Bench & Bar July/August 2025

Before becoming CLO, he served on BrightSpring’s board of direc tors for 11 years, which enriched his approach to conflict resolution by providing a deeper understanding of the complex issues facing all levels of corporate leadership. Reed is located in Louisville and will serve as an arbitrator and mediator, handling business and com mercial, employment, health care, insurance, and wrongful death and personal injury matters. He is available to conduct sessions in person, as well as virtually, for clients across the country. Earlier in his career, Reed served as U.S. attorney and assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky from 1993 until 2001, where he partnered with federal law enforcement on major investigations. Reed earned his B.A., magna cum laude , from Western Kentucky University and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky.

Executive Professor at Miami University. Evans was formerly the chief investment attorney for Providian Corporation in Louisville and joined the faculty at Miami’s Farmer School of Business after retiring from Capital One Financial and Fifth Third Bank. Evans teaches courses in operations and supply chain management. He and his wife, April Cain , the former corporate counsel of Kentucky Medical Insurance Corporation and past president of the Louisville Bar Foundation, live in Terrace Park, Ohio. Lockaby PLLC welcomes Abigail Wearden to its practice. Wearden previously worked for three years at a large law firm where she rep resented businesses of all sizes in labor and employment, administrative, construction, bankruptcy, and equine matters. She has exten sive experience defending employers in state and federal courts, as well as before the U.S. Depart ment of Labor. She received her B.A. from the University of Alabama in 2018 and J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2022. JAMS , the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Steven S. Reed has joined JAMS. Reed joins JAMS following over 20 years in corporate leadership positions in health care. Most recently, he served as chief legal officer (CLO) at BrightSpring Health Services.

Keuler, Kelly, Hutchins, Blankenship & Sigler, LLP , is pleased to announce that Taylor D. Cooper has joined their firm as an associate attorney. A native of Murray, Taylor earned his undergraduate and graduate level business degrees from Murray State University before pursuing his law degree at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. Cooper has

extensive experience in litigation and regulatory law, having worked in all levels of government including for the City of Chicago, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Social Security Administration,

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