Stephen P. Younger, Past President of the New York State Bar Association, is a leading commercial litigator who is also well-known for his alternative dispute resolution work. As a partner in Foley Hoag’s Litigation practice, Stephen has more than 35 years of experience as a business litigator. As a seasoned trial lawyer, he has tried many cases in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels. Stephen also frequently argues appeals, particularly in the appellate courts of New York. Based on his significant ADR experience, he is often called on to serve as an arbitrator or mediator in high-stakes matters. Stephen serves as Editor of the New York Commercial Division Practice Guide, which is part of Bloomberg Law's Litigation Practice Portfolio Series.
In addition to his previous role as State Bar President, Stephen has sat on numerous New York State Bar Association committees. He is Past Chair of the State Bar's Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, having previously served as Chair of its Securities Litigation Committee and of its ADR Committee. Stephen served as Chair of the State Bar’s Task Force on Nonlawyer Ownership of Law Firms. He also chaired the State Bar's Subcommittee on the Judiciary Article of its Constitutional Convention Committee.
Stephen is the State Delegate for New York to the ABA’s House of Delegates where he chairs the New York delegation. He chairs the ABA’s Issues of Concern to the Profession Committee. He is a member of the Steering Committee for the ABA's Nominating Committee. He serves on the ABA's Committee on the American Judicial System. Stephen is Past Chair of the ABA’s International Mediation Committee and its Task Force on International Trade in Legal Services. He previously served as the ABA’s representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. He chaired the ABA's 2017 summer meeting in New York City. He was also a member of SCG Legal’s COVID-19 Task Force.
Stephen was Counsel to the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination, which nominates New York’s Court of Appeals Judges. He is also a member of the Governor's First Department Judicial Screening Committee which screens judges for appointment to the Appellate Division of New York’s Supreme Court.
Stephen is Chair of the Board of the Historical Society of the New York Courts. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fund for Modern Courts and received the Fund’s John J. McCloy Award. He served on the Chief Judge's Task Force on Commercial Litigation in the 21st Century, and currently serves on the Chief Judge’s Commercial Division Advisory Council. Stephen was formerly a member of the Chief Judge’s Advisory Committee on New York State Pro Bono Bar Admission Requirements.
Stephen serves on the Board of Directors of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. He chairs CPR’s International Committee, and previously served as Chair of its Executive Advisory Committee. He is a founding Board member and Vice Chair of the New York International Arbitration Center. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He also served on the ADR Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
A long-time Trustee of Albany Law School, Stephen is Past President of its National Alumni Council and is a recipient of the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He is also Vice President of the Harvard Club of New York City and previously served on the Club’s Audit Committee.
Stephen has spoken at more than 200 seminars and written over 30 articles in the fields of securities litigation, commercial arbitration, international dispute resolution, the legal profession, and COVID-19 litigation.
