(304) 523-2100 Huntington, WV

Steven K Wellman

Managing Member

Huntington, WV

(304) 523-2100
TF: (866) 617-4736

FAX: (304) 523-2347

vCard
Print Bio

Profile
Education / Admissions
Leadership
Results

Steven K. Wellman is privileged to serve as the CEO of Jenkins Fenstermaker in Huntington, West Virginia (WV). A highly respected West Virginia workers’ compensation attorney, Steve is recognized by his peers and clients for his many accomplishments over 20 years of service in the legal profession.

Steve has been recognized annually since 2013 in The Best Lawyers in America© for his expertise in the area of Workers' Compensation Law – Employers, and in 2019, and again in 2023, he was selected “Lawyer of the Year” in Workers’ Compensation – Employers in the greater Charleston, WV area. In 2015, he received the highest and most prestigious peer rating of "AV Preeminent" in Martindale Hubbell. In 2023 Steve was inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Over the years, Steve has also been a frequent speaker and presenter at conferences and seminars regarding all facets of workers' compensation in West Virginia. He presents in-house seminars on relevant topics related to workers’ compensation for current clients regularly.

To achieve success, Steve believes a West Virginia workers’ compensation lawyer should exhibit attention to detail, excellent writing skills, and the ability to establish a good rapport with clients. He has applied all of these to the many influential matters he has handled throughout his career. Chief among them is his work on the groundbreaking decision in SWVA v. Birch, 787 S.E.2d 664 (2016). There, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia established a rule that preexisting impairment should be deducted from permanent partial disability (PPD) calculation at the end of the impairment rating process, after West Virginia Code of State Rules 85-20 et. seq. (Rule 20) is applied. This holding has had significant positive implications for employers and insurers throughout the Mountain State.

Attorney Steve Wellman graduated magna cum laude from Marshall University in 1994. He received his J.D. in 1998 from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he served as Executive Editor of the Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Since then, he has worked at Jenkins Fenstermaker, building a body of experience and expertise in workers’ compensation law.

Steve’s professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, the West Virginia State Bar, and the Cabell County Bar Association. Steve is a member and formerly served as Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Committee of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. Steve is also a member and former Vice President of Finance of the Tri-State Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, an alumnus of Leadership Tri-State, and a member of the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Association (formerly the WV Self-Insured Association). Steve also serves as Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Marshall University Alumni Association and the Board of Directors of the Marshall University Foundation.

When he’s not fighting for the legal rights of West Virginia employers or educating others regarding workers’ compensation law, Steve enjoys playing golf—both close to home and away, when possible—and competing in golf tournaments and outings.

When you need a West Virginia workers’ compensation attorney with the skills and reputation to get the best result, contact Steven K. Wellman.

Education:

J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law, 1998

Executive Editor, Journal of Natural Resources & Environmental Law, 1997 to 1998

B.A., magna cum laude, Marshall University, 1994

Bar Admissions:

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, 1998

United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, 1998

Professional and Community Activities:

American Bar Association

The West Virginia Bar Association

Cabell County Bar Association