Ashley Owens Hopkins
Ashley Hopkins is an experienced litigator and counselor on employment law issues, in addition to years of practice in tort and insurance defense. She has trial experience in employment cases involving discrimination and retaliation under several federal statutes, including the ADA, FMLA and FLSA. In addition, she frequently counsels clients on non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, employee handbooks and other day-to-day employment issues.
COVID-19 and the Workplace in 2021
KPCA (Kentucky Primary Care Association) Annual Conference, Lexington, KY, October 28, 2021
2015 Employment Law Update
Completed wage and hour audit of Kentucky facilities for an international client.
Conducted in-depth investigation into corporate culture and race issues at a facility for a nationwide company.
Drafted employment agreements, severance agreements, independent contractor agreements and many other employment related documents.
Provided day-to-day counsel to a multitude of clients regarding general employee issues.
Successfully represented client in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the dismissal of a variety of employment-related claims. Popeck v. Rawlings Company, Inc., No. 19-5092 (6th Cir. Oct. 16, 2019)
Represented at trial a large healthcare recovery industry leader in case tried to a verdict in federal court in the Western District of Kentucky.
Represented international recycling manufacturer in the trial of employment claims in Kentucky state court.
Successfully drafted, argued and won motions for summary judgment in multiple employment law cases.
Successfully drafted Sixth Circuit appellate brief that resulted in the district court's summary judgment opinion in our client's favor being upheld.
American Inns of Court
Leadership Lexington, Graduate (2010-11)
Alzheimer’s Association Walk, Stites & Harbison team member and fundraiser
Stites & Harbison Wellness Committee
Young Friends of the Bluegrass Conservancy
American Diabetes Association, former Community Leadership Board member
University of Kentucky College of Law
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Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Law, Comments Editor (2008-09), Staff Member (2007-08), Comment, "The Jury's Role in Eminent Domain Compensation," published Spring 2009
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Gilliam Writing Club Award for Excellence, Oral Argument
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Honor Council (2006-08)
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Equine Law Society
cum laude
Minor in English
Vanderbilt University
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Senior Class Officer
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Dean's List
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Alternative Spring Break, team member
Prior to joining the firm, Ashley worked for Deloitte Consulting in Dallas. She was also a summer clerk for the Hon. Joseph M. Hood, Eastern District of Kentucky. Ashley is a graduate of the 2010-11 Leadership Lexington class. In addition, she was recently nominated as a member of the American Inns of Court. She is also an active member of Stites & Harbison’s Wellness Committee, which promotes healthy living in the workplace. Ashley enjoys being outdoors, reading books, and spending time with friends and family.
Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Labor & Employment (2021-23)
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2023 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 98 of its lawyers are included in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Additionally, 11 Stites & Harbison attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 19 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
Supreme Court Rejects OSHA Vaccine Mandate on Private Employers – Allows CMS Healthcare Mandate for Facilities Receiving Medicare/Medicaid Funds
Holding that “[a]lthough Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given the agency the power to regulate public health more broadly,” in a 6-3 decision the Supreme Court of the United States, on January 13, 2022, issued a stay of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) on vaccination or testing for employers with 100 or more workers.
Biden Announces Plans to Mandate Vaccination for All Federal Workers and Contractors, Private Employers with 100+ Employees, and Health Care Workers at Medicare/Medicaid Facilities
President Biden has announced plans to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory and other powers to increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements as COVID-19 cases continue to climb.
KPCA Annual Conference - 2021
The Campbell House, Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington office attorney Ashley Hopkins will be a speaker at the 2021 KPCA Annual Conference October 27-29, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Additionally, 11 attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 14 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2021 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 82 lawyers are included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Older Workers Cannot Be Barred from Returning to Work: How to Be Mindful about Returning Older Employees to the Workplace
On June 11, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidelines to state that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) “would prohibit a covered employer from involuntarily excluding an individual from the workplace based on his or her [age] being 65 or older, even if the employer acted for benevolent reasons such as protecting the employee due to higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”
Sixth Circuit: No Accommodation Without Documentation
Navigating an employee’s request for an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) can feel like walking a tightrope—an employee’s requested accommodation may appear to exceed the limits of all reasonableness, but it can be difficult to know when an employer can finally say “no” without fear of liability. A recent decision from the Sixth Circuit provides helpful guidance on this issue.