Stephen Ladsous is a Senior Attorney in the Orange County office of Theodora Oringher and a trial lawyer whose practice is centered on high-stakes business and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on courtroom advocacy, jury trials, and taking complex cases through verdict.

Since joining the firm, Stephen has served as lead or co-lead trial counsel in multiple jury trials, taking four to verdict and resolving a fifth during the third day of jury deliberations. In those trials, he examined fact and expert witnesses, argued dispositive and pretrial motions, and litigated evidentiary disputes both before and during trial. He has also led a bench trial to verdict and served as trial counsel in multimillion-dollar arbitrations.

Stephen regularly represents high-profile clients in complex, high stakes litigation and trials. His trial experience includes defending Angels Baseball in a widely publicized wrongful-death action; prosecuting a fraudulent-misrepresentation case on behalf of one of the world’s largest customer contact and support providers against a major national networking company; defending an entity owned by a high-net-worth individual in a multibillion-dollar wrongful-termination dispute arising from the construction of a downtown Los Angeles high-rise; and defending one of Colorado’s largest utility providers in a personal-injury action brought by a master electrician alleging injuries caused by electrical equipment.

Before entering private practice, Stephen was a Deputy District Attorney with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, where he developed extensive courtroom experience trying cases end-to-end. He argued 34 jury trials to verdict, six court trials to verdict, and hundreds of contested motions. His criminal trial work included prosecuting violent felonies and complex cases involving domestic violence, carjacking, robbery, felony assault, residential burglary, and narcotics sales. He served in the Gang Unit before leaving the District Attorney’s Office in 2020 to join Theodora Oringher.

Stephen brings a prosecutor’s trial instincts to civil litigation—combining strategic case framing, disciplined witness examinations, and decisive courtroom advocacy. He has been described as an “extremely smart, strategic, and aggressive trial lawyer” whose ability to think on his feet allows him to remain nimble before judges and juries. His polished courtroom presence continues to earn the confidence of clients and the respect of courts.