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Thursday, March 28, 2024

PERSONNEL FILE: Huddleston Bolen announces four new partners

French

McCarty

Meadows

Ward

HUNTINGTON -- Huddleston Bolen has announced that Ashley French, Cindy McCarty, Todd Meadows and Alex Ward have been named partners in the firm.

In making the announcement, Tom Gilpin, chair of the firm's Management Committee, said, "We are honored to welcome our new partners. Their professional accomplishments and commitment to our clients and service to the community are a model for us all."

French, is an employment lawyer practicing in the firm's Charleston office. McCarty is based in the firm's Huntington office, where she represents corporate clients in environmental and other litigation matters. Based in Huntington, Meadows represents corporate clients in products liability, transportation, and mass tort claims. Ward is a transportation trial lawyer practicing in the firm's Ashland, Ky., and Huntington offices.

French advises employers about the implementation of employment policies, provides training to employees, and conducts internal investigations on employee complaints. She has had a particular focus on discrimination claims, sexual harassment claims, and claims for wrongful discharge and retaliation.

French has also defended employers in construction litigation and claims for deliberate intent. Throughout her legal career, she has consistently practiced in the field of insurance defense litigation, including bad faith. In 2009, French was elected President of the Kanawha County Bar Association. She graduated from West Virginia University in 1996 with a B.A. in International Studies, and a concentration in Asian studies, including the Japanese language. French is a 2002 graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law.

McCarty represents clients in various industries, including natural resource, mineral, and energy industries. Her practice is primarily focused on mass tort litigation, commercial litigation, and personal injury defense. In particular, she has represented landowners and businesses sued for flood damage in the West Virginia Mass Flood Litigation, represented clients in regulatory matters before the WV Department of Environmental Protection, the WV Surface Mine Board, and other regulatory agencies and administrative boards, and she has represented clients in "deliberate intent" actions, involving significant issues of OSHA and MSHA compliance.

McCarty was honored in 2010 by the West Virginia State Journal, Generation Next – 40 under 40 and was named as a Rising Star in the area of Class Action/Mass Torts in the West Virginia Super Layers 2010 publication. She is past President and current Board Member of Dress for Success River Cities.

McCarty attended Centre College in Danville, Ky., and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations in 2000. She was the recipient of the John Y. Brown, Sr. Scholarship at the University of Kentucky College of Law where she earned her J.D. in 2003.

Meadows' work has a heavy emphasis on defending corporate clients against allegations of personal injury. Meadows also has experience on a variety of cases, including those involving products liability, transportation law, premises liability, work related accidents, toxic torts, and insurance bad faith. He has been named by West Virginia Super Lawyers as a Rising Star.

Meadows graduated, magna cum laude, from West Virginia University in 2000, and obtained his law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2004. Prior to coming to Huddleston Bolen, He worked in the Kentucky Legislature, where he acquired various leadership skills, tackled complex issues, and learned valuable lessons about successfully advocating for constituents.

Ward has represented several industrial clients, developing an outstanding record of success all trying cases in several of the most difficult venues in the nation. Ward represents railroad clients, insurance companies, chemical companies and other commercial clients in personal injury and occupational injury defense, as well as other commercial litigation and appellate matters.

Originally from Hagerhill, Ky., he attended Pikeville College on an athletic scholarship as a member of the varsity baseball team. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in History and Political Science from Pikeville College in 2000, and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2003.

Huddleston Bolen is a regional business-oriented law firm with offices in Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia and Ashland and Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, visit www.huddlestonbolen.com.

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