Litigation & Appeals

Business Litigation

No matter how hard a business tries, commercial disagreements are inevitable. When these situations arise, dealing with them diverts valuable commodities of management time and resources that could otherwise be applied to growing the business. To help a business successfully navigate through these situations and get it back to focusing on running the business, the steady and experienced hand of a skilled litigator is needed. The attorneys in the Business Litigation Service Group at Stites & Harbison, located in offices in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, make every effort to assist clients in working their way through these contentious situations as efficiently and effectively as possible.

We defend and prosecute claims arising from:

  • the disposition of business entities
  • plant closings
  • insolvency and business failures
  • trade secret and intellectual property issues
  • insurance market misconduct
  • claims asserted against financial professionals
  • franchise terminations
  • commercial real estate
  • lender liability
  • corporate directors and officers' duties, and
  • securities and commercial disputes.

Stites & Harbison has represented clients in manufacturing, the service sector, professional service providers, utilities, the mineral, oil and gas industry, casualty, property and health insurers, and companies owning, financing or operating commercial real estate, to name a few.

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What others are saying about us

"Their responsiveness very quick and they also give interesting business advice, not just strictly legal advice."

U.S. News & World Report / Best Lawyers -"Best Law Firms" Client Interviews 2017

"Stites & Harbison lawyers do outstanding trial work for us on all types of litigation."

U.S. News & World Report / Best Lawyers - "Best Law Firms" Client Interviews 2017
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Events

NIL 101: The Revolution of Name, Image, and Likeness

Date: 3/23/23
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!

Michael Denbow March 10, 2023
Events

56th Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (GDLA) Annual Meeting

Date: 6/15/23 - 6/18/23

The Breakers, One South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480

Don't miss the 56th GDLA Annual Meeting at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida from June 15-18. Earn CLE hours* and network with your friends and colleagues at various social events. Atlanta office attorney Jennifer Guerra will be a speaker at the event.

Jennifer M. Guerra March 07, 2023
Client Alerts

CFPB Issues Advisory Opinion on Digital Shopping Platforms for Mortgages

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has warned that Digital Mortgage Comparison-Shopping Platforms may violate the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act’s (RESPA) anti-kickback rules. At issue are digital platforms or “online marketplaces” that enable potential borrowers to comparison shop options for mortgages and other settlement services. These websites allow potential borrowers to enter limited information that is typically part of a mortgage application, and then the platform operator purports to compare various mortgage options based on the information. The provided options typically generate paid leads for the suggested lenders and the website operator often sells the potential borrower’s contact information.

by T. Dylan Reeves February 10, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Dylan Reeves to the Nashville Office

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney T. Dylan Reeves as a Member (Partner) based in the firm’s Nashville, Tenn., office. He joins the Business Litigation and Torts & Insurance Practice Service Groups.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC February 10, 2023
Press Releases

Commerce Lexington Appoints Cassidy Rosenthal as Board Chair for 2023

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Commerce Lexington has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Cassidy Rosenthal as Chair of its Board of Directors for 2023. Rosenthal previously served as Chair-Elect, a member of the Board of Directors and as the organization’s General Counsel.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 23, 2023
Client Alerts

Down the Rabbit Hole: Assessing the Reach of Amended Rule 7.1

Rule 7.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure has long required each “nongovernmental corporate party” to file a disclosure statement when that party takes its first action in a federal court lawsuit. Effective, December 1, 2022, however, the rule was amended to require that when a case that is in federal court because of diversity jurisdiction is filed or removed, each “party or intervenor” must file a disclosure statement that provides the “name—and identif[ies] the citizenship of—every individual or entity whose citizenship is attributed to that party or intervenor.”

by Daniel E. Danford and Emily Larish Startsman January 20, 2023
Press Releases

Scot Duvall Joins Stites & Harbison’s Louisville Office

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Scot A. Duvall to the firm’s Louisville, Ky., office. He joins the firm as a Member (Partner) in the Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 17, 2023
Press Releases

Robin Miller Honored by Ohio Super Lawyers for 2023

MASON, Ohio—The 2023 edition of Ohio Super Lawyers recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Robin D. Miller on its Super Lawyers list.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 11, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Promotes Seven Attorneys

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today that seven attorneys have been promoted: five to Member (Partner) and two to Counsel. The promotions are effective January 2023.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 06, 2023
Client Alerts

FTC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Ban Employee Non-Compete Agreements

In a move sending shockwaves through the business world, on January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) proposed a new rule that would ban employers from entering into non-compete agreements with their workers and invalidate existing non-compete agreements. The FTC will be accepting comments on the proposed rule for the next 60 days.

by Robin E. McGuffin and David B. Owsley II January 05, 2023
Press Releases

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.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 17, 2022
Press Releases

Ian Ramsey Appointed to Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Governor Andy Beshear has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Ian Ramsey to the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission (KBBC).

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 09, 2022
Press Releases

Mari-Elise Paul Named a 2022 Go To Lawyer for Intellectual Property Law

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Virginia Lawyers Weekly recently named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mari-Elise Paul to the 2022 list of Virginia’s Go To Lawyers for Intellectual Property Law. She is one of 19 attorneys honored.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 28, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Vanna Milligan to the Frankfort Office

FRANKFORT, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Vanna Milligan to the firm’s Frankfort, Ky., office. She joins the Business Litigation Service Group as Counsel to the firm.

by Stites & Harbison September 22, 2022
Events

7th Annual Accounting Risk Management Seminar

Date: 10/26/22
Time: 11:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

City Springs Conference Center, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Stites & Harbison's Accounting Defense Team will present this Accounting Risk seminar on October 26th at the City Springs Conference Center in Atlanta.

Brian A. Cromer, Matthew A. Gass (Matt), Jeffrey C. Hoffmeyer (Jeff), William M. Joseph (Bill), Johannes S. Kingma (Joe), Shannon M. Sprinkle, and John C. deMoulpied September 21, 2022
Client Alerts

Bankruptcy Discharge Trumps PACA, But Does It Really?

In a case of first impression, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Spring Valley Produce, Inc. et al. vs. Forrest, ____ F.3d____(11th Cir. Case Number 21-12133) on August 31, 2022, that the right to a discharge in bankruptcy trumps the longstanding language of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”)(7 U.S.C. §499a-499t) which purports to bar bankruptcy relief under theories of fiduciary duties owed to certain sellers of agricultural products.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 07, 2022
Press Releases

Robin McGuffin Selected for Leadership Lexington’s Class of 2022-23

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Leadership Lexington has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Robin McGuffin as a member of the 2022-23 Leadership Lexington program.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 17, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Ann Murphy to the Nashville Office

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Ann H. Murphy to the firm’s Nashville, Tenn., office. She joins the Business Litigation and Construction Service Groups.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 02, 2022
Press Releases

Greg Smith Earns 2022 Best of the Bar Honor

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Nashville Business Journal recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Greg Smith with the 2022 Best of the Bar award in the areas of executive and family law. He has earned the Best of the Bar award eight times.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 15, 2022
Events

Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership Summit: Atlanta

Date: 9/14/22
Time: 8:50 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Atlanta, GA (Venue TBA)

Atlanta office attorneys Shannon Sprinkle and Jennifer Guerra will be speakers at this event held in Atlanta on September 14, 2022

Jennifer M. Guerra and Shannon M. Sprinkle June 27, 2022