W. Stephen Cannon

Steve Cannon is Chairman of Constantine Cannon LLP and Managing Partner of Constantine Cannon’s Washington, D.C., office. Steve has extensive expertise in several areas of the law, including antitrust, electronic payments and financial services, retail, telecommunications, corporate governance and compliance, and state professional and occupational licensing. He has served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary to a Fortune 200 company, as court-appointed Trustee in three wireless telecommunications divestitures, as a trial attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and as Chief Antitrust Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Steve’s breadth of experience provides a real-world perspective to clients across a range of industries.

Prior to joining Constantine Cannon in 2005, Steve was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC), a national consumer electronics retailer with approximately $10 billion in annual sales. Steve was also General Counsel of Circuit City’s subsidiary, CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX), and led the legal and policy teams behind the successful launch of the nation’s largest retailer of used cars.

As Circuit City’s chief legal and public policy officer, Steve was responsible for the management of all legal and policy matters: including corporate governance, SEC and FCC regulation, competition issues, consumer credit, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, employment, and intellectual property, as well as government affairs. He was a member of the Circuit City Executive Committee and reported directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and was also corporate secretary to Circuit City’s Board of Directors.

Steve also has served in various government positions. After a 1976-77 clerkship with the South Carolina Supreme Court, he received an appointment under the U. S. Justice Department’s Honors Law Graduate Program and served as a trial lawyer in the Antitrust Division from 1977 to 1981. In 1981, he was appointed Chief Antitrust Counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, where he had overall staff responsibility for all antitrust legislation, as well as Department of Justice Antitrust Division oversight. As Chief Antitrust Counsel, he coordinated preparation of antitrust legislation, including hearings, committee markups, and floor debates.

In 1985, Steve returned to the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he was responsible for coordinating policy positions on antitrust matters, including all antitrust legislation and Antitrust Division appellate matters. In this role, he argued before the United States Supreme Court as amicus curiae on behalf of the United States in 324 Liquor Corp. v. Duffy, 479 U.S. 335 (1987).

Beginning in 2007, Steve was appointed by the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and the District of Minnesota as the Management Trustee for three wireless-telecommunications divestiture trusts:  United States et al. v. Alltel Corp., Midwest Wireless Holdings L.L.C., and Verizon Communications Inc., Civ. No. 0:06CV03631 (D. Minn. 2006); United States v. AT&T Inc. and Dobson Communications Corp., Civ. No. 1:07CV01952 (D.D.C. 2007); and United States et al. v. Verizon Communications Inc. and Rural Cellular Corp., Civ. No. 1:08CV00993 (D.D.C. 2008). His responsibilities included: (1) maximizing the value of the assets to ensure their ability to remain independent and economically viable; (2) retaining consultants, accountants, attorneys, and other staff to assist in the management of the assets; (3) ensuring sufficient employee staffing; and (4) reporting to government regulators regarding the assets’ performance and ability to meet (or exceed) projected financial and operational goals.

Steve has served in numerous professional, civic, and business organizations.  In 2004, Steve was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Frist to serve on the Antitrust Modernization Commission. Composed of 12 appointees, the Commission was charged with examining the broad scope of the nation’s antitrust laws and determining what, if any, changes might be appropriate and beneficial to our 21st century economy.

In addition, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the U. S. Chamber Litigation Center.  From 2009 to 2014, he served on the Board of Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX), where he was a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees and served as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee.  From 2016 to 2019, Steve also served on the board of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LL), where he was Chair of the Compliance and Regulatory Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

A native of South Carolina, Steve received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.

He is married to Barbara Gordon and they have two daughters, Katy and Caroline.