Rodney L. Bean

Rodney L. Bean is a member of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Morgantown and chairs the firm’s Labor & Employment Department. With more than 30 years of practice, he advises employers on federal and state employment law, workplace compliance, and complex disputes. His work includes wage and hour issues, ERISA litigation, labor arbitration, and appellate matters. He also counsels organizations in highly regulated industries, including natural gas and health care.

Bean earned his J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law and a B.S.J. from West Virginia University. His legal and undergraduate education, combined with decades of employment practice, supports work that requires clear communication, close statutory analysis, and an understanding of how workplace rules affect business operations. He uses that background to help employers evaluate legal risk, train personnel, and respond to disputes before agencies, arbitrators, and courts.

His experience includes more than 50 labor arbitrations and more than 30 appellate arguments. Bean regularly provides counseling and training on employment-law requirements and represents clients in significant litigation. His practice often involves issues where federal and state laws overlap with collective bargaining obligations, benefit plans, wage requirements, and internal employment policies. He helps clients prepare for hearings, appeals, and other contested proceedings while keeping operational concerns in view.

Rodney L. Bean has been recognized by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers for labor and employment work over many years. His practice combines preventive counseling with arbitration, litigation, and appellate experience, giving employers support at different stages of a workplace issue. He helps organizations understand compliance obligations, address employee disputes, manage wage and benefit questions, and present legal arguments when matters move into formal proceedings or appellate review.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
• Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Member, The West Virginia State Bar
• Member, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
• Member, The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers
• Member, West Virginia University College of Law Visiting Committee (2019-2022)
• Board Member, Vandalia Health System North/Monongalia Health System, Inc. (2012-2024)
• Member, Defense Research Institute
• Member, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Member, West Virginia Health Care Human Resources Association
• Member, Leadership Monongalia (Class of 2000)

Licensed State

• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

Education

• West Virginia University College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• West Virginia University
  B.S.J.

Awards & Badges