Duane Cook has represented me and my family real estate and natural resources businesses for more than 20 years. Duane and his staff have helped me buy and sell businesses worth many millions and twice helped me settle disputes which resulted in payments to my companies of at least $5,000,000. Duane has also helped me find financing for my businesses when no one else could. I have known a lot of lawyers in my time, but none that I would trust more than Duane.

Charles E. (“Chuck”) Yates
Lexington, Kentucky

Duane represented me in litigation over control of my businesses. Throughout the discovery process, preparation for trial, and trial, Duane proved himself to be a brilliant tactician and master of witness examination. The defendants gave up and settled at the close of our evidence at trial. Duane also successfully represented me in an appeal of a use tax assessment made by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Thanks to Duane, the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals reversed the assessment and saved me more than $300,000.

James Gary Collins
James Collins Ford, Louisville

When I was at risk of losing my home and farm because of a breach of trust, I contacted John Sosbe of Cook & Watkins, PLC to find out what I could do. From the very first meeting, he was sympathetic to my situation and throughout the entire process, he demonstrated a high level of integrity, continually reminding me that “I wore the white hat” and that we would not sink to the opposition’s tactics.

When the case finally went to trial, John went into it with passion and helped me to tell my story. He helped the jury see the lack of logic in the defendants’ story and showed just how far they went in taking advantage of me. The jury not only made them return my property, which is worth well over a million dollars, they punished them for what they had done by entering a punitive damages verdict of $500,000. As one of the jurors was walking out of the courtroom, he looked my daughter in the eye and said, “Your mother had a really good lawyer.” I already knew that: I refer to him as my knight in shining armor.

Lillian Mayo
Versailles

Duane Cook has been general counsel for Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation and its various affiliates for more than 25 years — helping us navigate state and Federal regulatory programs, defending and prosecuting complex litigation on our behalf, and representing us in business matters of virtually all types, including commercial lending and venture capital transactions. Through it all Duane and his team have proven themselves to be competent, loyal, creative, aggressive, and (above all) successful in helping Kentucky Highlands achieve its goals. Duane has been (and remains) a trusted counselor, advisor and friend. I can fully recommend Cook and Watkins without hesitation.

L. Ray Moncrief
Executive Vice President and COO
(Until retirement in 2015)

Having been in business for over 40 years, I have encountered many situations requiring routine legal assistance. Unfortunately, I have also encountered a few situations along the way that posed a grave threat to our business which required excellent legal representation to achieve the best possible outcome for our company. Accordingly, I was fortunate to be represented by Mr. Duane Cook and his team (our legal counsel for the past 30 years) in lengthy and complex lawsuits that resulted in very favorable settlements for both me and my company. But for the extraordinary effort, persistence and dedicated efforts of Mr. Cook and his team, our company could well have suffered great losses.

Accordingly, I can unequivocally recommend Mr. Cook and team to anyone in need of really good legal representation!

J.C. Egnew, President
Outdoor Venture Corporation