Michael A. Breen
Founding PartnerDownload VCard
Phone: 270-782-3030
Fax: 270-782-3855
870 Fairview Avenue, Suite 5
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
Mike Breen began his career in the law in 1983 after graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Mike knew early on that he wanted to represent people who had been harmed by others, like corporations and insurance companies. However, he felt that the best way to become really good at this was to learn things from the inside out: so he actually did insurance defense as a lawyer early in his career. This gave him valuable insights into how cases ought to be handled, and how insurance companies work.
After spending years learning about the needs of those who had become victims and learning the best ways to help them with their claims, Mike started his own law firm in 1991. His philosophy when he started is still the same: deliver the very best service to his clients during the difficult times in their lives, they need it and deserve it. This simple philosophy has helped thousands of people, and led to the rapid growth of a firm that has never forgotten its mission. Mike insists on the very best from his staff, and he will tell you his staff is the very best in the Commonwealth.
Mike's career has been marked by a number of noteworthy accomplishments. In 1995 Mike was certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mike also enjoys speaking and writing on the law. In 1996 Mike published a book on insurance called Bad Faith in Kentucky: a Primer. It is the leading work on the subject. Mike frequently gives professional presentations to fellow attorneys on insurance practices, and does consulting work on those issues. He hosted a radio talk show for four years called "The Legal Scene with Mike Breen." Mike also wrote a guest column for The Park City Daily News called "Legally Speaking".
In 1996 Mike received his "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a national attorney rating service. It is the highest ranking a lawyer can receive.
Mike's firm handles any type of legal claim involving personal injury, including automobile accidents, insurance claims, injuries from defective products, river injuries, wrongful death, truck/semi-tractor accidents, and farm accidents.
Education
J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky, 1983
ATLA Ultimate Trial Advocacy College, 1993
B.A., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1980
Phi Beta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Exeter College, Oxford University, Oxford, England, 1979
English Speaking Union Scholar
Reformed Theological Seminary , 2004 to present, M.A.R. Program
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Kentucky, October 1983Tennessee, February 2006
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 1984
U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, 1984
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 1995
U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
Professional & Bar Association Memberships
Kentucky Bar Association
State Bar of Tennesee
American Bar Association
Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys
Bench & Bar Magazine
Editorial Board
Published Works
- Author: Bad Faith in Kentucky: A Primer, KATA, 1996
- Guest Column, Legally Speaking, The Park City Daily News
- Author: "Duty to Foresee and Forewarn of Violent Behavior: A Plaintiff's Attorney's Perspective," School Violence in America, American Psychiatric Press (2000)
- “Bad Faith Update: Six Essential Cases,” Bench & Bar, March 2002, Kentucky Bar Association
- “A Practitioner’s Primer for the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act,” Bench & Bar, November, 2005, Kentucky Bar Association
- “’We Have Seen the Enemy and He is Us,’ An Essay on Sovereign Immunity in Kentucky” Bench & Bar, March, 2008, Kentucky Bar Association
Representative Cases
- Earle v . Cobb, 156 S.W.3d 257 (Ky. 2005)
- York v. Ky. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co., 156 S.W.3d 291 (Ky. 2005)
- Pearson v. National Feeding Systems, 90 S.W.3d 46 (Ky. 2002)
- James v. Wilson, 95 S.W.3d 875 (Ky. App. 2002)
- James v. Meow Media, 300 F. 3d 683 (6th. Cir. 2002)
- Yanero v. Davis, 65 S.W. 3d 510 (Ky. 2001)
- Arnold v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, 62 S.W. 3d 366 (Ky.2001)
- James v. Shadoan, 58 S.W.3d 884 (Ky. 2001)
- Davidson v. American Freightways, Inc., 25 S.W.3d 94 (Ky.2000)
- Matthews v. G & B Trucking, 987 S.W.2d 328 (Ky.App.1998)
- James v. Hines, 63 S.W.3d 602 (Ky. 1998)
- Guaranty National Insurance Co. v. George, 953 S.W.2d 946 (Ky.1997)
- Baseheart v. Life Ins. Co. of North America, 960 F.Supp. 1210 (W.D. Ky.1997)
- Maxon Marine v. Director, Office, Workers Comp. 63 F.3d 605 (7th Cir. 1995)
- Grant v. State Farm, 896 S.W.2d 24 (Ky.App.1995)
- Miller v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty, 909 S.W.2d 339 (Ky.App.1995)
- Tomes v. Nationwide Ins. Co., 825 S.W.2d 284 (Ky.App.1991)
- Sweasy v. King's Daughter's Memorial Hospital, 771 S.W.2d 812 (Ky.1989)
Classes / Seminars / Presentations
- The Legal Scene with Mike Breen, Radio Talk Show
- 1985 - Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys - Tracing Non-marital Property
- 1991 - Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention - Pre-complaint Practice and Procedure for Young Attorneys
- 1991 - Kentucky Bar Association Practical Skills Institute - Civil Litigation Skills for Young Attorneys
- September, 1993 - Kentucky Bar Association - District Bar Meeting - Use of Computers in the Practice of Law
- November, 1993 - Kentucky Bar Association - District Bar Meeting - Use of Computers in the Practice of Law
- April, 1995 - Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys - Masters in Trial Advocacy: Bad Faith Law in Kentucky (special three hour seminar)
- September, 1995 - Kentucky Bar Association - District Bar Meeting - Bad Faith Law in Kentucky.
- November, 1995 - Kentucky Bar Association - District Bar Meeting - Bad Faith Law in Kentucky
- January, 1996 - Kentucky Bar Association Mid-Winter Convention - Bad Faith Law in Kentucky
- June, 1996 - Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys - Independent Medical Examinations
- January, 1997 - National Business Institute - Bad Faith Litigation in Kentucky (All day seminar)
- June, 1997 - Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys - Handling the Bad Faith Bad Faith Case in Kentucky
- March, 1998 – Program Chair and Speaker - The 90s and Beyond: A Look at How Insurers Value Claims
- June, 1998 – Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention – Presenting and Defending Bad Faith and Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Cases
- February, 1999 – NBI: Bad Faith Law in Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington (All day seminars)
- July, 1999 – Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys – Master Advocacy Program: Direct Examination of Expert Witnesses
- June, 2000 – Chicago, Illinois – American Psychiatric Association Annual Convention: The Duty to Forewarn of Violent Behavior
- June, 2002 – Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys – Practicing a Bad Faith Case: What you Need to Discover: i.e., the Down and Dirty Work