Through his peers in the legal profession, Martindale-Hubbell has rated Stefan "AV", the highest available rating for legal ability and professional ethics.  He has been named to the "Legal Elite" by Virginia Business magazine for the past three years.

Stefan joined Sands Anderson in 2005, and was soon promoted to the rank of shareholder.  He is based in the firm's Richmond office.  Stefan also practices in his native Hopewell, and continues to maintain an office there.  In 2008 and 2009, he was honored to serve his hometown as Interim City Attorney for Hopewell during its search for new in-house counsel.  Currently, he is President-Elect of the Hopewell-Prince George Chamber of Commerce.

Stefan provides a much needed larger-firm link to and presence in the Tri-Cities (Hopewell, Petersburg, and Colonial Heights) and throughout Southside Virginia (including Prince George, Surry, Sussex, and Brunswick Counties, and the City of Emporia).  That connection is especially important now, given the growth resulting from the recent expansion of nearby Fort Lee.

With broad experience in a wide range of legal matters, Stefan adds significant value to client relationships with his ability to identify and address potential issues up front.  His extensive courtroom and jury trial experience has honed his analytical skills.  He is able to anticipate potential issues at the initial stages of a transaction, and avoid future litigation.

As a result of his experience in several of the firm's practice groups, Stefan's work includes the following areas of law and experience within those groups:

Business Group

• Commercial real estate-purchase/sale closings; loan financing (including SBA and historic tax credits); leases
• Condominium registration and other development
• Contracts, including employment and non-compete issues
• Copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property issues
• Corporate and LLC formations, mergers, and acquisitions
• Tax-related issues, including non-profits
• Wills, trusts, estates, and business succession planning

Business & Professional Litigation Group

• Appeals and other post-trial proceedings
• Bankruptcy adversary proceedings
• Condominium and other construction disputes; mechanic's liens
• Corporate dissolutions and derivative suits
• Defamation (libel and slander)
• Expert witness qualification (attorney fee awards)
• Shareholder, member, and other owner disputes
• Tax disputes, including IRS; other white-collar criminal defense
• Trademark and copyright defense
• Trust and estate disputes; guardianship proceedings 

Government Group

• City Attorney (City of Hopewell, Interim 2008-2009)
• Municipal law from A to Z-Assessments to Zoning, and everything in between

Representative clients:

• Accountants, lawyers, and other professionals
• Banks and other lenders
• Corporations and LLCs, large and small
• Developers
• Doctors, dentists, and veterinarians
• Local governments
• Shareholders, members, and other individuals 

Other Interests

• Competitive running
• Swimming
• Weight and core training