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.
"Their responsiveness very quick and they also give interesting business advice, not just strictly legal advice."
"Stites & Harbison lawyers do outstanding trial work for us on all types of litigation."
Stites & Harbison Promotes Five Attorneys to Member
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today that five attorneys have been promoted to Members (Partners) within the law firm effective January 2022. The new Members (Partners) include:
Katherine Moore Donnelly Elected to the Lexington Art League Board
FRANKFORT, Ky.—The Lexington Art League has elected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Katherine Moore Donnelly to its Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term.
Greg Parsons to be Inducted as Fellow of American College of Construction Lawyers
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Greg Parsons will be inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers (ACCL) on February 26, 2022, at the Annual Meeting in Laguna Beach, Calif. ACCL, one of the nation’s leading legal associations, only designates the top 1% of the construction bar in the U.S. with this honor.
FCBA’s Women Lawyers’ Association Names Elizabeth Lee Thompson as Woman of the Year for 2021
LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Fayette County Bar Association’s Women Lawyers’ Association (FCBA WLA) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Elizabeth Lee Thompson as its Woman of the Year for 2021.
Stites & Harbison Welcomes Three Attorneys to Louisville and Nashville Offices
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announces the addition of three attorneys to the firm. Paige E. Ezell and Ashley Russell join the Louisville, Ky., office while Thomas A. Dozeman joins the Nashville, Tenn., office.
Lauren Paxton Roberts Named as Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Litigation Counsel of America (LCA) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Lauren Paxton Roberts as a Fellow.
2021 Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities (KAHCF) Annual Meeting and Expo
Galt House Hotel & Suites, 140 North Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Stites & Harbison is a sponsor and Louisville office attorney Matt Breetz will be a presenter at the KAHCF Annual Meeting and Expo in Louisville November 9-11, 2021.
Jeffrey Melcher Joins Stites & Harbison
ATLANTA—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce attorney Jeffrey W. Melcher has joined its Atlanta office as a Member (Partner). He will be based in Atlanta while also serving clients in Nashville, Tenn.
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.
Fayette County Bar Association Names Rebecca Sherman as Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2021
LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Fayette County Bar Association has recognized Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rebecca M.W. Sherman with its Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for 2021.
Rachel Dix Bishop Earns 2021 Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association Rising Star Award
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association (TDLA) has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rachel Dix Bishop as the recipient of the 2021 Rising Star award.
Fall 2021 National Legal Malpractice Conference
JW Marriott Nashville, 201 8th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
Louisville office attorney Matt Breetz will be moderating a panel discussion on Case Law Updates on September 23rd in Nashville TN at this conference.
2021 Women in Litigation Joint CLE Conference
Boston Park Plaza, 50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116-39014
Louisville office attorney Whitney Watt will be a member of the panel for a presentation at this ABA Conference in Boston, Mass., November 17-19, 2021.
Rachel Dix Bishop Selected for Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum Class of 2022
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum (NBFLF) has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rachel Dix Bishop as a member of the Class of 2022.
Stites & Harbison Welcomes Johnathan Burnley
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Johnathan D. Burnley to the firm’s Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., offices. He joins the Business Litigation Service Group.
KPCA Annual Conference - 2021
The Campbell House, Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington office attorney Ashley Hopkins will be a speaker at the 2021 KPCA Annual Conference October 27-29, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Mari-Elise Paul Named a 2021 Trailblazer in World IP Review’s Diversity Publication
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mari-Elise Paul as one of 20 Trailblazers profiled from around the world in WIPR’s Diversity Trailblazers 2021 list.
Michael Kleinert Appointed to Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2021)—Governor Andy Beshear has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Michael Kleinert to the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy (KBPT). Kleinert’s term will expire on April 30, 2025.
Sophisticated Buyer Beware: Updates to the Economic Loss Rule in Tennessee
Discussion has re-emerged in Tennessee regarding the economic loss rule, a judicially-created remedy that precludes contracting parties from pursuing tort remedies for purely economic losses arising out of a contractual relationship. On August 2, 2021, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an opinion, addressing an issue of first impression in Tennessee—whether fraud is an exception to the economic loss rule.
Secured Lenders Fail to Manage the Risk of “Springing Liens” at Their Peril
“Springing liens” are first priority statutory liens on property that spring into existence when certain obligations remain unpaid. Springing Liens can attach to real estate, for example, when the following obligations are not paid: taxes, condominium association dues, or claims for construction labor or materials.