Remarkable results, confidentiality, and dignity are the touchstone core values that define Stephen Raynes’ distinguished career of representing clients in serious injury and wrongful death cases. His reputation for passionate advocacy on behalf of his clients combined with an unwavering commitment to practicing law at the highest ethical standards has led to his selection by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for 10 straight years and to his being named Best Lawyers’ 2017 Philadelphia "Lawyer of the Year" for medical malpractice law – plaintiffs. He has successfully achieved countless multimillion-dollar recoveries on behalf of clients injured as a result of medical malpractice, including those who have suffered birth injuries, brain and spinal cord injuries, and injuries caused by a failure to properly diagnose a medical condition. Raynes recently convinced the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to significantly expand the responsibility of doctors to provide accurate information to patients.
Raynes has represented victims in some of the highest profile cases locally and nationally. He was the lead lawyer representing the most severely injured child who was sexually abused by Jerry Sandusky in the case against Penn State and Sandusky; he is presently serving as the lead lawyer for one of the most severely injured passengers in the recent tragic Amtrak accident; he served as co-counsel for the family of the late Olympic wrestler David Schultz, who was shot and killed by John du Pont; and he served as co-counsel in the representation of victims and their families in numerous fatal aviation accidents.
Raynes’ commitment to the community at large and to injured individuals extends beyond the courtroom.
Notwithstanding his success on behalf of his clients and the oftentimes high-profile nature of his representations, Raynes and his firm, Raynes McCarty, shun the spotlight for themselves and keep the focus of their efforts on their clients. He zealously safeguards the confidentiality of his representations and his clients’ recoveries. "The trial lawyer has the critical responsibility of vigorously prosecuting his or her client’s claims and securing for the client, whether by verdict or through settlement, just and appropriate compensation. But the responsibility does not end there. I and our firm believe that our responsibility is best served by a confidential process to protect the client no matter how much local or national attention there is in these tragic cases. We have found that such approach, one in which we achieve financial security for the client all the while giving them a voice with dignity and respect, has been integral to their healing."
Raynes’ commitment to the community at large and to injured individuals extends beyond the courtroom. From 2013 through 2015, Raynes led a pro bono campaign against the Canadian government on behalf of the then 94 living Canadian Thalidomide survivors. The campaign gained national attention in the Canadian press and led to a historic unanimous vote by the Canadian Parliament and the securing of a $180 million fund for the Canadian Thalidomide survivors. Additionally, he and his wife Liz are funding the construction of a home in Tanzania for the Foundation for African Medicine and Education to accommodate American physicians and nurses providing volunteer medical services.
