Stevan Kip Portman, Esq.

Attorney Stevan Kip Portman brings more than four decades of legal experience to Scaringi Law and practices from the firm’s Harrisburg office. He has an extensive background in criminal law, civil litigation, appellate advocacy, and government counsel. His practice with the firm is focused on criminal defense and civil litigation matters, including serious felony charges, DUI defense, drug offenses, white collar investigations, Megan’s Law registry appeals, and complex civil litigation disputes.

Mr. Portman is passionate about protecting the constitutional rights of individuals facing criminal charges and helping clients navigate the significant personal and legal consequences associated with Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law registration requirements. Drawing upon decades of courtroom, litigation, and appellate experience, he is committed to providing strategic and aggressive representation to individuals confronting serious criminal allegations, registry-related challenges, and complex civil litigation matters. Over the course of his distinguished career, Mr. Portman has represented state agencies, prosecuted complex criminal matters, handled high-profile appellate litigation, and maintained a successful private practice involving both criminal and civil matters.

Prior to joining Scaringi Law, Mr. Portman served for more than fourteen years as Assistant Counsel with the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel, the last seven assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police. In that role, he represented the Pennsylvania State Police in disciplinary arbitrations, Heart and Lung Act matters, and civil litigation in both federal and state courts. He also served as counsel to the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Section, advising on complex issues involving Pennsylvania’s sex offender registration laws and representing the agency in significant appellate litigation before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Commonwealth Court. His work in this area involved constitutional analysis, statutory interpretation, civil rights issues, and high-profile litigation concerning the enforcement and application of Megan’s Law requirements. Through this experience, Mr. Portman developed extensive knowledge of Pennsylvania’s sex offender registration system and regularly handled legal issues directly related to Megan’s Law registry appeals and reporting requirements.

Mr. Portman regularly prepared appellate briefs, reviewed investigative documents and search warrants, defended subpoenas, and coordinated with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General regarding civil litigation matters. He also conducted training related to privacy and civil rights issues affecting law enforcement agencies.

Among the notable appellate matters Mr. Portman briefed and argued are:
• A.L. v. Pennsylvania State Police, 57 MAP 2021 (Pa. Mar. 10, 2022)
• M.S. v. Pennsylvania State Police, 467 M.D. 2020 (Pa. Cmwlth. Mar. 7, 2022)
• A.L. v. Pennsylvania State Police, 674 C.D. 2020 (Pa. Cmwlth. Feb. 8, 2021)

Before his assignment with the Pennsylvania State Police, Mr. Portman served as Assistant Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection from 2011 through 2018. In that role, he handled enforcement litigation, investigations, search warrants, administrative proceedings, and courtroom litigation involving complex regulatory violations, further expanding his extensive trial, civil litigation, and appellate advocacy experience.

From 2005 through 2011, Mr. Portman served as Deputy Attorney General with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, where he prosecuted environmental crimes, money laundering cases, and asset forfeiture matters in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police. His work included conducting complex criminal investigations, presenting matters before statewide investigating grand juries, and prosecuting financial and felony-related offenses.

Mr. Portman previously served as a Deputy District Attorney with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. In that role, he worked directly with the Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of felony drug offenses, search warrant executions, wiretap investigations, forfeiture proceedings, and other serious criminal matters.

In private practice, Mr. Portman operated a criminal defense and civil litigation practice representing adults and juveniles in both state and federal courts. His experience included handling DUI matters, serious felony cases, constitutional issues, civil disputes, and appellate litigation. He authored an appellate brief that resulted in new Pennsylvania case law regarding field sobriety testing and was appointed by courts in Bucks and Philadelphia Counties to serve as conflict counsel in criminal cases.

Mr. Portman also previously served as Compliance Manager for Scientific Games International, overseeing regulatory compliance, contracts, security, and workplace safety matters for the company’s Pennsylvania Lottery operations.

Areas of Practice

• Criminal Defense
• Civil Litigation
• DUI Defense
• Drug Offenses
• White Collar Crimes
• Federal Criminal Defense
• Megan’s Law Registry Appeals
• Constitutional Law
• Civil Rights Litigation
• Appellate Advocacy

Bar Admissions

• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Education

• Widener University Law School, J.D., 1983
• Temple University, B.B.A. in Accounting, 1980