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Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville Building, 1000 N. Hurstbourne Parkway, Suite 200, Louisville, Kentucky 40223

J. Bissell Roberts

Partner

502-426-6688

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502-593-4560 MOBILE NUMBER
E-mail: bissell@bardlaw.net

Bissell Roberts joined the firm in April 2005. He previously practiced (beginning in 1971) as a partner with one of Louisville’s largest firms. He specializes in land use law, zoning eminent domain, commercial litigation, and family law. He was a member of the Honors Program at the University of Kentucky, where he obtained a degree in economics. In 1971 he graduated from the University of Virginia Law School, where he was Business Editor of the Virginia Law Weekly, Bissell has over forty-five years’ experience as a trial lawyer, trying cases in state and federal courts across Kentucky and practicing before the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the Kentucky Supreme Court, the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, the United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court.

In his career Bissell Roberts has successfully represented a number of clients in precedent setting cases and administrative matters.

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Click here to a summary ten Milestones in his career, including three very major and significant cases of first impression he has won for clients in the last three years.

Bissell has represented developers, small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, automobile dealers, seminaries, fire departments, cemeteries/funeral homes, public utilities and local governments in land use matters.  He was legal counsel for Jefferson County’s first cable television company, the Regional Airport Authority (in acquiring major commercial properties for the recent expansion of Louisville’s Airport) and clients, large and small, in contract, business litigation, governmental litigation, employment, personal injury, and professional malpractice cases. He recently successfully represented multiple property owners, including several homeowners, a marina owner and a developer in condemnation cases involving the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the new downtown and east end Ohio River Bridges in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

In 2008, 2009 and 2011, Bissell was recognized by his legal peers and Louisville Magazine as one of Louisville’s “Top Lawyers.” He has an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell.  In 2003 Bissell completed the “CIVIL MEDIATION TRAINING” course conducted by Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts. He has over forty-five years’ experience in representing clients in mediation and arbitration. Bissell is now actively engaged as a private mediator and private arbitrator.

Bissell is the Co-Founder of the Louisville Bar Association’s “Young Lawyers Section”, a former City Police Court Judge and in 1997 was appointed Special Justice to the Kentucky Supreme Court.  He authored the case of Commonwealth v. Stallard, KY., 958 S.W.2d 21 (1998).  Bissell has written and lectured extensively.  He is the author of the Kentucky Rules of Evidence (1996), and a contributing author to Kentucky Business Guide; Builder/Architect Magazine, and The National Business Institute.

Bissell is a frequent lecturer for the National Business Institute; making recent presentations on “Land Use Law and Planning”, “Eminent Domain in Kentucky”, “Current Issues of Subdivision and Zoning Law” (see available Firm Articles).  In January 2003, Bissell organized and helped present a seminar on “Zoning and Land Use” for the newly elected Louisville Metro Council members and their staff.  He presented topics on dealing with the Planning Commission, suggested procedures for Metro Council members in zoning cases and the rules for quorum and voting in zoning cases.

Bissell is an active member of the Henry Clay High School “HALL OF FAME,” the U-K and U VA Alumni Associations.  He is a graduate of the 2000 class of “Leadership Oldham County”.  In 1971 he founded of the Commonwealth Athletic Club, which presents the Adolph Rupp Trophy to the “National Player of the Year” in men’s college basketball.

You may contact Bissell on Facebook.