Mindy G. Barfield

Biography

Mindy practices in the area of complex commercial litigation with a focus on defending clients in contract-related and business torts litigation (breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, conversion, interference with prospective advantage or contractual relationship) and in complex insurance coverage and bad faith litigation arising from the handling of claims under all variety of insurance coverages. 

She represents individual and corporate clients with insurance-related disputes, as well as insurance companies and other affiliates in insurance rehabilitations and liquidations, including defending them from rehabilitator complaints of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and statutory violations. She has also represented insurer clients in administrative matters, including challenges to market conduct studies; regulatory violations and penalties, and to insurance department policies or interpretations. She provides needed advice and counseling to her insurer clients, including providing training to adjusters and management in the field on best practices in claim handling and documentation of the claim file.

Mindy, who also advises clients on employment and other workplace matters, has been certified by the Association of Title IX Administrators as a Civil Rights Investigator – Level One.

Education

  • University of Kentucky College of Law  (J.D., 1993)
  • George Washington University  (M.A., 1988)
    • International Affairs
    • Scottish Rite Fellowship
  • Transylvania University  (B.A., magna cum laude, 1985)
    • Political Science
    • English Speaking Union Scholarship to Oxford University
    • Holleian Society Inductee
    • Jefferson Davis Scholarship for top pre-law student

Bar Admissions

  • Kentucky

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Affiliations/Memberships

  • Kentucky Bar Association
    • Board of Governors (2015 - present)
    • Annual Convention chair (2011)  
    • Convention Planning Committee (2004, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018)
    • Convention CLE Committee (2008, 2010, 2018)
    • Publications Committee/Bench & Bar (2000 - 2010)
  • Kentucky Supreme Court, Committee on Mass Torts and Class Action
  • Fayette County Bar Association, past president (2009 - 2010)
  • Fayette County Bar Foundation
    • Former chair (2016 - 2017)
    • Former Grants Committee chair
    • Founding fellow
  • Central Kentucky Inns of Court, master
  • Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, Board of Directors (2013 - 2018)
  • Transylvania University
    • Board of Trustees (2009 - present)
    • Member of Board Executive Committee
    • Chair of Board’s Student Life Committee
    • Member of Academic Affairs Committee
  • Kentucky State University
    • Board of Regents (2010 - present)
    • Chair, Board’s Financial Affairs/Audit Committee
    • Member of Academic Affairs Committee
  • Gods Pantry Food Bank
    • Board of Directors (1998 - 2017)
    • Past president (2004 - 2007)
  • American Heart Association, Central Kentucky Chapter, Executive Leadership team for the “Go Red for Women” annual luncheon (2014 - 2017)
  • Leadership Kentucky, Class of 2002

Distinctions

  • Best Lawyers®  
    • "Lawyer of the Year" in Lexington for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants (2018)
    • "Lawyer of the Year" in Lexington for Bet-the-Company Litigation (2020, 2022, 2024)
    • Bet-the-Company Litigation (2022-2024)
    • Commercial Litigation (2022-2024)
    • Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions - Defendants (2022-2024)
  • Benchmark Litigation
    • Litigation Star (2016 - present)
    • National Top 250 Women in Litigation (2014 - present)
    • Labor and Employment Star (2019, 2020)
  • Special Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court
  • Peer Review AV Preeminent in Martindale-Hubbell
  • Super Lawyers®
    • Kentucky Super Lawyers® 
      • For Business Litigation (2021-2023)
    • Top 25 Women Attorneys in Kentucky (2014 - 2015)
  • Litigation Council of America
  • Leading Women of Central Kentucky by Business Lexington (2010)
  • Fayette County Bar Association’s
    • Citizen Lawyer of the Year (2013)
    • Young Lawyer of the Year (1999)
  • Young Lawyer of the Year by Kentucky Bar Association’s (2002)
  • Special Recognition Award, Pro Bono Program, for co-founding Fayette County Domestic Violence Program “in recognition of your effort to make access to justice a reality for those in need” (2010)
  • Distinguished Service Award, Transylvania University (2015)
  • The Consummate Counselor Award, Gods Pantry Food Bank 
    • “For lending her legal advice and leadership to the organization on countless occasions.”