Client-focused and Results-Oriented Attorneys
Steven J. Leibel
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Practice Areas:
- Personal Injury 50%
- Business Litigation 20%
- Insurance Claims/Bad Faith 20%
- Construction Litigation 10%
Biography
Steven Leibel grew up in Aberdeen, SD, and graduated with from North Dakota State University in 1997 with B.A. degrees in English and Political Science. Steve received his juris doctorate in 2001 from Baylor Law School in Waco, TX. Following graduation from Baylor, Steve worked at a prominent plaintiff's firm in Albuquerque, NM. He joined the Albuquerque litigation firm of Dines & Gross PC in 2004, where he became a shareholder in 2007. Steve served as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico Law School, where he taught legal writing. He returned to the Dakotas in 2012. He currently serves on a couple of different committees for the State Bar of North Dakota and sits on the Board of Governors for the North Dakota Association for Justice.
In 2007, Steve was part of a three-attorney trial team that obtained a $53,200,000.00 jury verdict in favor of his client after a two and one-half week jury trial**. At the time, this verdict was believed to be the largest single-plaintiff personal injury verdict in New Mexico history. Over his career, he has tried cases to the judge and jury involving car accidents, wrongful death, motorcycle accidents involving brain injury, and property disputes, and since 2017 has obtained verdicts from North Dakota state and federal juries in excess of $2,500,000.
Steve is rated AV® PreeminentTM by Martindale-Hubbell®*. While in Albuquerque, Steve represented both plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of personal injury and catastrophic claims and professional liability. He also served as panel counsel for a number of nationwide insurance companies advising them on coverage issues and providing defenses for the companies and their insureds. Steve currently focuses his practice on the areas of personal injury, oil field injury, insurance law, and business litigation, including construction and real estate disputes.
When he is not working, Steve enjoys road trips with his wife, fly fishing with his three sons, attending tea parties hosted by his daughter, and long walks in search of bunny rabbits with Winnie, their English Cocker Spaniel.
*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGSTM fall into two categories-legal ability and general ethical standards.
**Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Every case is different. The results obtained in any case depend heavily on the facts of the case.
Education
- Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas
- J.D. - 2001
- North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 05/1997
- Major: English Literature
- Major: Political Science
Bar Admissions
- North Dakota
- U.S. District Court District of North Dakota
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
- Great Plains Super Lawyer
Professional Associations
- State Bar of North Dakota
- North Dakota Western Disciplinary District Inquiry Committee, 2015 to 2021
- North Dakota Pattern Jury Instruction Commission, 2019 to Present (Chairman 2023-2024)
- North Dakota Association for Justice, Board of Governors (President 2024-2025)
Current Employment Position
- Attorney
Languages
- English
Classes & Seminars
- University of New Mexico Law School, Legal Writing, Adjunct Professor, 2008
- University of New Mexico Law School, Legal Writing, Adjunct Professor, 2008