Providing legal excellence for over 65 years in Kentucky
Biography
I have been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for personal injury litigation defense. I am a Kentucky Super Lawyer and have been an AV Preeminent Rated Attorney for 12 years.
I have spoken frequently state wide and nationally on Civil Litigation, Trial practice and Tactics, Commercial Trucking Litigation, Insurer Law and Education and School Law areas. I have chaired the Kentucky Bar Association convention CLE program in 1998 and 2010. I have served in leadership positions in the Fayette County Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association and the John Rowe chapter of the NBA.
I have over 35 years’ experience as a successful trial attorney. My Practice concentrates on Civil Trial Practice, Commercial Trucking Litigation, Insurance Defense Law, Public Education/School Law, Civil Rights Litigation, Complex Litigation, Premises Liability/ Arson Litigation, Product Liability Law, Bad Faith Litigation in both State andFederal Courts, Wrongful Death and Professional Malpractice Law.
I volunteer a great deal of my time to civic outreach such as, mentoring members of the BLSA at the University of Kentucky College of Law; serving with Men with One Voice Empowered (MOVE); The Georgetown Men’s Association; and Care2, all focused on serving as a role model for under-represented and disenfranchised youth.
Education
- University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky
- J.D. - 1982
- Honors: W.L. Matthews Scholarship
- Honors: Inductee, University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame, 2016
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
- B.S. - 1979
- Honors: Dean's List
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: Political Science
Bar Admission
- Kentucky, 1982
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky, 1983
- U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1984
Practice Areas
- Civil Litigation Defense
- Trucking Defense
- Insurance Defense Litigation
- Education Law Defense
- Public School Defense
- Bad Faith Litigation
- Product Liability Defense
- Civil Rights Litigation Defense
- Insurance Coverage Defense
- Employer Defense
- Race Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- Directors and Officers Liability Defense
- Motor Vehicle Accident Defense
- Property & Casualty Defense
- Complex Litigation Defense
- Federal Trial Practice
- State Appellate Practice
- State Trial Practice
- US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Animal Bites Defense
- Defamation and Privacy Defense
- State Trial Practice
Published Works
- Kentucky Civil Practice Before Trial (Discovery Chapter), U.K. CLE (updated 1998, 2009), 1989
Honors
- Inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame, 2016
- Upholding the Torch of Excellence Award, 24th Annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Celebration, University of Kentucky College of Law, 2014
- Kentucky Super Lawyers, 2010 - 2022
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated, 2000 - 2014
- Board of Visitors University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming, 2005 - 2014
- Visiting Committee, University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, KY, 2013 - 2014
- Appointed by Governor to serve on Domestic Violence and Civil Remedies Task Force, 1999 - 2003
- Appointed by Lexington Mayor to Serve on Mass Transit System Board of Directors, 1993 - 2001
- Appointed by Supreme Court of Kentucky as a Trial Commissioner in Lawyer Discipline Matters, 2007 - 2014
- Fellow, Kentucky Bar Foundation, 2005 - 2014
- Fellow, Fayette County Bar Foundation, 2008 - 2014
- Lafferty Fellow, University of Kentucky College of Law, 1998 - 2014
- Best Lawyers in America, 2009-2024 , Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants in Lexington
Classes & Seminars
- Litigation Skills, University of Kentucky College of Law, 1990 to 2000
- Automobile and Trucking Accident Trial Tactics, NBI - (Annually), 1997 to 2012
- Ethical Litigation, NBA National Convention, 1993
- Electronic Discovery, KBA Annual Convention CLE, 2009
- High Tech Courtrooms for Dummies, KBA Annual Convention, 2010
- Mechanics of Kentucky Civil Procedure, NBI, 2012
- Settlement strategies in Motor Vehicle Case, NBI, 2009
- FRI Annual Winter Meeting, Phoenix Arizona, 2012
- Handling the Challenges of Trial Practice, Kentucky Bar Association, American College of Trial Lawyers Ethic Program, 2021
Pro-Bono Activities
- Citizens Advisory Board to the Lexington Juvenile Day Treatment Center, 1989 to Present
- Board of Directors, Lexington High Street YMCA, 2000 to 2008
- Mentor for University of Kentucky BLSA Chapter, 2008 to Present
- Men with One Voice Empowered (MOVE), 2009 to Present
Past Positions
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Department of Law, Corporate Counsel II, 1983 to 1985
Professional Associations
- John Rowe Chapter, National Bar Association, 1987 to 2014
- John Rowe Chapter, National Bar Association, President, 1990 to 1992
- John Rowe Chapter, National Bar Association, President, 2000 to 2002
- American Bar Association, 1982 to 2014
- Kentucky Bar Association, Member, 1982 to 2014
- Kentucky Bar Association, CLE Chair for KBA Annual Convention, 1998 to 1998
- Kentucky Bar Association, CLE Chair for KBA Annual Convention, 2010 to 2010
- Fayette County Bar Association, Member, 1982 to 2014
- Fayette County Bar Association, Board of Directors, 1989 to 1993
- Fayette County Bar Association, Economic Litigation Task Force, 1996 to 1998
- Kentucky Defense Counsel, Member, 2007 to Present
- National Council of School Board Attorneys, Member, 2005 to Present
- Kentucky Council of School Board Attorneys, Board of Directors - Member, 2007 to 2011
- Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company of Kentucky, Board of Directors - Member, 2009 to Present
Current Employment Position
- Partner