D. Wes Sullenger

Mr. Sullenger began his career in Nashville, Tennessee, where he served as a judicial clerk and practiced in a mid-size law firm for three years. In his private practice, Mr. Sullenger represented employers of all sizes in employment litigation, employment law compliance matters, and commercial litigation. His work spanned numerous industries, including contractors, newspapers and television stations, retailers, music companies, transportation companies, and healthcare companies for employers located in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Texas, Michigan, and Florida.

In late 2005, Mr. Sullenger and his wife returned to their hometown of Paducah, Kentucky to address some family matters. Mr. Sullenger spent an unhappy year as a law professor before deciding to resume helping people in the real world by opening the Sullenger Law Office.

POSITION: Member

HOMETOWN: Paducah, Kentucky

EDUCATION

  • Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
    • J.D., 2001
    • Honors and Activities: High Honors; Order of the Coif; Who�s Who Among American Law Students, 2001; Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, 1999-2000; Dean�s List; Certificate in Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution; Certified Mediator by the Center for Conflict Resolution of Chicago, IL; CALI Awards for highest grade in Pre-Trial Litigation and First Amendment.
  • Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville, Tennessee
    • Visiting Student, Fall 2000 - Spring 2001
    • Honors and Activities: Dean�s List, Spring 2001; Vanderbilt Scholastic Excellence Award for highest grade in Copyright Law; Trial judge in Vanderbilt Mock Trial Competition.
  • University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
    • Bachelor of Arts with Honors in History, summa cum laude, May 1998
    • Honors and Activities: Woodcock Society; Golden Key Int�l Honor Society; Phi Alpha Theta Int�l History Honor Society (president); Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society; Student Council (representative) 1996-97; Student Senate (1997-98); Member, student government election commission & commissioner of student government election appeal board, 1998.

ADMISSIONS:

  • Admitted to Tennessee bar, 2001
  • Admitted to United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2002
  • Admitted to Kentucky bar, 2007
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2008
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, 2011
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 2012
  • Admitted to the Illinois bar, 2019

MEMBERSHIPS:

  • American Bar Association, 2001; ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law
  • Tennessee Bar Association, 2001
  • Kentucky Bar Association, 2007
  • Legal Writing Institute, 2006
  • Illinois State Bar Association, 2019

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

  • Sullenger Law Office, Paducah, Kentucky
    • Member, January 2007 - present
  • King & Ballow Law Offices, Paducah, Kentucky
    • Independent Contractor, June 2006 - November 2006
  • American Justice School of Law, Paducah, Kentucky
    • Assistant Professor of Law, August 2005 - August 2006
  • King & Ballow Law Offices, Nashville, Tennessee
    • Associate Attorney, August 2002 - August 2005
  • The Honorable Judge William C. Koch, Jr., Tennessee Court of Appeals, Nashville, Tennessee
    • Judicial Clerk, August 2001 - August 2002

PRACTICE AREAS:

  • Civil and Commercial Litigation
    • Fraud
    • Breach of Contract
    • Tennessee Consumer Protection Act Claims
    • Copyright Infringement
    • Appellate Matters
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation and Arbitration)
  • Employment Law
    • Human Resources Compliance
    • Employee Investigations
    • Wage and Hour Litigation (Individual and Class Actions)
    • Wage and Hour Investigations
    • Discrimination (Age, Sex, Racial, National Origin, Religion, Disability)
    • Wrongful discharge Claims
    • FMLA
    • ADA
    • Non-Competition Agreements
    • Trade Secret Protection
    • Trade Secret Litigation
    • Workers� Comp
    • Civil Rights Claims
  • Constitutional Law
    • First Amendment; Free Speech / Religious Freedom
    • Libel
    • Slander
  • Business Formation
    • Incorporation
    • Partnership Agreements
    • Limited Liability Forms
    • Independent Contractor Arrangements
  • Probate and Planning
    • Wills
    • Living Wills
    • Powers of Attorney
    • Healthcare Powers of Attorney
    • Estate Planning

PUBLICATIONS:

  • "The Perils of Prescription Drugs: What To Do When You Think An Employee Is Addicted,"Available Here

  • �Silencing the Blogosphere: A First Amendment Caution to Legislators Considering Using Blogs to Communicate Directly with Constituents,� Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, 13 RICH. J.L. & TECH. 15 (2007), http://law.richmond.edu/jolt/v13i4/article15.pdf.

  • "Burning the Flag: A Conservative Defense of Radical Speech and Why It Matters Now,� University of Louisville Brandeis Law Journal, 43 Brandeis L.J. 597 (Summer 2005).

  • "Only We Can Save You: Why and When Non-Consumer Businesses Have Standing to Sue Business Competitors Under The Tennessee Consumer Protection Act,� University of Memphis Law Review, 35 U. Mem. L. Rev. 485 (Spring 2005).

  • "Unbiased Investigations Essential to Alleged Employee Wrongdoing,� Business Insider (Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry) (November 2004) Co-author with R. Eddie Wayland, Esq.

D. Wes Sullenger

Contact Us

Telephone:

(270) 443-9401

Office Location:

Sullenger Law Office, PLLC
2508 Jackson Street
Paducah, KY 42003