Stephanie E. Grana
Partner | Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (The Virginia Trial Firm) | Richmond, Virginia
Reviewed by Stephanie E. Grana, Partner. Last reviewed: July 22, 2026.
Stephanie E. Grana is a partner at Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (CGBB), The Virginia Trial Firm in Richmond, Virginia. For more than 30 years, Stephanie has represented individuals and families in Virginia who are facing catastrophic injury and the loss of a loved one. She handles medical malpractice, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, premises liability, and personal injury cases, along with wrongful death claims on behalf of families who have lost someone because of negligence. When clients’ lives are turned upside down, they turn to Stephanie because of her proven record, her command of complex medical evidence, and her determination to secure fair compensation for the injured.
Practice Areas: Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Premises Liability, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Sexual Abuse
Direct Office Line: (804) 343-4372
Email Address: [email protected]
Virginia Bar No.: 35736
Over the course of her career, Stephanie has recovered more than 100 verdicts and settlements larger than $1 million for the people she represents. Her reputation as a relentless and thoroughly prepared trial lawyer reflects the work she puts into every case, particularly the medically complex matters that other lawyers consider the most difficult to try.
Representative results include:
- $8.65 million recovery in a medical malpractice case involving breast-cancer screenings that were misread over a period of years
- More than $9 million in a medical malpractice case for a child injured during delivery, including a $5.5 million jury verdict plus interest
- $3.5 million recovery for a woman who sustained a traumatic brain injury when a vehicle left the roadway outside an Arlington grocery store and struck her, requiring trauma ICU care and months of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation
- $2.25 million wrongful death settlement, reached through mediation in March 2026, for the family of a 26-year-old man who was killed on U.S. Route 1 while riding an electric unicycle, with partner M. Scott Bucci
Results depend on the unique facts of each case. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Descriptions of pending or resolved matters are provided for informational purposes and are not an assertion of fault by any party.
As a member of the firm’s trial teams, Stephanie has also helped secure results including a $15 million settlement for a man left paraplegic in a collision and a wrongful death recovery for the family of a young man who died during a dental procedure.
Much of what makes Stephanie so effective is her command of medicine. She built her practice on the cases that turn on medical records, expert testimony, and the credibility of the people who treated the injured, and she is known for translating dense clinical evidence into a clear, compelling story a jury can follow. She began her legal career as a judicial clerk on the Court of Appeals of Virginia and then spent years building a plaintiff’s trial practice in Richmond. The result is a lawyer who prepares exhaustively, tries cases other firms refer to her, and earns the confidence of clients and colleagues alike.
Stephanie is widely recognized by her peers. She has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America and named Richmond Lawyer of the Year on multiple occasions, for Personal Injury Litigation in 2020, Medical Malpractice Litigation in 2021, Product Liability Litigation in 2022 and 2023, and in 2026 for both Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. She has been listed by Best Lawyers in medical malpractice every year since 2009. She has been selected to the Virginia Super Lawyers list every year since 2007, beginning as a Rising Star and earning Top 100 Virginia, Top 50 Women Virginia, and Top 50 Richmond selections, and in 2026 she was named to the Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers list, one of the narrowest peer-recognition lists in the state. Virginia Super Lawyers profiled her in a feature article, The Attorney Who Doesn’t Sleep (2024). In 2025, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only honor. She is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest available rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
In addition to her trial work, Stephanie is a leader in and a teacher of her profession. On July 1, 2022, she became the 84th President of the Virginia State Bar, the first Hispanic lawyer and the seventh woman to lead the organization. She is a past President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Virginia chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court, and the Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association. She is regularly invited to teach other attorneys on medical malpractice, brain injury, trial practice, and jury selection at conferences across Virginia, and she serves on the faculty of the Virginia State Bar Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course for a three-year term running from October 2023 to September 2026. At the request of the Supreme Court of Virginia, she has served on the Virginia Model Jury Instruction Committee since 2015. In 2019, the defense bar recognized her with the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys Civility and Professionalism Award, a notable tribute for a plaintiff’s trial lawyer.
While Stephanie is devoted to the work she does for her clients, she is equally devoted to her community. She serves on the board of directors of Commonwealth Community Trust, where she is a past Chair, and on the board of Community Brain Injury Services. For more than two decades, she has served as a team captain for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
Education and Bar Admissions
Stephanie earned her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1993, where she graduated cum laude, was inducted into the Order of the Barristers, and was a finalist in a moot court competition. She earned her B.A. from the University of Richmond in 1990, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa after completing her degree in three years. Following law school, she served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Joseph E. Baker on the Court of Appeals of Virginia.
