The Nicest Guy
in the Room
M. Michael Stephenson cuts hearts out
as politely as possible
BY NANCY HENDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN BRAGG
More often than not, the first thing M. Michael Stephenson
does before cross-examining a witness is offer him or her a
glass of water. “I want to be the nicest guy in the room,” says
Stephenson, 60, partner at McNeely Stephenson in Shelbyville
and one of the state’s most experienced trial lawyers. “People
help those they like. If they don’t like me, they may punish
my client. So I try to do everything I can to be pleasant,
professional and polite to everyone in that courtroom.
“Now, in the next 45 minutes after I’ve offered that drink of water, I may cut that
person’s heart out and stomp on it. And if I do so professionally and politely, the
jury will admire my work.”
That work has earned Stephenson the respect of his peers and the appreciation
of clients in a blend of cases, including motor vehicle, workplace, fire, products
liability and construction accidents. Over the past three decades, he has served as
lead counsel in more than 100 jury trials and has successfully resolved dozens of
other cases, including a recent lawsuit he filed on behalf of the family of a young
father of four who died in a truck collision, which settled for $48 million.
“He’s an advocate who doggedly pursues the best result for his clients,” says
Neil Bemenderfer, a civil mediator with The Mediation Group in Indianapolis who
has known Stephenson since law school. “He’s very friendly and engaging but very
tenacious and untiring.”
