Robert F. Houlihan, Jr.

Born to loving parents, Willard and Virgina Hamblin, with the exception of the military, Pierce lived in his beloved Lexington all of his life. His career can be divided into five parts: Military : upon commissioning as Officer in the Army, Pierce was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate. He proudly served his country as a Captain in the Army. He was the Distinguished Graduate of the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course provided by the Army for 1977. He was certified both as a T...

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 ...

Jeff practices in the areas of estate and wealth transfer planning, including preparing wills, trusts, disability documents and marital agreements; estate and trust administration, including fiduciary representation and tax reporting; and asset protection and closely-held business planning, including family limited partnerships and limited liability companies.

J. Guthrie True was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and was raised on the family farms in Franklin and Shelby Counties. He graduated from Franklin County High School in 1977. Guthrie is a summa cum laude graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he received his Bachelor of Science in business and economics in 1981. He was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and served as his chapter’s president. Guthrie has maintained his connection to his alma mater serving on the G...

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....

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...

Mr. Beck, a transactional lawyer, has represented both domestic and foreign clients in the purchase, sale or syndication of bloodstock valued at more than $700 million. Mr. Beck also regularly provides corporate and financing legal counsel to equine industry participants, including banks, horse farms, trainers, and organizers of multiple ownership arrangements for racing and breeding syndicates. In addition to his transaction practice, Mr. Beck is a mediator and arbitrator concentrating on tr...

Cassidy R. Rosenthal is the Lexington Office Executive Member and a Member of the Construction Service Group. Her practice focuses on advising clients throughout all phases of construction projects including planning, contract drafting and negotiation, and project administration. Cassidy successfully guides her clients through construction claims and disputes including informal negotiations, mediation, litigation in state and federal courts, and in arbitration throughout the country. In addit...

Michael Hammond is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance. Michael, who practices law in Lexington, Kentucky, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jay Prather’s work as a trial lawyer at Garmer & Prather has earned him the recognition of his peers, including being named Best Lawyers® 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” in Plaintiffs’ Product Liability Litigation – Lexington . He continues a family tradition of Kentucky legal service and brings a disciplined, trial-focused approach to representing individuals and workers harmed by negligence, unsafe products, or wage-and-hour violations. Jay has distinguished ...