Senior Member

Douglass Farnsley

502-681-0426

Doug Farnsley is a trial lawyer and is a Fellow of three invitation-only trial organizations—the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the International Society of Barristers.

Doug focuses on civil trial work, including the defense of product liability claims and professional and hospital liability claims. He has also tried cases involving employment law issues, to enforce payment pursuant to an insurance policy, for breach of warranty, and representing plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury and death claims. Doug has more than forty years of trial experience, and has successfully tried to verdict more than fifty cases. He has argued cases before state and federal appellate courts.

Kentucky Super Lawyers listed Doug among the state’s Top 50 Lawyers, 2009-11 and 2017-20. Best Lawyers in America selected Doug as Personal Injury Litigation Defendants Lawyer of the Year (2020), Product Liability Litigation Lawyer of the Year (2011), and Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year (2010).

Doug served as President of the Kentucky Bar Association (2015-2016) and served for ten years as a member of the KBA’s Board of Governors. He currently serves as a member of the ABA’s House of Delegates and previously served as a member of the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.

Doug served as Stites & Harbison’s General Counsel from 2016 through 2021 and currently serves as a member of the firm’s General Counsel Committee. Doug also served on the firm’s management committee.

Recent Assignments

In a 2015 jury trial, secured a $4.951M verdict on behalf of a 27 year old man who was struck by a city bus

Represents Fortune 50 company in the defense of claims throughout Kentucky

Successful defense of class action claims against a major nonprofit and for a telecommunications company

Represents national rehabilitation healthcare provider throughout Kentucky

Representation of medical device manufacturer in cases in California, Indiana, and Iowa

Defended and managed the defense of more than 700 medical malpractice cases for the former Kentucky Medical Insurance Company

Bar Admissions

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

U.S. Supreme Court

Firm Leadership

Office of General Counsel, Member

Former General Counsel for the firm (2016-21)

Management Committee, Former Member

Memberships

Kentucky Bar Association

,

Past President

American Bar Association

,

Member of the House of Delegates

National Conference of Bar Presidents

,

Member of the Executive Council

American College of Trial Lawyers

,

Fellow; former State Chair

International Academy of Trial Lawyers

,

Fellow

International Society of Barristers

,

Fellow

Annual Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

,

Life Member

Louisville Bar Association

,

former member of the Board of Directors

Kentucky Bar Foundation

,

Fellow

Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court

,

Master

Community Involvement

The Friends of the Farnsley-Kaufman House

Board of Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing

Actors Theatre of Louisville, Advisory Board

Education

LL.M., Legal History,

1980

University of Wisconsin

Org / Honor

Research Assistantship, 1976-77 Thesis–Gambling and the Law, 1980 Wis. L.R. 811

J.D.,

1976

cum laude

University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law

Org / Honor

Student Bar Association, President

B.A., Political Science,

1973

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Org / Honor

Morehead Scholar (complete four-year scholarship)

President Delta Upsilon (1972)

Freshman Soccer

More Than Stites & Harbison

Doug obtained an LL.M. in Legal History from the University of Wisconsin. After attending UW, Doug clerked for Judge Thomas Ballantine, United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Doug’s father served as mayor of Louisville and in the U.S. House of Representatives. Doug is a passionate supporter of two historic sites associated with his family and located in southwestern Jefferson County, Ky.

Accolades

Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent® Peer Review Rated

Best Lawyers in America®, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; and, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2007-24)

Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Lawyers of the Year (2020)

Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Product Liability Litigation Lawyer of the Year (2011)

Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year (2010)

Kentucky Super Lawyers® (2007-25)

Kentucky Super Lawyers®, Top 50 Lawyers in the state (2009-11, 2017-20)

Benchmark Litigation magazine, Litigation Star (2015-25)

Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Public Advocacy Award (2016) (for outstanding work to advance diversity in the legal profession)

Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Nathanial Harper Award (2016) (for promoting full and equal participation in the legal profession)

Louisville Magazine Top Lawyers (2016)

Louisville Bar Association, Justice Martin E. Johnstone Special Recognition Award (2015) (LBA’s highest award)

University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, Distinguished Alumni Award (2015)

Contact Resources

Douglass Farnsley's LinkedIn Profile