Capabilities

Litigation & Appeals

Our litigation and appellate practice spans all substantive legal fields. Seasoned trial lawyers, e-discovery experts, and accomplished writers of legal briefs regularly team with experienced substantive law attorneys from across the firm to deliver high quality legal services to clients needing effective representation in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings.

The following fourteen major categories listed under Litigation & Appeals Specialty Areas further describe our litigation experience in these areas. In all litigated matters, look to Stites & Harbison to:

  • formulate sophisticated and effective litigation strategies
  • understand and persuasively argue key legal issues
  • identify, manage, and know the contents of relevant documents
  • conduct effective and savvy e-discovery
  • protect privileged, proprietary or confidential information
  • ensure that good faith discovery responses are accurate and uniform
  • prepare all witnesses for optimal deposition performance
  • create and maintain databases and literature files
  • identify knowledgeable and effective experts
  • challenge or discredit unreliable or unscientific testimony
  • use the latest courtroom technology and persuasion techniques with judges and juries
  • analyze appellate issues and craft high-level, readable appellate briefs
Litigation & Appeals Specialty Areas
Main Contacts
What others are saying about us

Stites & Harbison takes a knowledgeable and pragmatic approach to litigation and works to facilitate cost-effective resolution.

This comment was collected as part of the U.S. News — Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" research process. (2018-19)

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

We were fortunate to have Stites & Harbison on our side for a very contentious litigation. They applied exactly the right mix of aggressiveness and negotiation to bring our case to a successful conclusion. . . In addition to always being fully prepared, they were always on time. I would and have recommended them to colleagues, and we continue to use the firm's services for purposes that are more enjoyable and lucrative.

U.S. News & World Report / Best Lawyers - "Best Law Firms" Client Interviews 2017
See more related to Litigation & Appeals
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Olivia Keller to the Covington Office

COVINGTON, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Olivia C. Keller to the firm based in the Covington, Ky., office. She joins the Business Litigation Service Group.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC December 05, 2023
Press Releases

Ten Stites & Harbison Attorneys Honored by 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The 2023 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers recently honored 10 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys. Seven attorneys were named to the Super Lawyers list and three were named to the Rising Stars list.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC December 01, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Seven Attorneys to Multiple Offices

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announces the addition of seven attorneys to the firm. Four attorneys join the Lexington, Ky., office: Harlee Havens, Brandon Lira, John Paul Stilz and Conner Wehrle. Alexandra Dunn, Lucy McIntire and Haley Duncan join the firm in Jeffersonville, Ind., Louisville, Ky. and Nashville, Tenn., respectively.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 21, 2023
Client Alerts

Kentucky Now Allows Persons Age 70 and Over To Opt Out of Jury Service

In March 2023, Kentucky enacted KRS 29A.080, a new law that allows persons 70 and older to voluntarily opt out of jury service. Attorneys Ashley Ward and Kyle Schroader take a look at that new law in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Ashley W. Ward and Kyle S. Schroader November 20, 2023
Press Releases

Bill Geisen Earns 2023 Diversity Law Institute Award

COVINGTON, Ky.—The Diversity Law Institute has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Bill Geisen as the recipient of the 2023 Diversity Award.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 15, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Earns 88 Rankings in 2024 Best Law Firms®

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC has been ranked in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®. The firm’s National Tier 1 rankings include: Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate, and Trademark Law.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 02, 2023
Press Releases

Benchmark Litigation 2024 Honors 14 Stites & Harbison Attorneys

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2024 edition of Benchmark Litigation names 11 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as “Litigation Stars” and three as “Future Stars” in Kentucky.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC October 16, 2023
Events

8th Annual Accounting Risk Management Seminar

Date: 11/7/23
Time: 11:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

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

Join Stites & Harbison Accounting Defense team for the 8th Annual Accounting Risk Management Seminar in Atlanta on November 8, 2023.

Stites & Harbison, PLLC October 02, 2023
Client Alerts

Ensuring Enforcement of Electronically Executed Arbitration Agreements

Shannon Sprinkle and Evan Elam take a look at the enforceability of electronically executed arbitration agreements in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Shannon M. Sprinkle and Evan W. Elam September 26, 2023
Events

Using LLCs to Protect Assets

Date: 10/20/23
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Live Video Webinar

Chad McTighe will be the speaker at this live video webinar discussing using LLC's to protect assets.

Chadwick A. McTighe September 21, 2023
Press Releases

Gregory Smith Earns Chambers High Net Worth Honor for 2023

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Chambers High Net Worth selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gregory D. Smith for inclusion in its 2023 guide in the category of Family/Matrimonial for USA: Tennessee. He is one of only four attorneys honored for Tennessee. Chambers High Net Worth ranks top lawyers and law firms in the international private wealth market. This is Smith’s third time earning the honor.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 20, 2023
Events

Stites & Harbison Signature Event

Date: 10/11/23
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, 430 West Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40507

Join Stites & Harbison for this Signature Event in Lexington for a special evening at Rupp Arena.

Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 15, 2023
Press Releases

Greg Smith and Lauren Paxton Roberts Earn 2023 Best of the Bar Honors

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Nashville Business Journal recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys Greg Smith and Lauren Paxton Roberts with the 2023 Best of the Bar awards. Smith has been honored nine times for family law. This is Roberts’ first time being honored in the litigation and dispute category.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 15, 2023
Press Releases

Corporate Counsel Recognizes Marjorie A. Farris with 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award – Managing Partner of the Year

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Corporate Counsel has honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC Chair Marjorie A. Farris as a “Managing Partner of the Year” in its 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards. She is one of six women honored in this category across the country.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 31, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers® Publications

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 101 of its lawyers are included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 24, 2023
Client Alerts

Georgia Court of Appeals Holds that Non-Solicitation-of-Employees Restrictive Covenants Must Have Express Geographic Limitations

For the second time in five years a split panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals decided that a post-employment restrictive covenant without any geographic limitations is unenforceable except in limited circumstances. The bottom line for employers is that while post-employment restrictions on efforts to solicit a former employer’s customers or restrictions on using trade secrets do not require geographic limitations, all other post-employment restrictions do. Employers should err on the side of caution if they want their agreements to be enforceable or capable of being blue-penciled under Georgia law.

by Shannon M. Sprinkle and Daniel B. Millman August 09, 2023
Press Releases

Whitney Frazier Watt Named IADC Product Liability Committee Chair

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Whitney Frazier Watt as Chair of its Product Liability Committee. She will serve a two-year term.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 28, 2023
Events

“To Text or Not to Text…” Challenges to Defending Employment Matters Involving Text Messages

Date: 8/21/23
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

WEBINAR

Employment attorney Shannon Hamilton challenges an employer may face when defending an employment matter that involves text messaging as evidence along with other matters in this myLawCLE webinar.

Shannon Antle Hamilton July 26, 2023
Client Alerts

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.

by Michael Denbow, Brian Butler, and Rachel Gumbel, 2023 Summer Associate July 20, 2023
Press Releases

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.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 19, 2023