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W. David Denton (Dave) is a 1969 graduate of the UK College of Law. A native of Somerset, Kentucky, he moved to Paducah upon graduating law school. In Paducah, he quickly made a name for himself not only as a premier attorney but also as a business and civic leader. In 1979 he founded one of the largest and most diverse law firms in the western Kentucky region. He currently serves as the managing attorney of the Denton Law Firm and oversees all management operations and professional development of the firm. With Dave’s wealth of knowledge and over 50 years of legal experience, the firm greatly values his leadership.

Dave’s business and civic accomplishments are noteworthy. He was the attorney and an organizing investor for the formation of Paducah Bank Shares, Inc., a holding company that owns and controls Paducah Bank & Trust Company. He has been involved as an investor, organizer and motivating force behind numerous real estate development projects and other highly successful business ventures during his career. He has served as the past chair of the Paducah-McCracken County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Paducah Economic Development Council where he has been highly influential in economic development throughout the western Kentucky region. He is a former member of the Kentucky Council of Higher Education and is currently the Chair of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission. He was the long-term Chair of the Paducah-McCracken Public Library Board of Trustees. Dave also takes great pride in his recent induction into the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame.

Having a passion for education, he successfully chaired a fundraising campaign which raised more than $8.4 million—entirely through private donations in Paducah—for the construction of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering on the Paducah campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

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Practice Areas

Administrative Law
Banking
Business Corporations & Partnerships
Communications & Media
Contracts & Commercial Law
Franchise Law
General Practice
Government Contracts & Programs
Health Care & Hospital Law
Insurance

Personal

Born: Lexington, Kentucky; November 8, 1941
He married Ann Denton in 1965. They have two sons, Glenn and Matt.

Education

Murray State University, B.S., 1964
University of Kentucky, J.D., 1969
Admitted to Kentucky Bar Association, 1969

Career Review

United States Army, 1964-1966
Attorney and an organizing investor for the formation of Paducah Bank Shares, Inc., a locally owned, independent bank
Attended and participated in arbitration seminars presented by the American Health Lawyers Association addressing various approaches for resolving medical/business disputes through the use of mediation and arbitration
Served as outside counsel for Lourdes Hospital since 1991
As the past Chair of the Greater Paducah Economic Development Council, David successfully guided a project known as Riverport West, acquiring options to purchase approximately 1,300 acres on the Ohio River for development as an intermodal industrial park. He is currently on the Executive Board.
Served as outside counsel for the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority for over 30 years
Served as corporation counsel for the City of Paducah for over 30 years

Professional Associations

Kentucky Bar Association
McCracken County Bar Association

Professional/Personal Achievements

AV Preeminent Rating with Martindale-Hubbell
Kentucky Bar Association, Senior Counselor for 50 years practicing law, 2016
2014 CLE Award Recipient, Kentucky Bar Association
Inducted into University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame, 2014
Director, Kentucky Humanities Council, 2013-2017
Chair, Executive Branch Ethics Commission, 2009-present
Murray State University Regional Advisory Board, 2008-2009
2008 Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Twenty-Year Leadership and Service Award, November 2008
Hero of the Red Cross, Paducah Chapter of the American Red Cross, 2008
Rotarian of the Year, Rotary Club of Paducah, 2007
Honored by McCracken County Public Library, December 2006
Chair, Greater Paducah Economic Development Council, 2006
Vice Chairman, Greater Paducah Economic Development Council, 2004
Director, Kentucky Bar Foundation, 2003-2010
Life Fellow, Kentucky Bar Foundation, 2003
Director, Kentucky Western Waterways, 2003-2004
Chair of the Lourdes Foundation Board, 2003-2005
Law Advisor to the County Sheriff’s Merit Board, 2002
City of Paducah, Distinguished Citizen Award, 2002
Corporation Counsel, City of Paducah, 1972-1979; 1989-present
Past President, Municipal Attorneys Association of Kentucky
Past President, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce
Past President, Greater Paducah Industrial Development, Inc.
Past President, Rotary Club of Paducah
Past President, Easter Seals of West Kentucky, Inc.
Past President, Country Club of Paducah
Board of Directors, McCracken County Public Library
Former Chair, Board of Trustees, McCracken County Public Library, 13 years.
Former Member, Kentucky Council of Higher Education
Former Director, Kentucky Hospital Attorney Association
President, McCracken County Bar Association, 1994-95
Secretary-Treasurer, Paducah Bank Shares, Inc., 1981-Present
Former Director, Board of University of Kentucky Law Alumni
Member, Board of University of Kentucky Law Alumni
Chair, Paducah Community College Engineering Gift Campaign, 1995
Chair, Paducah Community College Challenger Space Center Campaign
US Naval War College. Civilian Participant, 1996
USAF Air War College. Civilian Participant, 1995
Boss of the Year, International Association of Administrative Professionals, 1984
Director, The Paducah Bank and Trust Company, 1978-Present
Director, Grand Rivers Foundation, Inc.
Member, Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education
Vice Chair, Paducah Community College Development Council
Director, Kentucky Western Waterways
Member, Corporate Compliance Committee (Mercy Health Kentucky Indiana Region)
Member/Finance Chair, West Kentucky Regional Roundtable
Speaker – Utility, Banking, and Municipal Law

