LOUISVILLE, KY. / AGILITYPR.NEWS / January 07, 2026 / Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is pleased to announce the arrivals of John A. Sheffer as a Member and Chandler M. Atkins as an Associate to the firm’s Louisville office. Both attorneys join the Litigation department along with Paralegal Liz Johnson.

“John is an accomplished lawyer and business leader, and Chandler is a key contributor to his practice,” said Steptoe & Johnson CEO Christopher L. Slaughter. “We are pleased to welcome them to our team and look forward to seeing the benefit they will bring to our Louisville office and clients in Kentucky and beyond.”

Sheffer is a well-known and respected litigator who handles cases across the nation related to product liability, toxic torts, premises liability, personal injury, and wrongful death. John has represented welding consumables and equipment manufacturers nationwide and has served as national trial counsel for Hobart Brothers LLC (a subsidiary of Fortune 200 company Illinois Tool Works) since 2001. He regularly defends hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, physicians, nurses, and health care systems in high-stakes medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and other matters. Sheffer earned his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University after attending Vanderbilt University.

Atkins focuses his practice on medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability, and nursing home litigation. He assists with the representation of industry clients, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and health care systems, through all stages of trial preparation. He earned his law degree from the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky.

Steptoe & Johnson has grown significantly in recent years, adding over 100 lawyers and opening five new offices since Slaughter became CEO in 2020. “Kentucky is strategically important to us, with Louisville and Lexington serving as critical hubs for delivering legal services across the region. Our recent moves to downtown offices in both Louisville and Lexington reflect our commitment to growing in Kentucky as we have elsewhere,” Slaughter said the growth is intended to “deepen and broaden our bench and offer more, higher-value services that align with our clients’ evolving needs. Building our litigation capabilities is part of that focus.”