Stites & Harbison, PLLC

United States 2025

National Rankings

Metro Rankings

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General Information

Practice Areas

Individuals recognized in Best Lawyers

468

Client Comments

Year founded: 1832

This is the year the firm (or its earliest predecessor entity) was founded.

Overview

Content is provided by the firm.

A full service Southeastern-based law firm representing clients across the United States and internationally, Stites & Harbison PLLC is known as a preeminent firm managing sophisticated transactions, challenging litigation, and complex regulatory matters on a daily basis. The firm represents a broad spectrum of clients including multinational corporations, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, health care organizations, manufacturers, private companies, nonprofit organizations, family-owned businesses and individuals. Tracing its origins to 1832, Stites & Harbison is one of the oldest law practices in the nation.

The firm maintains 11 offices across six states--Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia--and is able to service the needs of international clients with its memberships in Business Counsel, Inc. and Lex Mundi. Additionally, Stites & Harbison is a member of The Harmonie Group, the national network of top litigation law firms, and is the Kentucky representative to the prestigious Southern Law Network.

Rankings

Stites & Harbison, PLLC is nationally ranked in 8 practice areas and metro ranked in 52 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.

Read how Best Law Firms ranks firms

National Rankings

Tier 1

Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 1 for Litigation - Real Estate

Tier 1 for Trademark Law

Tier 2

Tier 2 for Construction Law

Tier 3

Tier 3 for Commercial Litigation

Metro Rankings

Atlanta

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 2 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 2 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 2 for Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Firm Leadership

Marjorie A. Farris

Chair

About Our Clients

AEGON USA Investment Management, Inc.
AFL Telecommunications
Air Products and Chemicals (A/P)
Akebono Corporation
The Alliance of Community Hospices & Palliative Care Services, Inc.
American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.
Appriss, Inc. formerly Interactive Systems, LLC (d.b.a. The VINE Company)
Ashland Inc.
BioFocus
Bluegrass Conservancy
Boston Scientific
Brown-Forman Corporation
Caldwell Tanks, Inc.
Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (CII)
Carnett
Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialiation
Churchill Downs
Commonwealth Bank & Trust Company
Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company
The Cordish Company
Corrections Corporation of America
Deepwater Wind
Delta Dental
Emerson Electric Co.
Fidelity Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Genscape, Inc.
Gray Construction
Greater Louisville Medical Society
Grindmaster-Cecilware Corporation
Hoover Precision Products
Interactive Gaming Council (IGC)
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank
KFC Corporation
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board
Life Before Us (d/b/a YO)
Louisville Ladder, Inc.
Louisville Metro Housing Authority
Louisville Regional Airport Authority
M.A. Mortenson Company
NASA
Pernod Richard USA, Inc.
Pizza Hut
PNC Bank, N.A.
Purdue Pharma, L.P.
Regenersis
Reliastar Life Insurance Company
Republic Bank & Trust Company
River Fields, Inc.
Robert Bosch Corporation
The Sherwin-Williams Company
Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company
Stonestreet Stables, LLC
United Community Bank
University Medical Center, Inc.
The University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of Tennessee Research Foundation
Vanderbilt Minerals
Vogt Power International
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Wearwell, Inc.
Yum! Brands

Highlighted Client Comments

All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.

Commercial Litigation

Excellent, very responsive and professional attorneys. I would recommend them to anyone and have done so. I would not hesitate to use the firm again.

Tony Cascino – AVMA/PLIT

Commercial Litigation

I have worked with several attorneys at Stites & Harbison in different areas of law ranging from government regulation of utilities to real estate and patent and trademark work. Each of the attorneys have exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend the firm.

Chris Cogan – Carroll Cogan

Litigation - Intellectual Property

Deep intellectual property expertise and litigation experience.

Paula Grisanti – National Stem Cell Foundation

Insurance Law

Excellent lawyers with significant experience

Adam Kaiser – Alston & Bird, LLP

Real Estate Law

Hal Gill, managing partner of the Atlanta office handles all my real estate transactions. He is my primary contact with the firm. Other partners and associates have been equally responsive to my needs under Hal's guidance. I have dealt with some complex situations and have trust that the firm is evaluating all options and guiding me to risk adjusted solutions.

Dave Schmit – Schmit+Associates LLC

Construction Law

first class, professional, knowledgeable and responsive counsel on a myriad of complex construction matters. Honest and early advice allowing for an early assessment of the path forward with a focus on allowing clients to make informed decisions. . As a general counsel, it makes life easier when you know you turn matters and disputes over to Stites Harbison knowing that the matter will receive the attention that the matter deserves and requires by top of the line counsel.

Michael Strong – Garney Construction

Employment Law - Management

I had excellent employment law experience and representation with Stites & Harbison.

Charles "Skip" Miller, Executive Director – Louisville Regional Airport Authority

Environmental Law

Stites & Harbison has a detailed knowledge of environmental issues coupled with real concern for the environment.

Kerry Mattox, President – Egyptian Lacquer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Corporate Law

Stites & Harbison has excellent attorneys with extreme professionalism, civility, and flexibility to meet.

Francis Duque, M.D. – One Anesthesia, PLLC

Real Estate Law

Stites & Harbison has been very responsive to our needs and have provided timely and accurate assessments on our real estate transactions.

