Bench & Bar January/February 2025

represented a wide range of clients in complex business and real estate transactions and litigated matters in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. He focuses his practice on busi ness litigation, business planning, real estate and personal injury law.

an array of legal disciplines gives her great insight and perspective to advocate for her clients’ business needs.

Mark Paxton , after serving as FDA Sponsor for the Department of Defense, has returned to Versailles, Ky., and is pleased to announce the opening of his fully remote-based law firm, White Oak AI Law . For those that are unaware, the FDA campus, located in Silver Spring, Md., is called the White Oak Campus. As you might expect, White Oak AI Law exclusively serves

McGehee & Gerughty Law Firm has officially changed its name from Berry & McGehee Law Firm , reflecting the growing leadership and contributions of Ashley D. Gerughty . The firm, originally founded by A. Franklin Berry, Jr. (who retired in 2017), has been led by Stephanie McGehee-Shacklette and Gerughty since 2018. The name change acknowledges Gerughty’s significant role in the firm’s success and better

clients who are developing or commercializing FDA products reg ulated by FDA's various Centers. A related focus is the use of AI technologies which are increasingly used for drug development, including synthesis, clinical trials, manufacturing controls, and empowering more accurate decision-making in software used in or as medical devices. Just understanding the complexities of FDA rules and regulations can be difficult to obtain, but White Oak AI Law not only understands these complexities, but also helps clients reduce these requirements to practice. Paxton has over 24 years of experience in assisting clients to achieve these successes. While in D.C., Paxton served in a variety of roles, beginning with serving as the head of international regulatory affairs at PhRMA, serv ing in house at FDA/CDER's Office of Compliance as Regulatory Counsel, leading Rx-360, an international medical product supply chain consortium, as its first CEO, and finally as the FDA Sponsor for DOD. He co-founded the APEC Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee in Singapore, enabled the concept of Simulta neous Global Development for biopharmaceuticals by conducting Multi-Regional Clinical Trials, and served as chairperson of a major, global initiative comprised of industry, regulatory authorities and academia to develop a published strategy to ensure global medical product quality and supply chain integrity.

represents its current ownership structure. Gerughty, recognized on the Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list , focuses on estate planning, busi ness representation, probate, elder law, and creditor representation.

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights inducted attorney William L. Davis into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame at a special ceremony on November 22, 2024. Recipients of the prestigious honor were announced to over 130 civil and human rights leaders, and gov ernment officials, and the general public, who attended the induction ceremony at the James E. Bruce Convention Center in Hopkinsville,

Ky. The Commission established the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame as part of its 40 th anniversary celebration in 2000. The special recognition serves as a monument to brave men and women whose efforts on many battlegrounds have helped to improve the lives of Kentuckians.

Gray Ice Higdon PLLC (GIH) is proud to wel come Samantha (“Sam”) Wright as attorney in the firm’s business law practice group. Prior to joining GIH, Wright worked in-house sup

porting a global restaurant franchisor as counsel on acquisitions, divestitures, con struction, and a variety of franchising compliance matters. Wright served as the legal leader with her business partners on various franchising and real estate matters, including lease negotiations, development agreements, transfer agreements, franchise contracts, and asset purchase agreements. She graduated, with honors, from the Uni versity of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2019. Thereafter, she started her legal career as a commercial real estate attorney and later transitioned to practicing civil liti gation. Wright’s unique career journey across

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