Atty. John L. Tate
A senior member of the firm's Torts & Insurance Practice Group, John's national and regional litigation practice focuses on defending complex product liability lawsuits and managing serial litigation. His extensive trial experience includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals, intellectual property, and a variety of personal injury matters.
Profile Summary
About John L. Tate at a glance
John L. Tate is a personal injury, business, product liability, and litigation attorney based in Louisville, Kentucky, practicing at Stites & Harbison PLLC. Admitted to practice in Kentucky, Kentucky Bar Association. Educated at University of Louisville (J.D., 1981) and University of Louisville (MA, 1971). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Bet-the-Company Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2026). Serands clients in Louisville, KY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- A senior member of the firm's Torts & Insurance Practice Group, John's national and regional litigation practice focuses on defending complex product liability lawsuits and managing serial litigation
- His extensive trial experience includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals, intellectual property, and a variety of personal injury matters
- John has tried product liability cases to jury verdicts in eight states
- John also maintains an active appellate practice representing appellees, appellants, and amici curiae in state and federal courts
- One of John's long-standing interests is the application of Daubert criteria to exclude substandard opinion testimony
- Decisions on this topic include Morehouse v
- Louisville Ladder, 2004 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 21766 (South Carolina)
- Reynolds v
- Freightliner, 2006 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 97244 (Kentucky)
- Hayes v
- MTD Products, 2007 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 66109 (Kentucky)
- Campos v
- MTD Products, Inc., 2009 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 12951 (Tennessee)
- Walker v
- Louisville Ladder, 2009 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 9917 (Tennessee)
- Scarvelli v
- Leatt Corporation, 2013 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 98366 (Ohio)
- Lyons v
- Leatt Corp., 2017 U.S
- Dist
- LEXIS 148783 (Ohio)
- and Wilden v
- Laury Transp., LLC, 901 F.3d 644 (6th Cir. 2018)
- More Than Stites & Harbison John's first career was teaching high school and college students in history, English literature, and rhetoric
- He later spent seven years in an environmental regulatory agency before going into private practice
- A long-time supporter of the arts, John served for 12 years on the board of directors of Actors Theatre of Louisville
- He was previously a member of the board of directors of the American Lung Association of Kentucky and served as board president in 1994-96
- John also served as trustee of St. Francis School in Goshen and on the board of the Louisville Audubon Society
- John served multiple terms as a director of the Louisville Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Louisville Bar Association, culminating in 2016 with service as the foundation's president
Practice Areas Explained
John L. Tate's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases John L. Tate handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Personal injury attorneys help accident victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain & suffering. Most work on contingency — no fee unless you win.
John L. Tate is one of 264,852 personal injury attorneys indexed nationally. Browse personal injury attorneys in Kentucky →
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
John L. Tate is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Kentucky →
John L. Tate is one of 66,193 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in Kentucky →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
John L. Tate is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Kentucky →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Kentucky
Practicing law in Kentucky. Legal matters in Kentucky are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Louisville are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Kentucky state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Kentucky brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Kentucky courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Kentucky attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Louisville or all attorneys in Kentucky.
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