell attorneys and advertising (pages 92-95) in the Best Lawyers - Business, Winter 2017 issue. Earlier in 2017, a number of Kerr Russell's attorneys and practice areas were honored with U.S. News and World Report Best Lawyers recognition.

December 18, 2017

Kerr Russell team makes holiday donations to Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Wigs 4 Kids, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor, and Children's Hospital of Michigan

One of our traditions here at Kerr Russell is to hold a holiday raffle to benefit three local charities as well as to conduct a toy drive for local children. This year's raffle (many of the beautiful and festive prizes picture here) raised a record total of $3,450 which will be divided equally among three organizations: Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, Inc., and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor.

December 12, 2017

Joanne Swanson named one of Crain's Business Detroit's Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan - 2017

We at Kerr Russell are so proud to have two of our attorneys recognized by Crain's Detroit Business as Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan - 2017. Congratulations, Joanne Geha Swanson, for your selection! From Crain's announcement...

November 30, 2017

Merry and bright ... Kerr Russell welcomes the holiday season

It's a time to celebrate, reflect and remember. However you mark the holidays, we hope your days are filled with warmth and thankfulness, good times, and endless cheer. As another year draws to a close, we at Kerr Russell are grateful to you. You give purpose to our work and add meaning to our relationships. Your trust is a cherished gift. Enjoy these images as we get our offices ready to celebrate the holiday season. Design by Mandy Lark of Lark Interior Design.

November 17, 2017

Detroit Legal News: Friday Feature: Law firm's space redesign invokes Detroit past, present, and future

Thanks to the Detroit Legal News for their coverage of Kerr Russell's Detroit-centric space redesign.

November 16, 2017

Culture of Connection - new Kerr Russell ad to appear in Michigan Lawyers Weekly and dbusiness

Kerr Russell introduces the second ad in the new "Est. in Detroit 1874" series: "A culture of connection." The piece emphasizes the firm's 143-year presence in Detroit as part of the larger business and legal community. "We are relationship focused. We know our people and our clients are the lifeblood of our firm."

November 3, 2017

Kerr Russell launches new advertising in upcoming issues of dbusiness and Crain's Detroit

With this month's issue of dbusiness, focused on Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Kerr Russell launches its new brand advertising with "A Track Record of Results." Working with Identity Public Relations and Marketing, Kerr Russell's marketing team developed the creative to emphasize the firm's longstanding place in Detroit's legal and business history.

November 3, 2017

Kerr Russell recognizes this year’s dbusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit honorees

Kerr Russell recognizes this year’s dbusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit honorees:

November 2, 2017

Kerr Russell redesign featured in Michigan Lawyers Weekly

As part of Michigan Lawyers Weekly's "Legal Roundup" feature, author Thomas Franz highlighted Kerr Russell's recent redesign project (original article here; more detail on the project here).

November 1, 2017

Kerr Russell ranked in the 2018 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list nationally in 1 practice area and regionally in 17 practice areas

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, for the eighth consecutive year, announce the "Best Law Firms" rankings.

October 24, 2017

Detroit is in Kerr Russell's DNA: space redesign invokes Motor City's past, present, and future

Detroit is in Kerr Russell’s DNA. We have been located in Detroit since 1874. We have been at the table for so much of this beautiful, rugged, scrappy city’s history. We have been here when it was cool, when it was not, and when it was again. We could not be happier to see the dynamic resurgence, across industry and across culture, which Detroit has now achieved.

September 12, 2017

16 Kerr Russell attorneys recognized as 2017 Super Lawyers

Congratulations to the following attorneys who have been designated "Super Lawyers" by Thomson Reuters.

August 21, 2017

17 lawyers from Kerr Russell were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2018

A total of 17 lawyers from Kerr Russell have been named to the prestigious 2018 Edition of the Best Lawyers in America©. The award is given annually in recognition of being named as part of the “top legal talent in the U.S.”

August 10, 2017

A culture of giving

If you want to know how a firm can thrive for over 140 years in a city that has faced considerable challenges, walk through the door of Kerr Russell’s suite on the 25th floor of the Detroit Center and get a feel for the people.