Independence Insurance Defense Lawyers

We are a full service civil law firm with more trial experience than firms twice as large as ours. Licensed in kentucky and ohio, We provide personal attention to your case and each of our partners has more than 30 years of experience.

I have represented a variety of employers in workers' compensation claims since 2009. I attended Hanover College where I received a B.A., magna cum laude, in Communication. I then attended Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law and earned my J.D., magna cum laude, in 2008. During law school, I served as an associate editor for the Northern Kentucky Law Review and as the Student Bar Association Vice President for two years. My clients range from small businesses to multinational, Fortune 100 companies, and I have extensive experience with counseling them through all aspects of workers' compensation...

Benjamin "Tom" Pugh was admitted to practice in 2010 and is a Founding Partner of Pugh & Roach, Attorneys at Law, PLLC. He is licensed in both Ohio and Kentucky. Tom has extensive insurance experience after spending three years in the industry. During law school, he externed with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy serving in the Kentucky Innocence Project. Tom focuses his practice in the areas of Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Insurance Defense, Civil Rights, and Business Litigation. Tom grew up in Northern Kentucky, where he currently lives.

Jack concentrates his practice in three primary areas: municipality law, small business law and complex litigation. Additionally, he has significant experience in strategic business planning and consulting as well as dispute resolutions. Jack currently serves as the Erlanger City Attorney, Independence City Attorney and served as the Grant County, Kentucky County Attorney and attorney for the Grant County Fiscal Court from 2003-2009. He has also routinely represented municipalities throughout Kentucky and Ohio on litigation issues. During his time as Grant County Attorney, Jack handled extensive litigation in federal court defending United States Code Section 1983 actions. ...

April Hollon Gatlin has a breadth of experience in various areas of the law including domestic, probate, government, real estate, collaborative law, and litigation. As a complex litigator and trial attorney, April has been lead attorney covering a wide range of matters including real estate, contract disputes, construction, leases, title disputes, felony defense, estates and insurance defense. As a domestic attorney, April has represented mothers and fathers in child support, custody, visitation, guardianship and adoptions. As a general practitioner, April has a unique understanding of the interplay between estate planning, probate, and real estate and applies a multi-disciplinary approach to...

J. David Bender was licensed as an attorney in 1979. After many years of working as an associate attorney and partner in other law firms, Mr. Bender established his own firm in 2005 to better serve his clients’ interests. Mr. Bender is licensed to practice law in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. He is also admitted to the U. S. Supreme Court and the federal courts in all three states. His areas of practice include civil litigation, construction law, estate planning, and insurance defense, along with corporate, domestic, probate, and criminal law.

Angelo DiBartolomeo is an experienced business lawyer, focused on complex commercial and construction litigation, as well as general business transactions. His litigation experience includes various construction disputes throughout the country, as well as breach of contract actions, commercial and residential real estate disputes, commercial fraud and breach of fiduciary matters, and disputes among corporate shareholders, partners, and LLC members. In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. DiBartolomeo has drafted and negotiated scores of contracts on behalf of businesses across various industries. Mr. DiBartolomeo also has significant experience in professional liability defense and estate planning and administration.

Areas of Practice
Insurance Defense
Criminal - White Collar Criminal Defense- Government Investigations, Criminal Infractions, Federal Search Warrants, RICO Violations
Bad Faith Insurance Defense
Criminal Defense: State & Federal
Motor Vehicle Accidents-Defense
Slip and Fall-Defense
Premises Liability-Defense
Wrongful Death-Defense


Litigation Percentage
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation


Bar Admissions
Kentucky
Virginia
Indiana
U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana


Education

Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Juris Doctor - 2012


Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky
B.A. - 2007
Major: Spanish


Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH, June 2005
Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice


Honors and Awards
Kentucky Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2019
National Association of Distinguished Counsel


Professional Associations and Memberships
Kentucky Bar Association
Louisville Bar...