Ray focuses his practice primarily on the representation of injured victims and their families and estate planning.

Ray Steadmon joined Keilen Law, PLC in 2020. He devotes his practice of law to medical malpractice and personal injury claims; estate planning; and business transaction and litigation matters. Many of the insurance claims and legal cases Ray handles involve car and truck accidents, medical errors, animal attacks and other negligence matters. He is licensed to practice law in, and handles cases throughout, Michigan and Illinois.

Ray was born and raised in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area (Mattawan) and has deep family roots in Southwest Michigan. Ray earned his B.A. and B.S. degrees from Ferris State University in 2005 and his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2008. After passing the bar exam, he remained in Chicago until 2015 when he made the decision to move back to Southwest Michigan to be closer to family. Ray, his wife (Amber) and daughter (Lilliana) currently reside in Portage, Michigan.

Over the course of his career, Ray has guided his clients through some of the most difficult times of their lives. He has protected their rights and recovered millions of dollars on their behalf. A few of his notable results include:

• $22,185,598.50 Jury Verdict – Trial team member in four-week medical negligence trial involving displaced tracheostomy tube resulting in a significant brain injury and ultimately death;
• $1,200,000.00 Arbitration Award – Lead counsel in binding arbitration of underinsured motorist claim for a women rear-ended in a Walmart parking lot;
• $750,000.00 Settlement – Lead counsel in a motor cycle accident case for a man who suffered a leg fracture requiring surgery;
• $700,000.00 Settlement – Lead counsel in Michigan premises liability case on behalf of a woman who aggravated preexisting back conditions when she fell into an open and uncovered floor hole at her place of employment;
• $700,000.00 Settlement – Lead counsel in wrongful death / medical negligence case involving a hospital’s failure to identify and treat infection leading to the patient’s death;
• Record personal injury settlement in a slip and fall case in Winnebago County, Illinois; and
• Record jury verdict in a medical malpractice case in Montcalm County, Michigan.

In recognition of his professional and ethical conduct, Ray has received numerous honors and awards. He was named both a Michigan and Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star, an honor only awarded to the top 2.5% of attorneys under the age of 40 throughout the state. He was also named as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 Years Old in Illinois by The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys; an “Emerging Lawyer” by the Illinois Leading Lawyers Network; and one of the top 40 attorneys under 40 years of age in both Michigan and Illinois by The National Trial Lawyers.

Ray is respected in the legal community. He has held many leadership positions within numerous professional associations, including appointments to Michigan Association for Justice’s Executive Committee, and the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Standing Committee. Ray also co-founded and chaired the U.S. Young Lawyer’s Section followed by the International Young Lawyer’s Section of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms – a prestigious organization made up of over 3,000 attorneys in nearly 50 countries around the world. Ray has given numerous presentations and written many articles for the legal profession.

Community service and involvement are important to Ray. He gives presentations on ending distracted driving to teenagers and parent organizations, coaches little league softball and has actively advocated for schools to find positive alternatives to student suspensions. Most recently, Ray co-founded the Portage Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the betterment of Portage’s parks. He also acted as the Foundation’s Vice President sat on its Board of Directors.

In addition to spending time with his immediate and extended family, Ray also enjoys traveling throughout the U.S. and the world. He is an avid Detroit sports fan and a certified scuba diver.

Areas of Practice

• Motor Vehicle Collisions
• Medical Malpractice
• Birth Trauma
• Animal Attacks
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Sexual Abuse
• Legal Malpractice
• Wrongful Death
• Other Personal Injury and Negligence Matters
• Estate Planning
• Business transactions and litigation

Bar Admissions

• Michigan 2015
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2015
• Illinois, 2009
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 2009

Education

• Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
  Juris Doctorate, 2008
• Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan
  Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, 2005
  Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, 2004

Honors, Awards and Listings

• Michigan Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2017-2020
• Michigan Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2017
• Illinois Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2013 – 2016
• Illinois Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers Network, 2015-16
• Illinois Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2016
• Illinois Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney Under 40, The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2014
• Dedicated Service and Outstanding Leadership, International Society of Primerus Law Firms, Young Lawyers Section, 2014

