At the end of 2010, after years of representing entrepreneurs and established businesses in a variety of industries, I left one of the region’s largest law firms and opened my own solo law practice. Now, instead of being surrounded every day by other lawyers, I work daily in a vibrant entrepreneurial space surrounded by web designers, software engineers, graphic artists, and other extraordinarily creative individuals. By going out on my own, I’m experiencing the same kinds of risks and rewards as all the entrepreneurs and other business owners I’ve represented over the course of my twenty-year legal career. More importantly for my clients, I now am able to provide the benefit of years of sophisticated, large firm experience at affordable and flexible rates.
Now for my background. I graduated from Vanderbilt University’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1988 and from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1992, where I was an associate editor of the Kentucky Law Journal. After law school, I spent a year in Virginia clerking for the Honorable Samuel G. Wilson, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. In 1993 after my clerkship ended, I joined Stoll, Keenon & Park (now Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC) as an associate. I later became a partner in the firm in 1999. While at Stoll Keenon, I helped create the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Department, which I chaired for about five years. In 2005, I left Stoll Keenon to join AmLaw 200 firm Dinsmore & Shohl LLP as a partner. I stayed at Dinsmore, continuing to practice internet and IP law, until the end of 2010.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Order of the Coif (honorary awarded to top ten percent of law school graduating class)
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: 5.0 out of 5 (“AV® Preeminent ™“). AV® Preeminent ™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow (invitation-only honorary society limited less than one-half of one percent of U.S. lawyers)
- Avvo Rating: 9.6 out of 10 (“Superb”)
EDUCATION
- J.D., University of Kentucky (with high distinction, Order of the Coif, 1992)
- B.A., Vanderbilt University (cum laude, 1988)
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- Kentucky (all Kentucky state courts)
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- American Bar Association (Business Law Section and Intellectual Property Law Section)
- Kentucky Bar Association
- Fayette County Bar Association (Chair of Intellectual Property & Computer Section, 1999-2001)
- Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass (Board Member, 2001-2003)
- University of Kentucky Natural Products Alliance (Industry Participant, 2002-2003)
- Lexington Vanderbilt Alumni Club (President, 1998-2002)
- Kentucky Technology Council (Steering Committee, 2002)
- Leadership Bluegrass (Graduate, Class of 1994-95)
