Clay Stevens

Partner

Clay M. Stevens is a veteran trial attorney with a distinguished record of defending hospitals, corporations, and insurers in complex, high-stakes litigation. His practice includes medical malpractice, premises liability, insurance defense, and commercial disputes, with a strong focus on cases involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and complex scientific or regulatory issues. Mr. Stevens has served as lead and co-counsel in numerous jury trials, securing defense verdicts in matters involving alleged nursing negligence, infection control, post-operative complications, and exposure to infectious diseases.

Before entering the legal profession, Mr. Stevens worked as a software engineer with TRW Space & Defense, where he contributed to the development of advanced avionics systems for the U.S. Air Force and NATO. He brings that analytical precision into the courtroom, simplifying complex scientific concepts for judges and juries. He began his legal career as a Judicial Staff Attorney for the Hon. Thomas B. Russell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

Mr. Stevens earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was honored with the Faculty Cup Award for his contributions to his class. He also holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky. He is AV-Rated® by Martindale-Hubbell, a graduate of the NITA Trial Advocacy Program, and actively involved in professional leadership, including serving as President of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and as the Chair of the Kentucky IOLTA Board of Trustees and a Board Member of the Kentucky Bar Foundation.

  • Direct: (502) 855-3805

    • Hospital and Physician Medical Malpractice Defense

    • Nursing Home Defense

    • Insurance Defense

    • Products Liability

    • Premises Liability

    • Commercial Litigation

    • Insurance Coverage Disputes

  • At Trial

    Medical Malpractice Defense 

    • Lead Trial Counsel in a wrongful death medical negligence case for a hospital facility resulting in an 11-1 defense verdict.  

    • Lead Trial Counsel in a thoroughbred partnership dispute at trial with favorable resolution.

    • Lead Trial Counsel for hospital in a nursing negligence wrongful death suit. At issue was whether the hospital had provide appropriate care and implemented skin care precautions to avoid Stage 4 decubitus ulcers which Plaintiff claimed caused death. High-risk claim involving complex medicine, extensive damages including claim for punitives and multiple expert witnesses. After a one-week jury trial, obtained a defense verdict.

    • Lead Trial Counsel for a hospital in a medical negligence suit involving a post-operative bleed. Multiple experts testified in the case which involved complex surgery and nursing care issues. Following a one-week jury trial, obtained a defense verdict.

    • Lead Trial Counsel for hospital in negligence claim alleging exposure to infectious disease and obtained favorable jury verdict after a three-day trial.

    • Trial Co-Counsel for hospital facing wrongful death suit involving an undiagnosed aortic dissection. The case was tried to a defense verdict over two weeks with multiple experts giving testimony on complex emergency medicine, internal medicine and care nursing issues.

    Insurance Defense/Premises Liability

    • Trial Co-Counsel for Car Manufacturer in a case involving an alleged industrial chemical exposure causing severe pulmonary fibrosis. The case was tried in one week resulting in a defense verdict.

    Other Litigation

    • Represented national pizza company in insurance coverage dispute in U.S. District Court involving an underlying lawsuit brought by a second national pizza company alleging trade dress and non-competition agreement violations. Obtained favorable ruling which allowed for resolution of the underlying bet-the-company litigation.

    Before Trial

    • Successfully defended a hospital against more than 100 lawsuits alleging that negligent infection control measures caused injury and wrongful death from MRSA exposure and outbreak. Successfully obtained summary judgment on initial three cases and which resulted in subsequent dismissal of all suits.

    • Selected for inclusion annually from 2008 to 2026 in the Kentucky Super Lawyers® publication, based upon peer recognition and professional achievement

    • AV-Rated® by Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethical standards since 2007

    • President of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Kentucky Chapter (2025)

    • Selected as a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation

    • Appointed to the Kentucky Bar Association IOLTA Board of Trustees

    • Kentucky Society of Hospital Risk Managers, Case Law Update, November 2025

    • Kentucky Case Law Update, Kentucky Association of Hospital Attorneys Annual Convention, May 2021

    • Proper and Improper Closing Arguments, CLE Presenter, Louisville Bar Association, December 2014

    • Apportionment and Indemnity—Persisting Myths Post-Degener, Louisville Bar Association, Bar Briefs, November 2012

    • The Importance of Appropriate Medical Records Documentation, Seminar Presenter, KASPAR Conference for Physicians, September 27, 2014

    • "Corporate Officer Liability under CERCLA, the Kelly v. Tiscornia Analysis," 9 J. Nat. Resources & Envir. L. 553 (1994)

    • American Board of Trial Advocates, President of Kentucky Chapter

    • Chair, Kentucky Bar Association IOLTA Board of Trustees

    • Board Member, Kentucky Bar Foundation

    • 2015-16 Director, Louisville Bar Association Board of Directors

    • 2014 Chair, Litigation Section, Louisville Bar Association

    • 2013 Assistant Chair, Litigation Section, Louisville Bar Association

    • Member, Kentucky Academy of Healthcare Attorneys

    • Member, Defense Research Institute

  • Licensed to practice in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee

  • Hon. Thomas B. Russell, Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Staff Attorney/Law Clerk 1995-1997

    Juris Doctor, University of Kentucky College of Law, 1995

    • Faculty Cup Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Law School Class, University of Kentucky (1995)

    • Student Bar Association President, University of Kentucky College of Law (1993-94)

    • Member, Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Law

    • Author, Corporate Officer Liability under CERCLA, the Kelly v. Tiscornia Analysis, 9 J. Nat. Resources & Envir. L. 553 (1994)

    • National Competition Moot Court Team (Constitutional Law) (1994-95)

    Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Kentucky, 1986

    Science Background

    TRW Space & Defense, Dayton, Ohio and San Diego, California 1986 - 1991

    • Civilian Military Contractor

    • Lead Integration Software Engineer on U.S. Air Force Next Generation Research & Development Avionics Platform

    • Development Team, ATF/F-22 Computer Operating System

    • 1989 NATO Information Sharing Project - Dassault Electronics, Paris, France

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