P. Stewart Abney

Biography

I am a Louisville, Kentucky employment and civil rights attorney and a founding member of the law firm of Abney Law Office, PLLC.

I handle a broad range of employment law and employment litigation matters throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Southern Indiana. A native of southeastern Kentucky, I am a  graduate of Centre College and the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law

I have devoted my entire legal career to representing employees whose rights have been violated by their employers.

Areas of Practice:

Employment Law and Litigation:

You have the right to work in an environment free of discrimination and harassment and you have the right to be paid for the work you perform. I represent private-sector employees and executives, and federal and state employees who have been wronged by their employers. I provide advice to my clients with respect to the many facets of the employment relationship, including issues relating to hiring, wrongful termination, discipline, discrimination (including race, gender, age, national origin, religious, and disability discrimination), harassment (including sexual harassment), discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, family and medical leave, wage and hour matters (including overtime issues), whistleblower retaliation, and restrictive covenants (including non-compete and non-solicit agreements). I have substantial experience negotiating and drafting employment and severance agreements and other employment-related documents.

If you feel like your employer has violated your rights or you have been a victim of wrongful termination, please contact me as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rights and options.

Other Civil Rights:

I represent individuals from all walks of life who have been the victim of police misconduct, including excessive force, deadly force, false arrest, illegal searches, racial profiling, or jail abuse.

I also represent individuals who have experienced violations of their constitutional rights including:  First Amendment (free speech), Second Amendment (right to bear arms), Fourth Amendment (search and seizure), Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment) or Fourteenth Amendment (due process and equal protection).

Practice Highlights:

• Isham, et al. v. Louisville-Metro Govt., Jefferson Circuit Court, 12-CI-6579 (Jan. 9, 2020): $788,368.86 judgment obtained for Louisville Metro tow truck drivers for unpaid wages.
• Turner v. Norton Healthcare, Inc., Jefferson Circuit Court, Case No. 11-CI-06125 (June 15, 2018): $1,275,041.25 judgment obtained for Plaintiff. Largest disability discrimination jury verdict in Kentucky.
• Anderson v. Nature’s Expressions Landscaping, Inc., Case No.: 5:16-cv-00098 (E.D. Ky. July 26, 2018): Recovered $277,666.22 in unpaid overtime and attorney fees in Wage and Hour Collective actions for employees of a landscape architecture business.
• Harper v. Elder, 803 F. App’x 853 (6th Cir. 2020): Obtained reversal of District Court’s Summary Judgment on our client’s hostile work environment and retaliation claims at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Mattie L. Cohen, et al. v. Jewish Hospital Healthcare Services, Inc., Jefferson Circuit Court, Case No. 01-CI-00235 (Dec. 22, 2008):  Served as co-counsel in a race discrimination case in which two highly experienced and skilled Black nurses were repeatedly passed over for promotions.  Obtained a jury verdict totaling $1,217,287.00 not including costs, interest, or attorney fees. 
• Jessica Curtis v. Edgemont Healthcare, Inc., Harrison Circuit Court, Case No.: 13-CI-256 (Oct. 29, 2014): Obtained $125,606.00 judgment against Defendant in a claim under the Kentucky Patient Safety Act for a CNA whistleblower.
• Louisville Sealcoat Ventures, LLC v. Long, Jefferson Circuit Court, 16-CI-0912 (April 21, 2016): Successfully defended client against an injunction from his former employer who sought to prevent him from working for a new employer.  Defeated the former employer’s injunction, allowing the client to continue working, resulting in the former employer dropping the case against the client.
• Hammond v. Norton Healthcare, Inc., 2012 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 768 (Ky. Ct. App. Oct. 19, 2012): (discretionary review denied): Grant of summary judgment reversed and remanded. Kentucky Court of Appeals rejected and overturned the “sole cause” standard for disability discrimination in Kentucky in favor of the more lenient “but for” causation standard.
• Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission (Commonwealth of Kentucky) v. Glenn Jackson, 2014-CA-000643: Achieved dismissal of the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission’s appeal.
• Betty A. Morrow v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, et al., Nelson County Circuit, Case No: 13-CI-371: Reversal of an adverse ruling from the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission resulting in reinstatement of unemployment benefits.

Court Admissions:

• All Kentucky Courts
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
• United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• United States District Court, Colorado

Memberships & Affiliations

• Kentucky Bar Association
  Louisville Bar Association
  Kentucky Justice Association
  American Association for Justice
  National Lawyers Guild

Education

• Centre College, B.A., History
• The University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, J.D., with honors.