In Memoriam: Stephen L. Barker

Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney regrets to report the loss of former Member and firm leader Stephen L. Barker, who passed away on October 15, 2025, at his home in Lexington.

For the past 40 years, Steve has been an integral member of Sturgill Turner and an active and influential member of the Kentucky legal community. He defended public and private employers, higher education institutions, and P-12 school districts and school boards, helping employers, universities, colleges, and schools navigate numerous high-profile legal challenges. As an AOC-certified mediator, Steve applied his wealth of litigation experience to help settle disputes in Lexington and statewide. He was the 2025 Lexington Mediation “Lawyer of the Year,” a six-time Best Lawyers in America® Lexington Employment “Lawyer of the Year,” and was inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Steve served as President of the Fayette County Bar Association, in the Kentucky Bar Association House of Delegates, and as Director for Fayette County Legal Aid for 25 years. In 2011, Steve was presented with the Henry T. Duncan Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Fayette County Bar Association, for his outstanding contributions to the community. Steve was also a co-founder of the international Employment Law Alliance, the most comprehensive network of employment and labor lawyers in the world. He earned his B.S. in journalism from the University of Tennessee and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law (Order of the Coif).

His is a true loss for our firm and for the Kentucky legal community. We will post further information about arrangements as soon as it becomes available.