Founding member of a Boston law firm handling a variety of complex civil appellate and litigation matters. Principal areas of practice include:1. Currently (2020) representing a putative class action with an expected membership of some 7,700 Massachusetts contract workers seeking back benefits from the state on misclassification grounds.2. Representing owners of luxury yachts in warranty and contract litigation concerning their vessels.3. Representing high-end custom homeowners in disputes with builders concerning construction and design defects; and4. Plaintiffs' torts claims (general personal injury, express trust disputes, architect or engineer malpractice, sex abuse claims against psychological counselors).

Handled a variety of consumer bankruptcy, civil litigation and federal appellate matters. Experience included serving as Counsel of Record for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators in separate Petition- and Merits-Stage amicus curiae briefs in connection with Cuomo v. Clearing House Association, LLC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a federal bank preemption case in the Supreme Court of the United States.

Litigation and appellate experience involving sophisticated financial services and construction-related matters, including:1. Serving as Counsel of Record for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and drafting a brief amicus curiae in State Farm v. Reardon, an OTS preemption case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit;2. Serving as legal consultant on appellate matters to the Office of the New Hampshire Attorney General in connection with a Petition for Certiorari recently filed in the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the federal preemption matter SPGGC, LLC v. Ayotte.3. Defending a large engineering firm in a $50 million securities fraud lawsuit brought by six large mutual funds against the firm and Goldman Sachs concerning municipal bonds issued to finance a waste-to-energy plant. Drafted a successful dispositive motion in Michigan trial court and later appellate briefs contributing to the decision being affirmed by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Following a successful forum non conveniens motion concerning related claims, also successfully opposed plaintiffs’ effort to strike limitations defenses by briefing and arguing the matter in New York State Supreme Court; and4. Defending the same firm in a $40 million federal court action in which the FDIC (as receiver for the Bank of New England) sued the firm and a national law firm over the financing of a New York cogeneration power plant.

Litigated principally “Winstar” claims in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on behalf of financial institutions suing the federal government for breach of contract arising out of 1989 “FIRREA” federal thrift industry bailout legislation. Representative experience includes:1. Serving as lead associate representing a large thrift financial institution in a $200 million breach of contract case against the United States in connection with FIRREA. Drafted successful liability summary judgment papers; and2. Drafting a brief amicus curiae on behalf of America’s Community Bankers in a U.S. district court regulatory dispute between the American Bankers Association and the Federal Credit Union Administration involving field of membership issues.

As Majority Counsel to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC, Stefan was assigned principally to the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities and Government-Sponsored Enterprises. While there, Stefan was involved in the development and passage of several significant pieces of financial services legislation, including the “Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act” (“GLBA”) (the Financial Modernization Act of 1999) and the Credit Union Membership Access Act of 1998. Stefan's role for the Committee also provided him with exposure to a variety of issues affecting government-sponsored enterprises (such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System) as well as issues relating to the accounting-standard-setting process by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)