Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Steven Henderson is a member of the firm's Construction Service Group. He joined Stites & Harbison in September 2007 after participating in the firm's summer associate program in 2005 and 2006. Steven's practice is primarily devoted to the representation of owners, contractors, and design professionals in all aspects of the construction and design process.

Recent Assignments

• Negotiated a favorable settlement with a state transportation agency concerning payment for material on a highway project that allegedly did not comply with the agency's standard specifications
• Part of team representing a general contractor in a complicated commercial construction dispute involving delay claims and allegations of defective construction
• Successfully litigated a multi-party case for a national developer involving claims of fraud and defective construction asserted by a condominium owner's association
• Assisted with drafting and negotiating an agreement for a contractor involved with a multi-million dollar surface mining project
• Successfully resolved a dispute with a governmental agency on behalf of a material supplier who was temporarily suspended from supplying any materials to the agency's projects
• Successfully litigated a case on behalf of a contractor against a manufacturer and a design engineer involving a poorly designed telecommunications tower.  The client was able to obtain a substantial settlement during an early mediation and avoided substantial discovery costs.
• Negotiated a successful resolution with the owner on behalf of a subcontractor who was not paid by the general contractor for work performed on a commercial construction project

Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications

• "Strings Are Attached to Construction Projects That Use Federal Stimulus Funds," co-author with Ronald J. Stay, Modern Contractor Solutions, June 2010
• "Contractors Beware—Strings Attached to Projects using Stimulus Funds," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Client Alert, April 5, 2010
• "Kentucky Construction Law," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Bowling Green, Ky., March 12, 2009
• "What you need to know about contracting with the government," Small Business Administration seminar sponsored by Congressman John Yarmuth, October 2008
• "Legal Issues for Kentucky Design Professionals," Half Moon Seminars, Louisville, Ky., March 12, 2008
• "What to do when a construction project goes bad," Lorman Educational Services, Louisville, Ky., February 26, 2008
• Authored chapter on Kentucky Construction Law, Construction Compendium, The Harmonie Group (2008)
• Contributing Author, Legal Handbook for Architects, Engineers and Contractors, Issues in Construction and Technology 2006/2007, Albert H. Dib ed., 2007
• Note, Walking the Line Between Contract and Tort in Construction Disputes: Assessing the Use of Negligent Misrepresentation to Recover Economic Loss after Presnell, 95 Ky.L.J. 145 (2006)
• Assisted with research and writing of the Kentucky Construction Law Handbook
• Co-author of materials for a seminar on the fundamentals of construction contracting

Before Stites & Harbison

Steven is a Registered Professional Engineer and spent over five years working with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet prior to attending law school. While at the Cabinet, he experienced the demands of the construction process first hand as he assisted engineers and contractors in resolving complicated geotechnical problems during the construction of large highway projects.

More Than Stites & Harbison

Steven is a member of the Board of Directors of the Shelby Co. UK Alumni Association, and chairs the finance committee of Centenary United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, Ky.

Besides Stites & Harbison

Steven is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, backpacking, snow skiing, and any other activity that gives him the opportunity to enjoy some quiet time in the woods. He also enjoys golf (most of the time) and spending time with his wife, Emily, and his daughter, Clara.