Bench & Bar November/December 2025

Vaughn Petitt Legal Group, PLLC , is pleased to announce the addition of David P. DeKold as an associate attorney. DeKold graduated from Bellarmine University and studied law at the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law. He joins Vaughn Petitt after completing a federal clerkship for Magistrate Judge Candace J. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky. In law school he served as the articles selection

Its purpose is to showcase up-and-coming IP practitioners below the partner level who have made a significant contribution to the success of their firms and clients in more than 50 jurisdictions in the world, including the U.S. Hayne is counsel to Stites & Harbison and a registered patent attorney based in the Louisville office. His practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution, both foreign and domestic. Hayne has extensive experience prosecuting utility patent applications covering a wide range of subject matter including electronic hardware and software, consumer goods and manufac turing equipment. He also has experience prosecuting design patent applications for ornamental products such as home goods, children’s toys and soft goods such as bags and blankets.

editor for the UofL Law Review, and a Fellow in the Ordered Lib erty Program and Brandeis Leadership Institute. DeKold is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Kentucky and supports the firm in a wide variety of matters.

Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC , attorney James Hayne to its 2025 “Rising Stars” list. This is Hayne’s fourth time being honored. Man aging IP recognizes the

Anna S. Rueff, Mediator

Effective and compassionate resolution of personal injury matters.

most highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the U.S. and abroad in its annual “IP Stars” list. The “Rising Stars” list, based upon IP Stars submissions and research, is a separate publication that originated in 2018.

arueff@smith-hoskins.com

(502) 899-5220

www.smith-hoskins.com

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