Bench & Bar March/April 2026

Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC (SKO) welcomes Paige A. Robinson to the firm’s Louisville office. She joins SKO’s bankruptcy and finan cial restructuring practice group where she advises and assists clients in complex restruc turing and credit matters, including Chapter 11 cases, foreclosures, out-of-court restructurings, and litigation involving lender liability, fraud, avoidance claims, and related issues. Robinson

with a focus on making complex planning clear and manageable for her clients. She has experience drafting comprehensive estate plans; advising on estate, gift and Kentucky inheritance tax matters; admin istering estates and trusts; and planning for long term care. Collins also designs business succession strategies, counsels on business entity selection, and forms and advises nonprofit organizations. She represents clients in fiduciary litigation and provides guidance on elder law matters. Jennifer Henry Jackson – Louisville, Ky., office – torts & insurance practice service group. Jackson handles a wide variety of litigation matters, including product liability, toxic and mass torts, medical malpractice, professional liability, premises liability, and actions alleging serious personal injury or death. She routinely defends clients in state and federal criminal cases. Jackson represents health care providers in complex fraud investigations involving the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investiga tion, and Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as state investigative agencies. Through her health care practice, Jackson advises clients on physician self-referral issues, reimbursement issues, privacy and security, licensure matters, and fraud and abuse laws.

graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama with her B.A. and M.A. and earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2024.

Seiller Waterman LLC is pleased to announce that William S. Yates has joined the firm’s liti gation practice group. Yates is a 2025 graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and is admitted to practice in Kentucky.

Leslie M. Cronen has joined Trial Lawyers United LLC as managing attorney, effective December 2025. Cronen brings over 20 years of experience in complex civil litigation, with a practice focused on mass torts and product liability matters. Throughout her career, she has represented plaintiffs nationwide in high-stakes litigation involving defective products, danger

Stites & Harbison, PLLC , recently announced that several attorneys had been promoted to member (partner). The promotions were effective January 1, 2026. The new members (partners) include Joshua F. Barnette – Atlanta office – torts & insurance practice service group. Barnette advises clients through all phases of litigation, including appeals in state and federal courts. He regularly represents and advises busi nesses, non-profits and individuals in the areas of commercial litigation, fiduciary duties, torts and insurance, construction litigation, employ ment litigation, professional liability, and federal criminal defense. Neil E. Barton – Louisville, Ky., office – torts & insurance practice service group. Barton’s practice focuses on product liability defense, particularly cases involving residential and commercial fires and explo sions. Barton also provides comprehensive legal services in the insurance arena, including inves tigating and analyzing complex legal and factual issues to deliver coverage opinions, defending first- and third-party bad faith claims, and pros ecuting declaratory judgment actions on behalf of carriers and clients. His practice also focuses on defending against suits alleging medical negligence. Barton is certified by the National Association of Fire Investigators as a Fire and Explosion Investigator. Gentry C. Collins – Lexington, Ky., office – trusts & estates service group. Collins advises individuals, families, and business owners on developing and implement ing estate plans tailored to their personal and long-term objectives. Her practice includes the full spectrum of estate planning and estate and trust administration,

ous pharmaceuticals, and corporate negligence. Cronen earned both her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Louisville. Trial Lawyers United LLC is a national plaintiffs’ firm that concentrates on complex personal injury and mass tort litigation. The firm is known for its collaborative, trial-ready approach and its commitment to representing individuals harmed by large corporate defendants across jurisdictions. In her role as managing attorney, Cronen will help lead the firm’s strategic growth and continued excellence in complex trial advocacy.

Fultz Maddox Dickens PLC is proud to announce that J. Mick Smith has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Smith’s practice spans organizations of all sizes—from start-ups to publicly traded companies—and covers a wide range of business matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and commercial real estate transactions. He also

assists the firm’s litigation team in resolving commercial disputes. Smith earned his B.A. from Bellarmine University, summa cum laude and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky, magna cum laude .

Simon Law, PLLC , a new business and con struction law firm founded by attorney Nathan Simon , has opened in Lexington to serve con tractors and closely held businesses nationwide, with a special focus on Kentucky and the South east. Simon Law was launched after Simon spent

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