Bethany A. Breetz
Ms. Breetz's practice focuses on both federal and state appellate advocacy, complex commercial litigation, including financial institution, real estate, and trust and estate litigation. She currently serves as co-chair of the firm's Appellate Advocacy group.
Warning! Danger Ahead When Citing Unpublished or Non-Final Opinions
co-author with Jamie Neal, Bench & Bar Magazine, Kentucky Bar Association, March/April 2023
The New Rules of Appellate Procedure are Here: What Kentucky Appellate Practitioners Need to Know
Bench & Bar Magazine, Kentucky Bar Association, March/April 2023
Kentucky's Appellate Rules: A Panel Discussion on the Significant Changes Ahead
panel member, 2022 Kentucky Bar Association Annual Conventions, June 15, 2022
The Court of Appeals is Speaking - Are We Listening?
Louisville Bar Briefs, January 2021
Refinery's Blast Coverage Claim Blown Up by Own Expert
by Jeff Sistrunk, Law360, May 3, 2019
Kentucky High Court Restores $80M Punitive Damages Against Firm
Law360, December 13, 2018
Kentucky Supreme Court Declines to Recognize New Tort of "Negligent Credentialing"
Timelines and Tips for Practicing in Kentucky Appellate Courts
50-State Survey of Privacy and Related Law
Kentucky Chapter, Media Law Resource Center (2002-2014)
Handles a variety of federal and state court litigation and appellate matters for the Kentucky Bar Association and related entities and employees, e.g., Deters v. Herrick, 2020 Ky. Unpub. LEXIS 14 (Ky. 2020); Mischler v. Bevin, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 14319 (6th Cir. 2017)
Represents the Kentucky Medical Association and American Medical Association in filing amicus curiae briefs in Kentucky Supreme Court, e.g., Sneed v. Univ. of Louisville Hosp., 2020 LEXIS 131 (Ky. 2020), Ashland Hosp. Corp. v. Lewis, 581 S.W.3d 572 (Ky. 2019); Commonwealth v. Claycomb, 566 S.W.3d 202 (Ky. 2018)
Obtained dismissal of the majority of claims for defamation against the Washington Post. Sandmann v. WP Co. LLC, 401 F.Supp. 3d 781 (W.D. Ky. 2019)
Obtained summary judgment, which was upheld on appeal, in insurance coverage dispute due to admissions during discovery, Continental Refining Co., LLC v. Hartford Steam Boiler Insp. & Ins. Co., 769 Fed. Appx. 255 (6th Cir. 2019)
Handled appeals from summary judgments, obtaining affirmances in Kentucky Court of Appeals and convincing Kentucky Supreme Court to deny discretionary review, e.g. Kotevska v. Fenton, 2019 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 173 (Ky. App. 2019); Oram v. Cantley, 2019 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 135 (Ky. App. 2019); Doe v. Golden & Walters, PLLC, 2019 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 635 (Ky App. 2019)
Obtained affirmance of summary judgment on customer’s claims of breach of contract and breach of the covenant of fair dealing, KSA Enterprises v. Branch Banking & Trust Co., 761 Fed. Appx. 456 (6th Cir. 2019)
Convinced Court of Appeals to uphold large compensatory award for client injured by accounting firm’s fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions and convinced Kentucky Supreme Court to accept review and reinstate entirety of punitive damage award, Yung v. Grant Thornton, 563 S.W.3d 22 (Ky. 2018)
Obtained affirmance of FAA’s Record of Decision on Regional Airport Authority’s implementation of a safety plan, Kaufmann v. FAA, 722 Fed. Appx. 470 (6th Cir. 2018)
Convinced the Kentucky Supreme Court to retain traditional classification of land entrants for purpose of defining the duty owed to them, Smith v. Smith, 563 S.W.3d 202 (Ky. 2018)
Obtained reversal of injunctive relief relating to bourbon distilling process, Brown-Forman Corp. v. Miller, 528 S.W.3d 12 (Ky. 2017)
Office of General Counsel, Ethics Subcommittee, Chair
Appellate Advocacy Group, Co-Chair
Legal Aid Society, volunteer attorney
The Center for Women and Families, volunteer attorney
cum laude
University of Michigan Law School
University of Chicago
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General Honors
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National Merit Scholar
Ms. Breetz is the chair of the Appellate Rules Subcommittee of the Kentucky Supreme Court’s Civil Rules Committee, a position she has held since the Appellate Rules Subcommittee was created by the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2011. She is also a member of the Civil Rules Committee. Ms. Breetz was elected as the first chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Appellate Advocacy Section when that section was established by the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2007, and she has been active in that section since that time. She is a past chair of the Louisville Bar Association’s Appellate Section. Ms. Breetz serves as a volunteer attorney for clients of the Legal Aid Society and The Center for Women and Families in Louisville. She also serves as a volunteer with Fern Creek-Highview United Ministries, a not-for-profit social service agency. In addition, Beth is a long-time supporter of the arts in Louisville. For three and a half years after law school, Ms. Breetz served as law clerk to the Honorable Charles Leibson and then to the Honorable Nicholas King, both of the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice (2009-23)
Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Areas Lawyer of the Year for Appellate Practice (2014)
Kentucky Super Lawyers® (2015-23)
Benchmark Litigation magazine, Litigation Star (2015-16)
Louisville Magazine, Top Lawyers for Appellate Law (2013-16)
Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 49 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2023
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2023 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 49 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 37 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 12 attorneys to the Rising Stars list.
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.
Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 37 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2022
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2022 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 37 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 29 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and eight attorneys to the Rising Stars list.
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.
Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 41 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2021
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2021 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 42 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices.
4th Circ. Says 'Unfair' Va. Law Forces It To Nix Black Lung Suit
Law360 (November 9, 2020, 6:04 PM EST) -- Holding that the court was bound to interpret Virginia's statute of limitations "as it is, not as we would like it to be," the Fourth Circuit has affirmed a lower court's decision to toss a lung disease-stricken coal miner's claims against respirator companies accused of selling poor-quality breathing equipment.
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©.
Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 45 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2020
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2020 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 42 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 32 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 13 attorneys to the Rising Stars list.