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Kalamazoo County Bar Association, 2017 – present
• Van Buren County Bar Association, 2017 – present
• Michigan Association for Justice, 2016 – present
  Member, Executive Board, 2017 – 2018
  Michigan State Delegate to the American Association for Justice, 2017 – 2018
• International Society of Primerus Law Firms, 2009 – 2017
  Founder and Chair, International Young Lawyers Section, 2015-16
  Ambassador, International Society of Primerus Law Firms, 2015-16
  Immediate Past Chair, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2015-16
  Advisory Board, Board of Directions, 2014-15
  Chair, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2014-15
  Vice-Chair, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2013-14
  Chair, CLE Committee, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2012-13
  Member, Community Service Committee, Consumer Law Institute, 2011-12
  Member, Executive Committee, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2010-2015
  Co-Founder, U.S. Young Lawyers Section, 2010
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2009 – present
• Illinois State Bar Association, 2009 – present
  Member, Standing Committee on Illinois Supreme Court Rules, 2010-11
• American Association for Justice, 2007 – present
  Member, Birth Trauma Litigation Group, 2017 – present
  Member, Jury Bias Litigation Group, 2017 – present
  Member, Medical Negligence Litigation Group, 2016 – present
  Member, Motor Vehicle Collision and Premises Liability Section, 2010 – present
• Chicago Bar Association, 2007 – present

Presentations

• Chair and Co-Author of Programming, “Primerus Young Lawyers Section: Effective Attorney Communication Boot Camp,” New Orleans, Louisiana – February, 2014
• Co-Presenter, “Dangers of Distracted Driving: Are You Ready to Turn Over The Keys?” Deerfield Parents’ Network, Deerfield, Illinois – October 2013
• Chair of Programming, “Effective Networking for Lawyers,” Primerus Young Lawyers Section, Webinar – June, 2013
• Co-Chair and Co-Author of Programming, “Primerus Young Lawyers Section: Effective Opening Statement and Closing Argument Boot Camp,” Nashville, Tennessee – May, 2013
• Co-Presenter, “Dangers of Distracted Driving: Are You Ready To Turn Over The Keys?” Deerfield Parents’ Network, Deerfield, Illinois – October, 2012
• Co-Presenter, “Dangers of Distracted Driving,” Deerfield High School, Deerfield, Illinois – May, 2012
• Co-Presenter, “Dangers of Distracted Driving,” Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois – April, 2012
• Co-Author of Programming, “Primerus Young Lawyers Section: Deposition Skills Boot Camp,” Miami, Florida – January, 2012
• Chair of Programming, “Medicare Liens: Information vs. Speculation,” Primerus Young Lawyers Section, Webinar – July, 2011
• Chair of Programming, “Facebook and Other Social Media: The Tangled Web Clients and Witnesses Weave,” Primerus Young Lawyers Section, Webinar – May, 2011

Publications

• “Quick Tips: Maximizing Your Primerus Young Lawyer Section Membership,” Stare Decisis, March, 2015
• “Stare Decisis: A Meaning Within A Name,” Stare Decisis, September, 2014
• “Institute Chair Letter,” Primerus 180, Spring, 2014
• “Institute Chair Letter,” Primerus 180, Fall, 2013
• “Charter of the Young Lawyers Section,” International Society of Primerus Law Firms, November, 2011

Community Involvement

• Alternatives, Inc. – Chicago, Illinois
  Advisory Board Member, Peer Jury Restorative Justice Program for Chicago
  Public Schools
• Chicago-Kent College of Law – Chicago, Illinois
  Invited Judge, Charles Evans Hughes Moot Court Competition
• EndDD / Casey Feldman Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  Presenter, End Distracted Driving Campaign
• InterNational Academy of Dispute Resolution – West Des Moines, Iowa
  Invited Judge, International Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament
• Portage Parks Foundation – Portage, Michigan
  Co-Founder & Officer (VP) and Board Member