Brendan Yates

Mr. Hixson regularly practices and appears in courtrooms across Kentucky. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, coal supply litigation, product liability, and professional liability. Mr. Hixson also has significant experience in motor carrier litigation, and has litigated a wide array of complex and catastrophic injury cases in state and federal jurisdictions. Mr. Hixson's commercial practice involves representing businesses in cases with claims ranging from breach of contract, promi...

Bill Gorton is Chair of the Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy Service Group for the firm. He is national counsel to numerous clients on environmental regulatory and land and water resources matters. He advises healthcare clients in permitting, acquisitions and environmental compliance matters. Bill has represented clients in the waste management sector including acquisitions, due diligence, compliance and contracting. He has been counsel in the development of numerous independent ...

Mandy Wilson Decker is a Patent Attorney and member of the Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group. Her practice focuses on intellectual property protection strategy, including counseling clients on infringement, validity and patentability, transfer of intellectual property, patent drafting, and patent prosecution. Contributing to her practice is a scientific background in chemistry and experience with academic and commercial research in the areas of biochemistry, biotechnology, ...

Emily Larish Startsman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Emily Larish, who practices law in Lexington, Kentucky, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Emily Larish is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard Wehrle is a Member of the firm and is based in the Lexington office. His practice focuses on trusts and estate administration, estate planning and charitable giving, charitable and non-profit organizations, estate and gift taxes, probate, and fiduciary law. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. More Than Stites & Harbison Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Richard was a partner at Bowles Rice LLP in Lexington, Kentucky, handling trusts and estate planning for eight years....

Anna L. Dominick is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Anna L., who practices law in Lexington, Kentucky, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Anna L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard M. Guarnieri was born in Chicago, Illinois as the second oldest of nine brothers and sisters, three of which have become lawyers as well. When Richard was still a child, his family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky where he was raised and attended Good Shepherd Catholic School and then Franklin County Public Schools until his graduation from Franklin County High School. Throughout his life, he has attended church with his family at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Frankfort, Kentucky. In h...

Ms. Dorisio's practice encompasses all aspects of Federal income taxation of businesses and individuals, including entity formation, mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions, as well as the Federal and state income tax and corporate law issues of nonprofit organizations. Ms. Dorisio routinely: Advises with respect to the appropriate entity choice for new businesses. Drafts Operating Agreements for disregarded entities, partnerships and corporations. Forms nonprofit corporations, ...

Michael S. Hargis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trademark Law. Michael S., who practices law in Lexington, Kentucky, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andy Jacobs is a Member of the firm and concentrates his practice in the areas of employee benefits, executive compensation, and tax exempt nonprofit organizations. While he practices out of the firm's Lexington office, he works with clients in all Stites & Harbison offices. His practice includes: 1) assisting clients in the design, drafting and operation of qualified retirement plans, ESOPs, 403(b) plans, 457 plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, health and welfare plans, and ...