Philip W. Collier
Phil Collier is an attorney with the Firm who began practice with Stites & Harbison in 1980, was named partner in 1986 and served as a member of the firm's Management Committee (2001-2004). He is the former Chair of the firm's Business Litigation Service Group.
He has more than 31 years of litigation and trial experience, including complex litigation involving manufacturers, communications, investments, financial institutions, insurers and energy/mineral companies. He has deep experience in business torts, contract disputes, fights arising out of the purchase and sale of companies and their assets, and corporate governance struggles between directors, officers and shareholders.
Prosecuted claims for recovery of tens of millions of dollars in costs required to clean-up groundwater contamination at 150+ acre chemical plant under terms of complex acquisition agreements. Won summary judgment requiring indemnification for the cost of the cleanup and all future cleanup costs. Also prosecuted claims against later plant operator based upon complex evidence of releases and contaminant transport over several decades. Presented and examined contaminant transport hydrogeolgists, mechanical and structural engineers, process engineers and statisticians.
Prosecuted claims against auditors, directors, officers, counsel and appraisers for the Liquidator of the largest financial institution to fail in Kentucky history—involving commercial real estate loan failures and false financial reporting. Secured judgments and settlements from all responsible parties and historically significant 8-figure recovery from the company's auditing firm.
Secured dismissal of recently-filed antitrust tying claims which were premised upon an alleged market restricted to franchisees.
Successfully defended an electrostatic precipitator maker against claims arising from the collapse of the exhaust ductwork system at a coal-fired power plant, which resulted in a plant shutdown.
Successfully prosecuted RICO claims on behalf of mining company against transportation company to recover damages caused by kick-back schemes.
Presented oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of an international container leasing company in a foreign commerce clause, import-export clause and federal pre-emption challenge to state sales tax on these leases.
Prosecuted economic loss claims on behalf of a Canadian ethanol company arising from Ontario plant shutdown caused by fires and explosions. The challenge: recover commercial damages from CGL insurers—where the parties responsible (manufacturers of grain drying equipment) became insolvent just after the case was filed, and the insurers denied coverage in a parallel coverage action. The grain dryers designed and provided by the defendant caused grains being dried to ignite and the drying system and ductwork to catch fire and explode. The solution: a three-front attack to (a) provide liability, (b) secure application of Canadian law to the claims and defenses and (c) establish that the insurers provided coverage for loss of use of the ethanol plants until the defective drying system could be redesigned and modified. Successfully recovered $5,500,000 from the insurers.
Prosecuted claims for breach of an insurance policy, breach of the express duty to provide a reasonable defense, bad faith and violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumers Protection Act—on behalf of a safety products manufacturer—in response to the insurer's attempts to wrest control of the manufacturer's defense of silicosis cases in Texas and Mississippi, and to interfere with their defense attorney's exercise of independent professional judgment by (a) arbitrarily demanding that defense fees be cut by fifty to sixty percent, (b) refusing to permit insured's counsel to participate in depositions, and (c) refusing to pay the fees and costs incurred by their silicosis defense firm and replacing it with a law firm that would follow its instructions. While the terms of settlement remain confidential, the case was resolved in a manner completely satisfactory to the client.
Acted as special litigation committee (SLC) counsel to investigate claims of wrongdoing in recent litigation against bank directors and officers; in another SLC case, persuaded the Kentucky Court of Appeals to adopt a "good faith" standard for review of an SLC's recommendations.
Former Chair, Business Litigation Service Group (1994-2000 and January 2005-February 2021)
Management Committee (2001-04)
Highland Baptist Church, High School Bible study teacher
with distinction
University of Kentucky College of Law
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Order of the Coif
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Kentucky Law Journal, Notes Editor
with high distinction
University of Kentucky
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Phi Beta Kappa
Phil is a jazz musician, and enjoys improvising a melody backed by a cooking rhythm section. He has pursued a passion for distance running for more than 40 years, enjoys digging in the dirt of a perennial garden, poetry and trekking in the mountains.
Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Banking & Finance Litigation and Mergers & Acquisitions Litigation (2006-23)
Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation (2019)
Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Banking & Finance (2016)
Best Lawyers in America®, Louisville Area Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation (2011)
Kentucky Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation (2007-23)
Kentucky Super Lawyers®, Top 50 Attorneys in Kentucky (2020)
Chambers USA, "America's Leading Lawyers for Business," Litigation: General Commercial (2003-22)
Benchmark Litigation magazine, Litigation Star (2010, 2013-23)
Louisville Magazine Top Lawyer (2014, 2016)
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
Considered a "first-rate attorney" by his peers . . . offers significant depth of litigation and trial experience representing clients from a range of industries in complex business torts and contractual disputes.
. . . bright and hard-working . . . represents a fine choice of counsel for disputes relating to the manufacturing, financial services and energy sectors.
Extraordinarily thorough and bright . . . has the edge over others in sophisticated litigation . . . a bulldog in terms of preparation . . . honorable, skillful and feisty . . . reassuringly fair and good to work with or against . . . has a well-deserved reputation as an excellent commercial litigator by any measure.





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.
Benchmark Litigation 2023 Honors 15 Stites & Harbison Attorneys
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2023 edition of Benchmark Litigation names 12 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as “Litigation Stars” and three as “Future Stars” in Kentucky. The guide honors the firms and attorneys who have demonstrated the ability to consistently handle complex, high-stakes cases in multiple jurisdictions.
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.
Chambers USA Honors 23 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2022
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Chambers USA selected 23 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in their 2022 guide. The Chambers USA guide ranks the top law firms and leading attorneys 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.
Chambers USA Honors 22 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2021
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Chambers USA selected 22 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in their 2021 guide.