Tucson born and raised, Stew practiced in Washington, Arizona and Oregon for 40 years before narrowing his practice to advice, trial assistance and consultation for public agencies and private corporations. He defended some of the largest Civil Rights Act and wrongful death lawsuits in the northwest, and represented numerous public agencies (cities, counties and state), and religious institutions. He provided training at Washington’s police academy for decades. He also presented on risk management, public records, investigations, jury selection, and trial practice to elected officials, prosecutors, lawyers, and agency heads.

Stew has also had a significant appellate practice, submitting over 80 briefs in the Washington Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court relied on his law review article in reaching their holding in Kottler v. State, and Wilkinson v. Torres was the first Ninth Circuit case in which the court overturned the trial court’s refusal to grant a police officer qualified immunity in a fatal shooting matter.