Michael Denbow
Michael Denbow is a member (partner) in the Louisville office, Chair of Stites & Harbison's White Collar Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Business Litigation Service Group. Michael focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense and other government and regulatory matters. He handles matters in federal and state courts throughout the southeast and represents clients when dealing with such government entities as the Department of Justice, the FBI, the SEC, and the CFPB, among others. Michael also routinely represents professional athletes and entertainers in contract negotiations, business advice, and litigation matters.
Title Agencies Did Not Violate RESPA Affiliated Business Rule
Thad Barnes and Michael Denbow to Lead Stites & Harbison’s Business Litigation Group
by editor, Louisville Business First, March 29, 2024
Stites & Harbison Names Business Litigation Co-Chair Duo
By Adrian Cruz, Law360.com, March 29, 2024
Stites & Harbison Appoints New White Collar Chair
by Adrian Cruz, Law360.com, July 24, 2023
Michael Denbow Named Chair of Stites & Harbison’s White Collar Practice Group
by staff writer, Attorney At Law Magazine, July 19, 2023
United States v. Dino Gaudio. In a nationally publicized case, former University of Louisville basketball coach and former ESPN analyst Dino Gaudio was charged with extortion in connection with a surreptitiously taped conversation Coach Gaudio had with University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack. Upon reviewing our case submissions, particularly relating to Coach Gaudio’s outstanding character, the presiding United States District Judge not only gave Coach Gaudio the minimum sentence permitted by law but went so far as to question the United States’ decision to prosecute the case despite the United States Sentencing Guidelines recommending two (2) years of incarceration.
Defended NBA player in arbitration before the National Basketball Players Association ("NBPA") over agent fee dispute
Obtained a non-prosecution agreement on behalf of a client involved in the Project Varsity Blues college admission scandal
Defended client in insider trading investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that resulted in no charges or claims being made against the client
Successfully challenged an initial determination of ineligibility by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association ("KHSAA") for a high school baseball player and ensured eligibility for his junior year of high school
Business Litigation Service Group, Co-Chair (2024-present)
White Collar Practice Group, Firm Chair (2023-present)
Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, Member (2021)
St. Agnes Catholic Church, Member
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Board Member
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Brandeis Law Journal, Member
cum laude
Washington and Lee University
First Team ODAC Academic All Conference (2001, 2003) - Basketball
Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Michael worked at GE for three years as a program manager in the Warranty Management Division. Michael also participated in the firm's summer associate program in the summer of 2007. Outside of the practice of law, Michael and his wife, Ali, have four kids: Gracie, Jack, Henry, and George. While the kids account for most of his spare time, he still finds time to live and die with University of Kentucky football and basketball as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kentucky Super Lawyers®, Rising Star (2013-21)
Kentucky Super Lawyers® (2025)
Louisville Magazine Top Lawyers (2016)
Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 47 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2025
The 2025 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 47 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 34 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 13 attorneys to the Rising Stars list.
Thad Barnes and Michael Denbow Appointed to Lead Stites & Harbison’s Business Litigation Service Group
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that attorneys Thad M. Barnes and Michael Denbow have been appointed to Co-Chair the firm’s Business Litigation Service Group. Each attorney will continue their diverse legal practices in business litigation.
Reevaluating Your Company’s Compliance Program
The United States Department of Justice’s Criminal Division (“Division”) announced a new program—called the Compensation Incentives and Clawbacks Pilot Program (“program”)—that will shift the burden of corporate financial penalties away from shareholders and onto culpable corporate employees.
Michael Denbow Named Chair of Stites & Harbison’s White Collar Practice Group
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 19, 2023)—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Michael Denbow has been named Chair of the firm’s White Collar Practice Group.
NIL 101: The Revolution of Name, Image, and Likeness
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC, 400 W. Market Street, Suite 1800, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Join Michael Denbow on March 23rd for this Thirsty Thursday networking event in our Louisville office to learn more about the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) topic!
Revenue Cycle and Compliance Summit
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Online Event
The Revenue Cycle and Compliance Summit is an online half-day workshop to provide convenient education with CEUs and CLE for professionals. Stites attorneys Sarah Spurlock and Michael Denbow will be presenters at this Summit on June. 23, 2022.
NIL Compensation for High School Athletes: The Future is Now
Next month, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (“OHSAA”) member schools will vote on whether to allow high school athletes to be paid for the name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). If approved, Ohio will join Alaska, California, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Utah, which already allow high school athletes to profit from their NIL. Other states, like Tennessee and Mississippi, recently amended their NIL statutes in a manner that will likely allow for NIL in high school sports.
NIL Update – Should Student Athletes Seek Professional Advice?
On July 1, 2021, several state laws allowing student athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (“NIL”) went into effect. The NCAA also adopted an interim NIL policy allowing student athletes in any State to receive monetary compensation for their NIL.