Bench & Bar September/October 2026

WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE

Trustees. M. Scott McIntyre ’97, Esq. has been elected vice-chair person of the board. McIntyre is a partner and employment and labor law practice team leader with Baker Hostetler LLP . Prior to joining Baker Hostetler, McIntyre served as a law clerk for the Honorable Daniel M. Manion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Honorable Karl S. Forester, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He earned a degree in B.A. from Thomas More University, where he served as student government president, and received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He resides in Cincinnati with his wife and son. Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Chambers 2026 High Net Worth (HNW) Guide has named the firm’s private wealth law practice in Kentucky as a “Top Ranked” practice. Three of the firm’s attorneys in Lexington are listed as “Leaders in their Fields.” Lon don-based Chambers & Partners, publisher of the world’s leading guides to the legal profession, research the strengths and reputations of U.S. law firms by state through in-depth interviews with peers and competing firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and significant purchasers of legal services. Following is a list of Dickinson Wright attorneys who are listed in the Chambers 2026 HNW Guide: Pri vate Wealth Law: Jeffrey L. Gehring , Lexington; Tara N. Halbert , Lexington; and Henry C.T. Richmond, III , Lexington. Two Commissioners on the KBA’s Attorneys’ Advertising Com mission (AAC) had terms which expired on June 30, 2026. Rebecca R. Schafer of Louisville served on the AAC from 2020-2026 and was the AAC chairperson for FY 2025-2026. Grace E. Greenwell of Louisville served on the AAC from 2023-2026. During the AAC’s annual meeting held via Zoom on July 14, 2026, both Schafer and Greenwell were recognized for their service on the AAC and to the public in helping to maintain the quality of our profession. A thank you letter and plaque was mailed to each of them in recognition of their service. The AAC receives and reviews lawyer advertising submissions pursuant to the Kentucky Supreme Court Rules.

graduating summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, in 2024. Puckett earned her undergraduate degree from Berea College. Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine has named six Stites & Harbison, PLLC , attorneys to the 2026 “IP Stars” list. Managing IP recognizes the most highly regarded intellectual prop erty attorneys in the U.S. The star attorneys are nominated by their peers and in-house counsel. Inclusion on the list is based on surveys, interviews and independent research conducted by Managing IP. “IP Stars” further separates honorees into the following categories: copyright, design, patent, trademark and transactions stars. Stites & Harbison has been recognized for intellectual property in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia since the inception of the “IP Stars” list in 2013. The following is a listing of Stites & Harbison’s Copyright, Patent and Trademark Stars for 2026: Kentucky (Copyright Stars): - Joel T. Beres . Kentucky (Patent Stars): - Mandy Wilson Decker , Michael S. Hargis ; David W. Nagle, Jr. ; Warren D. Schickli ; and Terry L. Wright . Kentucky (Trademark Stars): Joel T. Beres and Michael S. Hargis . In addition Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine recently selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC, attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to the 2026 edition of Managing IP’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” This is the 12th time Decker has been honored on this list, and she is the only attorney honored from Kentucky. The “Top 250 Women in IP” list recognizes the leading women IP lawyers from more than 50 jurisdictions across the world. Decker is a member (partner) of Stites & Harbison based in Lou isville. She also serves as co-chair of the firm’s artificial intelligence committee. She is a registered patent attorney. Her practice focuses on intellectual property protection strategy, including counseling clients on infringement, validity and patentability, transfer of intel lectual property, patent drafting and patent prosecution.

In March 2026, Sam Flynn was appointed to chief deputy counsel and special advisor to Governor Andy Beshear. He leads the Admin istration's efforts on several legal and policy matters including medical cannabis, Pre-K for All, and other policy initiatives. This past May, Flynn was named to the National Association of State Chief Administrators' (NASCA) 20 under

David Nagle

Terry Wright

Joel Beres

40 list. NASCA recognized him for his work building Kentucky's medical cannabis program from the ground up and for his work on the Governor's Pre-K for All initiative.

Minner Vines Injury Lawyers welcomes Emily M. Puckett . She joins the firm as a personal injury attorney. Puckett served as a judicial law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the East ern District of Kentucky. She received her J.D. from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosen berg College of Law as a Rosenberg Scholar,

Warren Shickli

Mandy Decker

Michael Hargis

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