She is admitted to practice in Virginia (1993, Bar No. 35736) and before the Supreme Court of Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Honors and Awards
- 2026 Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers®
- Best Lawyers in America® Richmond Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation Plaintiffs (2026)
- Best Lawyers in America® Richmond Products Liability Litigation Plaintiffs’ Lawyer of the Year (2022, 2023)
- Best Lawyers in America® Richmond Medical Malpractice Litigation Plaintiffs’ Lawyer of the Year (2021)
- Best Lawyers in America® Richmond Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiffs’ Lawyer of the Year (2020)
- Best Lawyers in America®, Medical Malpractice Law Plaintiffs (2009 to present)
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (inducted 2025)
- Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers® (2025, 2026)
- Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014 to 2026)
- Top 50 Women Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012 to 2026)
- Top 50 Richmond Area Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014 to 2026)
- Top 25 Women Virginia Super Lawyers® (2010, 2011)
- Virginia Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list (2007 to 2009)
- Circle of Excellence, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, inaugural class (2024)
- Influential Women of Law, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2019)
- Women Who Drive Richmond, inaugural class, Richmond Times-Dispatch (2023)
- RVA Power Women, Law, Richmond BizSense (2022)
- Civility and Professionalism Award, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (2019)
- Virginia Law Foundation Fellow (Class of 2014)
- Women of Achievement Award, Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association (2012)
- Influential Women of the Year, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2010)
- Top 40 Under 40, Style Weekly (2008)
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, and Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers (2011)
- Virginia 500, Law category, Virginia Business (2022)
- Legal Elite, Virginia Business (2023 to 2025)
Listings and awards reflect peer assessments of professional reputation, experience, and ethical standing for the year indicated. They are not certifications of specialization, are not approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia or the Virginia State Bar, and do not guarantee a particular result.
Professional Associations
- Virginia State Bar: President (2022 to 2023), the 84th president and the first Hispanic lawyer to lead the bar
- Virginia Trial Lawyers Association: Past President (2016 to 2017); Board of Governors (1998 to present)
- Virginia Trial Lawyers Foundation: President (2026)
- American College of Trial Lawyers: Fellow (2025 to present)
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Virginia Chapter: Past President
- Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court: Past President (2007 to 2009)
- Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association: Past President
- Faculty, Virginia State Bar Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course (October 2023 to September 2026)
- Virginia Model Jury Instruction Committee, by appointment of the Supreme Court of Virginia (2015 to present)
- Boyd-Graves Conference (13 years)
- American Association for Justice
- Commonwealth Community Trust: board of directors and past Chair
- Community Brain Injury Services: board of directors
- Virginia Law Foundation: Fellow and Faculty Member (2014 to present)
Client Testimonial
“From day one, they treated my personal injury case with compassion, professionalism, and relentless dedication. They listened to my concerns, kept me informed every step of the way, and fought tirelessly to ensure I got the justice I deserved. What impressed me most was how thoroughly they handled every detail, from gathering evidence to negotiating with the defendant. If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer who truly cares, knows the law inside and out, and delivers results, look no further.”
— Tonya Luck, Richmond, VA
This testimonial reflects one client’s experience. It is not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any other case.
Publications and Presentations
- T.C. Williams School of Law Orientation, Invited Panelist (2021)
- VTLA Tort Law Seminar, Tools to Protect Settlement Proceeds (2021)
- SEABOTA Trial By Women Forum, 10 Lessons from a Woman Lawyer’s Point of View (2021)
- VTLA Annual Convention, Holding Defendants Accountable When You Have Multiple Claimants (2021)
- VTLA Med School for Attorneys, Co-Chair and Presenter (2020)
- VTLA Annual Convention, Depositions, The Virginia Way (2020)
- VTLA Annual Convention, Lessons Learned from the Trenches (2019)
- Etheridge Society, Voir Dire and Focus Groups in Virginia (2018)
- VTLA Wrongful Death Retreat, Are You Underestimating the Value of Your Wrongful Death Case? (2018)
- Richmond Bar Association CLE, Picking the Right Jury and Avoiding the Wrong One (2016)
- VSB Litigation Section Spring CLE, The Art and Science of Mastering the Jury Trial (2016)
- VTLA Annual Convention, Case Law Update and Tort Law Update (multiple years, 2013 to 2018)
- The Use of Medical Literature in Trial, VTLA Journal (2010)
A full list of Stephanie’s three decades of presentations and publications is available on request and can be preserved in an expandable section on the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of cases does Stephanie Grana handle?
Stephanie Grana handles catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases in Virginia. Her practice focuses on medical negligence, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and premises liability. She represents people who have suffered life-altering injuries and families who have lost a loved one because of someone else’s negligence, and she serves as lead counsel on complex, high-stakes matters against hospitals, insurers, and other defendants.
Where is Stephanie Grana licensed to practice?
Stephanie Grana has been admitted to practice in Virginia since 1993 (Bar No. 35736) and appears before the Supreme Court of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She practices from the firm’s Richmond, Virginia office.
What is Stephanie Grana known for?
Stephanie Grana is known as a leading Virginia trial lawyer for medically complex injury and death cases and as the 84th President of the Virginia State Bar, the first Hispanic lawyer to hold that office. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been named Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year in Richmond in multiple practice areas, most recently in 2026 for both personal injury and product liability litigation.
Has Stephanie Grana been recognized by her peers?
Yes. Stephanie Grana was named to the 2026 Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers list and the Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers list, and she has been selected to Virginia Super Lawyers every year since 2007. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2009 and is AV Preeminent peer-review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. These recognitions reflect peer assessment and do not guarantee a particular result.
This profile is attorney advertising and is provided for general information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case results depend on the unique facts of each matter, and prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Listings and awards reflect peer assessments for the year indicated and are not approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia or the Virginia State Bar.
