Joseph L. Hamilton
Joe Hamilton is a Member of the firm and has been based in the Louisville office since 1986. He is a member of the Business Litigation Service Group, which is home to approximately 60 attorneys and paralegals and is co-chair and co-founder of the firm's 20 member Class Action Defense Practice Group. His practice emphasis is in class action defense and other complex business and business insurance litigation.
With regard to his class action defense practice, Mr. Hamilton has been counsel in over 150 class actions during the last 25 years. Those class actions have been concentrated primarily in life insurance, health insurance, ERISA and other insurance and financial product issues. He has defended clients in putative statewide and nationwide class actions on a regional and national basis, representing them in the state or federal courts of more than 25 states from coast to coast.
Recent major representative clients include: ING Group, Inc. and subsidiaries and affiliates; American Modern Insurance Group and subsidiaries; Farmers Insurance Group and subsidiaries; Assurant, Inc. and subsidiaries; Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company; State Auto Insurance Companies; Windstream, Inc.; The Independent Order of Foresters, Auto Owners Insurance and subsidiaries and affiliates; and, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and subsidiaries and affiliates.
Class Action Defense Practice Group, Co-Chair
Diversity Committee, Member
Business Litigation Service Group, Past Chair
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
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Vice President of the Student Bar Association
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Member of the Honor Council
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Member of the Student-Faculty Liaison Committee
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Dean's List
Williams College
Following graduation from law school, Joe served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Charles M. Allen of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at Louisville. In 2010, Joe was elected to the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC).
Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation (2007-23)
Kentucky Super Lawyers® (2012-18, 2021-22)
Chambers USA: "America's Leading Lawyers for Business," Litigation: General Commercial (2008-14)
Benchmark Litigation magazine, Litigation Star (2008, 2009, 2013-22)
Louisville Magazine's "Top Lawyers" for Class Action Law (2013, 2014)
. . . always a pleasure to work with Joe Hamilton. He is proactive, thorough, knowledgeable, and bright—a professional of the highest caliber.
A great class action defense lawyer.
. . . has a certain style that goes down well with colleagues and judges . . .
Joe is an excellent litigator . . .thorough understanding of the law . . . very few skilled litigators like Joe that take the time to understand and appreciate the business context . . .
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.
Benchmark Litigation 2022 Honors 15 Stites & Harbison Attorneys
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2022 edition of Benchmark Litigation names 12 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as “Litigation Stars” and three as “Future Stars” in 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.
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.
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©.
Best Lawyers in America Honors 75 Stites & Harbison attorneys for 2020
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Best Lawyers in America© 2020 has recognized 75 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as selected by their peers in 49 areas of practice. Forty-three of those attorneys selected have been honored for 10 consecutive years or more.
Benchmark Litigation 2019 Honors 15 Stites & Harbison Attorneys