About Steve
Steve Kuhn brings 38 years of trial experience in personal injury and civil litigation to his full-time dispute resolution practice. He has mediated more than 7,000 cases involving personal injury, medical and legal malpractice, and business litigation, along with homeowner association, real estate, employment, and construction defect matters. He has been named a Super Lawyer every year.
More than 90 percent of the matters Steve mediates resolve, including high-value, multi-party cases and disputes involving punitive damages. He arrives thoroughly prepared, quickly grasps each side’s position, and zeroes in on the pressure points and obstacles standing in the way of settlement, often reaching resolution efficiently even when significant factual disputes remain. Counsel trust him with candid information, knowing he will use it to move the case forward rather than as leverage against them.
Attorneys on both sides of the bar regularly select Steve, and they value his professionalism, sensitivity, and integrity as much as his results. When a case doesn’t settle at the table, he stays involved and keeps working until it does. His calm persistence and genuine commitment to resolving every case have earned him a loyal following among the attorneys who return to him again and again.
Areas of Focus
- Construction Defect
- Homeowner Association Matters and Business/Contractual
- Legal/Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Real Estate
Career
- 2009–presentFull-time Neutral
- 1998–2009Law Offices of Kuhn & BelzSpecialized in personal injury, professional negligence, business, construction defect, and real estate litigation; also served as a private mediator
- 1979–1998, 2009–2011Law Offices of Steven R. KuhnEmphasis on personal injury, attorney negligence, and business litigation
- 1976–1979Associate, Hunt, Liljestrom & Wentworth, Santa AnaEmphasis on plaintiff personal injury
- 1973–1976Associate, Parker, Stanbury, McGee & Babcock, Los AngelesEmphasis on insurance defense
Court & Bar Panel Appointments
- Mediator, Orange County Superior Court
- Mediator, Los Angeles Superior Court
- Settlement Officer, United States District Court for the Central District of California
- Workshop Judge, Orange County College of Trial Advocacy
Education & Training
- J.D., Southwestern University School of Law (1973)
- B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles (1970)
- Mediating the Litigated Case, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University (2003)
Professional Affiliations
- Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, President (1991)
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors (1991–1994)
- Orange County Bar Association, Board of Directors (1991); Client Relations and Judiciary Committee (2004)
- Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors and Legal Counsel (1983–1988)
- City of Irvine, Planning and Transportation Commissioner
Achievements & Awards
- Super Lawyers, every year since 2010
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, for over 40 years
- Named one of California’s top lawyers in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Los Angeles Magazine (2013–2020)
- Top Attorney in Alternative Dispute Resolution Law, Orange Coast Magazine
- AVVO Superb Attorney Rating
- Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Wiley W. Manuel Pro Bono Services Award
- California Trial Lawyers Association recognition of experience as a trial lawyer and in general personal injury, product liability, and professional negligence
- Law Review and top 10% of class, Southwestern University School of Law
- Economic Honor Society, UCLA
Speaking
- Lecturer for California Continuing Education of the Bar and Consumer Attorneys Association of California
Outside the Office
Away from mediation, Steve heads to the golf course, travels whenever he can, and always has a book in progress.