Events

Louisville Business First's "Business Women First" event in downtown Louisville today hosted an impressive array of leading business women. This event highlighted the accomplishments of so many driven and talented women in the Louisville business community. The McBrayer team, including Members Anne-Tyler Morgan and Stephanie Zimdahl and Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Kays, was excited to take part.

Our team was proud to attend the Kentucky Association for Economic Development Conference, where leaders from across the Commonwealth came together to discuss growth, opportunity, and the future of our communities.

The best client relationships happen when we truly understand the business. Working closely with a client’s internal team allows us not only to help manage risk, but also to spot opportunities and support long term growth.

The SAHMA Affordable Housing Conference took place on April 9-10 in Louisville, KY. Managing Member Jaron Blandford and Associates Katy Harvey, Trenton Adkins, and Melissa Lonergan served as speakers, contributing to a presentation on handling lease violations and evictions.

This episode of KET Tonight took place on March 30, 2026. Anne-Tyler Morgan participated as a speaker, contributing to a discussion of state budget priorities.

The 2026 Downtown Lexington Partnership Annual Meeting & Awards took place on March 27th in Lexington, KY. 

Bourbonomics took place on March 26, 2026, in Louisville, KY. Member Stephen Amato spoke, with Members Neal Morris, Anne-Tyler Morgan, Mitchel Denham, Cindy Effinger, Jack Wheat, and Bruce Paul attending.

Members Anne‑Tyler Morgan, Bruce Paul, and Jack Seiffert, joined by Associates Katy Harvey, Trenton Adkins, Alex Atwood, and CMO Sarah Kays, attended the meeting to support Louisville's regional economic growth and engage with the broader business community.

The AAMVA 2026 Workshop & Law Institute took place on March 18 in Louisville, KY. Cary Howard, Jr., Member, contributed as a speaker, delivering a legal ethics and professional responsibility training session for an audience of attorneys from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

The James B. Beam Institute Industry Conference took place from March 16-18, 2026, in Lexington, KY.

Member Preston Worley spoke to the local Central Kentucky American Inn of Court on March 10, 2026. He contributed as a speaker on the history of expanded gaming and wagering in KY law, including topics like historical horse racing and sports wagering.

Louisville Business First and KY Inno’s Startups to Watch 2026 took place on March 5 in Louisville, Kentucky. Members Mari‑Elise Paul, Bruce Paul, Mitchel Denham, and Jack Seiffert, along with Associates Kara Legg and Melissa Lonergan, attended the event in support of early‑stage companies positioned for meaningful growth in the year ahead.

Louisville Business First’s Mentoring Monday took place on February 23 in Louisville, Kentucky. Member Cindy Effinger participated as a speaker, joining a group of mentors who connected with attendees to share insights, guidance, and professional experience.

KET’s February Fanfare took place on February 14 in Louisville, Kentucky. Members Anne‑Tyler Morgan and Mark Fenzel, along with Associate Katy Harvey and CMO Sarah Kays, attended the event in support of KET’s mission to educate, inspire, and connect Kentuckians.

The Bluegrass Society for Human Resource Management’s February Update took place on February 10 in Lexington, Kentucky. Member Cindy Effinger participated as a speaker in the session Legal Update: What Employers Should Expect in 2026, which provided practical guidance on navigating evolving employment law regulations and maintaining compliance in the year ahead.

The KY Chamber’s Annual Chamber Day Dinner took place on January 8 in Lexington, Kentucky. Managing Member Jaron Blandford, Members Anne‑Tyler Morgan and Jon Woodall, and Associate Kara Legg attended the event in support of building meaningful connections with local and regional business leaders across the Commonwealth.

McBrayer law supports bars and restaurants, retailers, and producers to keep their Kentucky alcoholic beverage licenses current.

Member Anne-Tyler Morgan will appear on KET's Kentucky Tonight this evening at 8:00 p.m. to discuss Medicaid, covering recent changes and the implications for Kentuckians.

Member Bruce Paul and colleague Loren Prizant presented a CLE titled "Can We Trust AI Yet, and What Do We Do With It?" This CLE explored how generative AI affects legal practice, providing an overview of tools such as ChatGPT, HarveyAI, and Bard, as well as legal-specific platforms like Westlaw, Lexis+, and CoCounsel. It emphasizes the efficiency improvements and cost reductions these technologies can achieve, while also discussing potential challenges like accuracy, confidentiality, ethical compliance, and the importance of using AI responsibly to maintain professional judgment.

Member Stephen Amato participated in a panel at Louisville Business First's Bourbonomics event, held on March 24 at the Ice House in downtown Louisville. Panelists shared insights into the evolving Kentucky bourbon industry and its future. Mr. Amato provided guidance to new businesses looking to enter the distilling industry, highlighting McBrayer as a top choice for their licensing needs. He shared his perspective on the bourbon industry, drawing from over 30 years of experience as an attorney, and discussed the challenges facing Kentucky's famous export and the industries that depend on it. Sponsors of the event included McBrayer, The Koetter Group, and Heaven Hill Brands.

Members Bruce Paul and Mari-Elise Paul presented a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) session for the Louisville Bar Association, titled 'Protecting Your Rights While Fighting Trolls: Copyright & Trademark Infringement in the Digital Age.' 

On November 6, Mitchel T. Denham will speak at the Lexington Medical Society Dinner Social: Augmented Intelligence Symposium regarding the ethical and legal considerations of AI.

On February 5th, Member Anne-Tyler Morgan appeared on KET's Kentucky Tonight to discuss the state budget for funding public education, child care, and other budget allocations. The bills mentioned were House Bill 6, House Bill 1, and House Bill 5, which is named the Safer Kentucky Act.

McBrayer members Cindy Effinger and Claire Vujanovic recently presented at the National Business Institute's Continuing Legal Education program. On February 24th, Ms. Vujanovic presented on the complexities of the FLSA and wage and hour compliance for employers. On February 25th, Ms. Effinger presented on how to manage ADA- and FMLA-related leave. 

Renee Shaw and guests discuss the 2019 General Assembly, Monday at 8/7 pm on KET and KET.org/live. Scheduled guests: Jason Bailey, executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy; Ashli Watts, senior vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Anne-Tyler Morgan, member of the McBrayer law firm and senior fellow with Pegasus Institute; and Terry Brooks, executive director of the Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Employers make decisions on a daily basis that impact their businesses' bottom line, trying to keep employees happy and productive while following all applicable employment laws. From standards for telecommuters to travel time, from how bad weather closures affect payroll to managing pay during employee trainings, many standards apply that employers must follow, and best practices can make accommodation for employees while getting the job done.