Barbara has extensive complex litigation experience and focuses on commercial litigation and many types of business disputes. Her litigation experience includes contract disputes, fiduciary duty claims, lender liability, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, trade secrecy, and financial class actions in state and federal courts.

Over the course of her career, Barbara has appeared in all of the federal district courts in Kentucky, numerous Kentucky circuit courts throughout the state and courts of other jurisdictions. She has tried more than 50 jury trials in state and federal courts and handled more than 30 appeals to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, Kentucky Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

She is a past member of the firm's Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. 

Barbara was recently inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame, which recognizes distinguished alumni.

She is the 2012 recipient of the Fayette County Bar Association's highest honor - the Henry T. Duncan Award. This award recognizes a member of the bar whose integrity, leadership, and professional conduct exemplifies the highest ethical and professional standards that benefit the community.

Barbara is listed in Best Lawyers^® in appellate practice, Bet-the-Company, litigation and commercial litigation. She has also been selected by Chambers & Partners - Chambers USA^® in commercial litigation, Kentucky's Super Lawyers^®, Kentucky's Super Lawyers^® Top 25 Women and Top 50 Lawyers in the State, and Benchmark Litigation as a "Local Litigation Star," as well as a Top 250 Women in Litigation in the nation.

In 2009, she was selected as a "Leading Woman in Central Kentucky" by Business Lexington and the Lane Report's "Top Women in Business." She is a frequent speaker on litigation and evidentiary issues. She has previously served on the Joint Rules Committee for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and on the Merit Selection Panel for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to recommend nominees for the Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky and on the Merit Selection Panel to select a federal magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She previously served as an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the Department of Justice's Economic Fraud Commission.

Bar Admissions

Kentucky

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Education

• University of Kentucky College of Law (J.D.)
  • National Moot Court Team
• University of Kentucky (B.B.A., with honors)

• 2018 University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame inductee 
• 2012 Henry T. Duncan Award, highest honor of the Fayette County Bar Association
• Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell^®
• Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™ (2013)
• "Top Women in Business," Lane Report
• Chambers USA^®: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: General Commercial
• Best Lawyers^® 
  • "Lawyer of the Year" in Lexington for Appellate Practice (2014)
  • "Lawyer of the Year" in Lexington for Bet-the-Company Litigation (2015)
  • Appellate Practice (2022-2024)
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation (2022-2024)
  • Commercial Litigation (2022-2024)
• Benchmark Litigation
  • "Local Litigation Star"
  • National "Top 250 Women in Litigation"
• Kentucky Super Lawyers^® 
  • For Business Litigation (2021-2023)
  • Top 25 Women by Law & Politics (2008 - present)
  • Top 50 Lawyer by Law & Politics

• Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, past Joint Local Rules Committee 
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Bankruptcy Court, Merit Selection Panel 
• Magistrate/Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky at London, Merit Selection Panel 
• Federal Bar Association
• LexArts, past board member
• Fayette County Women's Bar Association, past president
• Kentucky Bar Association
• Kentucky Bar Association for Women, former treasurer
• Fayette County Bar Association
• University of Kentucky Law School Alumni Association, past president
• Governor's Counsel on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Civil Remedies Committee, former member
• Lexington Journal Club (14 attorney membership)
• St. Ives Journal Club  (24 attorney membership), past chancellor
• Central Kentucky American Inn of Court, master
• Litigation Counsel of America, fellow