Seminars Attended {Partial List}

National Business Institute Boot Camp: Foreclosure and Loan Workout Procedures, December 2015
Bank Director Board Growth Conference, August 2015
New Orleans Banking Conference, April 2015
ICBA Community Bank Chairman’s Forum, August 2014
Kentucky Bar Association; 2014 Annual Convention, June 2014
UK – 14th Biennial Employment Law Institute, June 2014
Sub Chapter S Bank Association Conference, October 2013
SW Graduate School of Banking (2011), 133rd Assembly for Directors.
Community Bank Chairman’s Forum; Colorado Springs, Colorado; August 2014
The Remsen Group; Best Marketing Practices for Small and Midsize Firms, July 2013
Kentucky Bar Association; 2013 Annual Convention
Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company of Kentucky; KYLAP & LMICK – CLE, May 2013
Kentucky Bar Association; Kentucky Law Update.
McCracken County Bar Association; Ethics, June 2012
Kentucky Association of Electrical Cooperatives, Legal Seminar for Rural Electric Cooperative Attorneys, November 2010
McCracken County Bar Association, Topics of Law Related to Public Schools, August 2010
National Constitution Center, Analyzing Financial Statements: What Every Attorney Should Know, January 2010
Bank Director – “Bank Audit Committee Oversight Conference”; Chicago, Illinois; 2007 and 2008
Strafford; Bad Faith Insurance Claims, October 2008
Strafford; Physician Recruitment After Stark Phase III, October 2008
Decisionquest; Using Jury Research to Prepare for Mediation & Trial, June 2008
The Likeable Lawyer; The Persuasive Lawyer and The Trusted Lawyer, May 2008
The Remsen Group; Managing Partner Forum for Midwestern Law Firms, October 2007
McCracken County Bar Association; Avoiding Legal Malpractice, October 2007
American Hospital Lawyer, Arbitration Training, September 2007
McCracken County Bar Association; Ethics and Malpractice seminar, November 2006
American Health Lawyers Association Arbitration Training, September 2006
Lexis-Nexis, Lexis I, September 2006
McCracken County Bar Association, Legal Ethics, June 2006
Kentucky Association of Electrical Cooperatives, Legal Seminar for Rural Electric Cooperative Attorneys, November 2005
American Association of Bank Directors, IBDE; 121st Assembly for Bank Directors; LaMalbaie, Quebec, Canada; September 2-5, 2005

Seminars Presented {Partial List}

Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Inc.; Ethics for Non-Profit Board of Directors: State Auditor Guidelines, September 2013
Kentucky Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus; Board of Directors Ethics: What Every Board Member Should Know, June 2013
Kemper Group; Board of Directors Ethics: What Every Board Member Should Know, April 2013

Articles

Celebrating 50 Years of Law Practice