Real Estate Law

Stites & Harbison offers great advice. They have great people and are a great value.

Employment Law - Management

Stites & Harbison has excellent service, superior knowledge and very rapid response time.

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Stites & Harbison attorneys are responsive, thorough and precise.

Rankings

National Rankings

Tier 1

Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 1 for Litigation - Real Estate

Tier 1 for Trademark Law

Tier 2

Tier 2 for Construction Law

Tier 3

Tier 3 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 3 for Litigation - Intellectual Property

Tier 3 for Mining Law

Tier 3 for Real Estate Law

Regional Rankings

Atlanta

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 2 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 2 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 2 for Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 2 for Real Estate Law

Tier 3 for Tax Law

Cincinnati

Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 2 for Commercial Litigation

Lexington

Tier 1 for Administrative / Regulatory Law

Tier 1 for Appellate Practice

Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law

Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Copyright Law

Tier 1 for Corporate Law

Tier 1 for Energy Law

Tier 1 for Environmental Law

Tier 1 for Health Care Law

Tier 1 for Insurance Law

Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 1 for Litigation - Real Estate

Tier 1 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Tier 1 for Mediation

Tier 1 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Tier 1 for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Tier 1 for Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 1 for Real Estate Law

Tier 1 for Tax Law

Tier 2 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Tier 2 for Commercial Finance Law

Tier 2 for Corporate Governance Law

Tier 2 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Tier 2 for Litigation - Bankruptcy

Tier 2 for Litigation - Environmental

Tier 2 for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Tier 2 for Litigation - Land Use and Zoning

Tier 2 for Mining Law

Tier 3 for Land Use and Zoning Law

Tier 3 for Litigation - Insurance

Tier 3 for Natural Resources Law

Tier 3 for Trusts and Estates

Louisville

Tier 1 for Appellate Practice

Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law

Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Tier 1 for Bet-the-Company Litigation

Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 1 for Construction Law

Tier 1 for Copyright Law

Tier 1 for Corporate Law

Tier 1 for Employment Law - Management

Tier 1 for Environmental Law

Tier 1 for Health Care Law

Tier 1 for Information Technology Law

Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction

Tier 1 for Litigation - Intellectual Property

Tier 1 for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Tier 1 for Litigation - Real Estate

Tier 1 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Tier 1 for Patent Law

Tier 1 for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Tier 1 for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Tier 1 for Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 1 for Public Finance Law

Tier 1 for Real Estate Law

Tier 1 for Trademark Law

Tier 2 for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice

Tier 2 for Labor Law - Management

Tier 2 for Litigation - Banking and Finance

Tier 2 for Litigation - Insurance

Tier 2 for Litigation - Patent

Tier 2 for Litigation - Trusts and Estates

Tier 2 for Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Tier 2 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Tier 3 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Memphis

Tier 1 for Corporate Law

Tier 3 for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

Tier 3 for Tax Law

Nashville

Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation

Tier 1 for Copyright Law

Tier 1 for Corporate Law

Tier 1 for Family Law

Tier 1 for Family Law Mediation

Tier 1 for Real Estate Law

Tier 1 for Trademark Law

Tier 2 for Banking and Finance Law

Tier 2 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Tier 2 for Land Use and Zoning Law

Tier 2 for Litigation - Intellectual Property

Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Tier 2 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Tier 3 for Insurance Law

Tier 3 for Litigation - Banking and Finance

Practice Areas

The below are areas of legal specialty volunteered by the firm and do not designate a specialty in which a Best Law Firms ranking is held.

Administrative / Regulatory Law
Antitrust Law
Appellate Practice
Arbitration
Aviation Law
Banking and Finance Law
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Collaborative Law: Family Law
Commercial Finance Law
Commercial Litigation
Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
Communications Law
Construction Law
Copyright Law
Corporate Compliance Law
Corporate Governance Law
Corporate Law
Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Employment Law - Individuals
Employment Law - Management
Energy Law
Energy Regulatory Law
Environmental Law
Equipment Finance Law
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Family Law
Financial Services Regulation Law
Franchise Law
Gaming Law
Government Relations Practice
Health Care Law
Information Technology Law
Insurance Law
Labor Law - Management
Labor Law - Union
Land Use and Zoning Law
Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
Litigation - Antitrust
Litigation - Banking and Finance
Litigation - Bankruptcy
Litigation - Construction
Litigation - Environmental
Litigation - ERISA
Litigation - Health Care
Litigation - Insurance
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Litigation - Land Use and Zoning
Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions
Litigation - Patent
Litigation - Real Estate
Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
Litigation - Securities
Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Mediation
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Mining Law
Natural Resources Law
Patent Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
Public Finance Law
Real Estate Law
Securities / Capital Markets Law
Securities Regulation
Tax Law
Trade Secrets Law
Trademark Law
Transportation Law
Trusts and Estates
Utilities Law
Venture Capital Law
Water Law

Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^®

Stites & Harbison, PLLC has 97 lawyers recognized for individual performance in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®. By receiving this Best Lawyers recognition from their peers for their professional excellence, these lawyers made Stites & Harbison, PLLC eligible for evaluation for Best Law Firms rankings. For almost two decades, Best Lawyers has awarded these singular accolades, making them the foundation of our Best Law Firms awards. Read more about our Best Lawyers process here.

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