Chadler M. Hardin
Member , Louisville KY
Chad is a Member of the Louisville office, having joined Stoll Keenon Ogden in 2017. He practices with the Torts, Trial, & Insurance Services, Business Litigation, and Healthcare groups. His practice includes representing insurance companies in coverage and bad faith litigation; businesses in warranty, contract, trademark, shareholder, fiduciary duty, personal injury, and product liability disputes; and medical providers in medical negligence lawsuits. Chad has successfully represented clients in trial and on appeal. He has prevailed in multiple published cases that have established precedent protecting insurers and the bourbon and manufacturing industries. Chad routinely presents seminars to clients, legal organizations, and law students relating to Kentucky’s ever-changing legal landscape.
Chad is a fierce advocate for his clients. For every client and legal situation, he aggressively seeks to achieve the best possible outcome for his client, which he recognizes can appear in different forms. In certain matters, the best outcome may be a quick and confidential settlement and for others it can mean trying a case to a public, exculpatory verdict. Regardless of the case, Chad’s goal-oriented and problem-solving approach enables him to deliver the best possible representation. Chad was named a Rising Star by the Super Lawyers peer-rating service in 2017, and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in 2021.
Prior to joining SKO, Chad spent three years in private practice with other firms, where he defended businesses, insurance companies, and professionals in lawsuits involving fraud, personal injury, trademark infringement, insurance coverage, bad faith, defamation, and shareholder disputes.
Tort, Trial & Insurance Services: Chad’s experience leaves him well positioned to successfully represent policyholders and insurers alike across a wide range of matters. He routinely handles coverage disputes, defense of bad faith claims, and other challenges relating to tender demands, reinsurance agreements, and alternative dispute resolutions.
Business Litigation: Chad tries cases and guides business clients tactically through all stages of a conflict, from initial investigations to post-trial motions. He works with small companies as well as major corporations in a variety of industries.
Healthcare: Chad works closely with healthcare providers, hospitals, and other healthcare entities in defense of claims involving medical malpractice, professional liability, and general insurance.
Education
University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, 2014, J.D., magna cum laude
University of Louisville, 2011, B.S., magna cum laude
Experience
Admitted In
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Kentucky
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U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
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U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky
Professional & Community Activities
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Kentucky Bar Association
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Louisville Bar Association Leadership Academy
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Defense Research Institute
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Kentucky Defense Counsel
Accolades
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Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Commercial Litigation, 2021-present
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Kentucky Rising Stars® Honoree, 2018-2023
Work Highlights
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Breach of Warranty Disputes
Hardwood Lumber v. Brewco Inc., No. 3:18-05088-CV-RK, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117835 (W.D. Mo. July 6, 2020). In a breach of warranty action relating to a state-of-the-art sawmill designed to produce pallet lumber that culminated in a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southwestern District of Missouri, SKO successfully defended their defendant-client and prevailed on the defendant’s counterclaim. -
Fiduciary Duty Disputes
Helm v. Ratterman, No. 2020-CA-1434-MR, 2022 LEXIS 92 (Ky. Ct. App. Feb. 18, 2022). Successfully defended clients on appeal against spurious claims alleging they had breached their fiduciary duties and committed fraud. Related Practices: Business Torts
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Intellectual Property Disputes
Trilogy Healthcare v. Camelot Leasing, LLC, Civil Action No. 3:18-cv-00307-RGJ, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144653 (W.D. Ky. Mar. 22, 2019). In a trade name and trade dress infringement action in federal court, successfully established that his client’s unregistered trademarks were protected under the Lanham Act and, after a multi-witness injunction hearing, obtained a preliminary injunction against a competitor in the elder care industry requiring the Defendant to change its name, logo, and signage. Related Practices: Intellectual Property, Business Litigation
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Auto Insurance Stacking Precedent
Consol. Ins. Co. v. Slone, 538 S.W.3d 922, 925 (Ky. Ct. App. 2018). Successfully established insurance stacking precedent preventing further escalation of auto insurance premiums for fleet policies. Defended an insurance company at the Kentucky Court of Appeals on an issue of first impression in Kentucky: whether underinsured motorist benefits under a fleet policy were stackable by student occupants of a county school bus involved in a motor vehicle accident. Upon prevailing on appeal, the client’s coverage liability exposure was reduced by $31.5 million. Related Practices: Tort, Trial & Insurance Services
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