Ralph J Bean Jr

Mr. Bean received his law degree from West Virginia University where he also obtained his undergraduate degree in Political Science. While in law school, he was the Editor in Chief of the West Virginia Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He received his master of law degree from Harvard University in 1967. Mr. Bean is admitted to practice law in West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Bean has an extensive background in government relations, public utility and energy concerns. He began his practice of law as a corporate counsel for C&P Telephone Companies in Charleston and later in Washington, D.C. Returning to West Virginia, Mr. Bean served as Elections Chief in the office of then Secretary of State Jay Rockefeller from 1970 to 1972. In 1974, Mr. Bean joined the Consolidated Natural Gas System (CNG) as corporate counsel. In 1984, Mr. Bean was appointed general counsel of Hope Gas Inc., CNG’s local distribution company in West Virginia. He was named president of Hope Gas in 1986 and held this position until December 1995 when he joined Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as a partner of the firm. He has participated in two WV trade missions to Asia and serves on the following high-level boards: A Vision Shared (successor to the WV Council for Community & Economic Development); Discover the Real WV Foundation (Emeritus); Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation - the largest source of private philanthropy in WV (Emeritus); West Virginia University Foundation (Emeritus); Huntington National Bank WV; Board member and past chair of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute.