BARNETT BENVENUTI & BUTLER - Key Persons
Before joining BB&B, Holly Iaccarino spent several years working for federal judges, which provided her with valuable experience in substantive and complex areas of law, as well as federal civil and criminal procedure. While clerking for the Honorable Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Holly handled cases involving a wide range of federal law issues including white collar crime, employment and discrimination law, and various Constitutional challenges. Before clerking for Judge Van Tatenhove, Holly also clerked for the Honorable Victor J. Wolski on the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. There, she worked on a variety of cases involving administrative law and federal agencies, government contracts, Vaccine Act litigation, and other areas of regulatory law.
Holly earned her law degree in 2010 from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., graduating magna cum laude. During her tenure there, she worked on the Journal of Law, Philosophy, and Culture; participated in the school's Comparative and International Legal Studies Program, served as president of Advocates for Life; was an active member in the Women's Law Caucus and Federalist Society; studied abroad at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland; and worked as a summer associate at Venable, LLP.
In 2005, Holly graduated summa cum laude from Asbury University with a Bachelor of Arts in history. At Asbury, she won state and national competitions on the Speech and Debate Team and was actively involved with the school's Equine Program, training horses and giving riding lessons. Holly later earned her Master's Degree in European History from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, graduating with academic honors for her research and writing.
Holly is admitted to practice before all courts in Kentucky and in the District of Columbia, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States District Courts in both the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.
Apart from her legal work, Holly also teaches equine law as an adjunct professor and enjoys spending time with her family on their small farm in Woodford County.
Jeffery T. Barnett has extensive experience in a wide variety of civil litigation with an emphasis on health care issues, including the defense of hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers in professional liability claims. He also assists clients with matters involving product liability, certificate of need, credentialing, licensing, and HIPAA issues. His clients include individuals and entities throughout Kentucky including hospitals, academic medical centers, long-term care facilities, and physician practice groups.
Mr. Barnett holds an AV®Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating in Medical Malpractice, Health Care and Litigation from Martindale-Hubbell®. He has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, an honor that is subject to a rigorous peer-review process. In 2007, Mr. Barnett was appointed by the Governor of Kentucky as a Special Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Prior to establishing Barnett, Benvenuti & Butler, PLLC, Mr. Barnett was appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher to serve as both Deputy General Counsel for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as well as Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Health Policy. Among other things, he was principally responsible for modifications to the State Health Plan and the administration of Kentucky's Certificate of Need process.
Before his service with Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Mr. Barnett was a partner in the Lexington office of Stoll Keenon & Park (now Stoll Keenon Ogden) where he was a member of the firm's Litigation and Health Care Law departments.
Mr. Barnett is a graduate of Centre College (B.A., History and Government) and the University of Louisville School of Law (J.D., cum laude) where he was a member of the Brandeis Honor Society, the Journal of Family Law, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Mr. Barnett is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer at events throughout Kentucky regarding a variety of legal and health care issues including medical malpractice litigation as well as the analysis and use of medical records. He previously served as a faculty member of the New Lawyers Seminars sponsored by the Kentucky Bar Association and attended by all new members of the Kentucky Bar. Mr. Barnett has authored numerous articles regarding a variety of health care issues.
Mr. Barnett is admitted to practice before all courts in Kentucky as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States District Court in the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. He is a member of the Fayette County, Kentucky, and American Bar Associations as well as the Academy of Trial Lawyers of America and the Kentucky Defense Counsel, Inc.
Mr. Barnett is a certified mediator. He frequently mediates disputes involving health care issues as well as commercial litigation and other business transactions.
Kimberly G. DeSimone has spent the majority of her fifteen years of practicing law in the field of health care litigation. She defends hospitals, long-term care facilities, physicians and other health care providers in professional liability lawsuits. She also assists clients with matters involving licensing issues, HIPAA and internal investigations. One of her primary focuses is serving as appellate counsel for health care clients. Kimberly has authored appellate briefs on behalf of party litigants and amici curiae in the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
Kimberly joined BB&B in 2016 and became a member of the firm in 2022. Prior to joining BB&B, Kimberly spent five years at the law firm of Robinson & Epling defending physicians, hospitals and other health care providers in professional liability lawsuits and licensure matters. Kimberly also served for three years as an attorney for the Commonwealth in both the Public Protection and Transportation Cabinets. While at the Public Protection Cabinet, Kimberly represented the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in administrative hearings and prosecuted administrative actions against alcohol and tobacco licensees. During her time at the Transportation Cabinet, Kimberly was responsible for advising various Departments on state and federal statutes, regulations and compliance issues, including the Medical Review Board.
Kimberly earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Kentucky in 2002, graduating with highest honors, summa cum laude. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. Kimberly is a 2007 graduate of the UK College of Law, where she won best oral argument in the Rutledge Writing Club (2004) and worked as a Production Editor for the Kentucky Law Journal (2006-2007). After graduating from law school, Kimberly worked as a staff attorney for the Honorable Pamela R. Goodwine in the Fayette Circuit Court.
Kimberly is admitted to practice before all state courts in Kentucky as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, Fayette County Bar Association, Women Lawyers' Association and Defense Research Institute.
Outside of BB&B, Kimberly enjoys traveling with her husband and photography.
Lisa R. Quammen, a paralegal with BB&B, has over 25 years of experience as a paralegal and has worked in a variety of legal areas including litigation, corporate, workers' compensation, Federal Black Lung and bankruptcy. Ms. Quammen graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1987 with a B.A. in Paralegal Science. Prior to her employment with BB&B, she was employed as a freelance paralegal serving several law firms. In addition to her employment as a freelance paralegal, Ms. Quammen has also held positions as a paralegal at several law firms both large and small.
Ms. Quammen is past President of the Greater Lexington Paralegal Association as well as a past Board Member of the Kentucky Paralegal Association.
Job Titles:
- Litigation Paralegal for BB & B
- Office Manager / Paralegals
Melanie K. McNew serves as a litigation paralegal for BB&B as well as its Office Manager. In these capacities, she is responsible for overseeing litigation matters ranging from the defense of medical malpractice cases, fraud and abuse claims brought against health care providers, and other commercial and business issues. She is also principally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm including billing and transactional matters.
Prior to joining BB&B, Ms. McNew served as the Executive Secretary of the Office of Health Policy in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. While there, she was involved in the administration of the Certificate of Need process through which health care providers seek approval to establish certain facilities and services. In addition, she served as a paralegal to the Deputy General Counsel in the Office of Legal Services.
Originally from Wisconsin, Ms. McNew has served in a variety of roles with law firms, both large and small. Before her current positions, she was with Stoll Keenon Ogden, one of the Commonwealth's oldest and largest law firms.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman
- Founding Member of the Lexington Law Firm
- Member of the Kentucky Bar Association
Robert J. Benvenuti III is a founding member of the Lexington law firm of Barnett Benvenuti & Butler, PLLC. Mr. Benvenuti has been actively involved in the health care industry since 1983. His experience includes serving as a provider, administrator, compliance officer, government official and legal counsel. He has significant experience in health care fraud and abuse, compliance, false claims, government investigations, medical staff issues, internal investigations, civil and administrative liability, professional licensure boards, controlled substances abuse and diversion, and EMTALA, as well as general regulatory and operational issues facing institutional and individual providers. In addition, he assists criminal defense counsel in criminal cases involving health care entities and providers. Mr. Benvenuti also is engaged by legal counsel and their clients to mediate complex health care regulatory and business matters.
In November 2012, Mr. Benvenuti was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. Mr. Benvenuti currently serves as Vice Chairman and Ranking Member of the Health and Welfare Committee. He is also a member of the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety Committee.
In February 2004, Mr. Benvenuti was appointed Inspector General for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services where he served until January of 2007. As Inspector General Benvenuti led a staff of approximately 340 employees and was responsible for directing the operations and formulating policy for the Office. Among other things, the Office of Inspector General is charged with investigating and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicaid program, as well as allegations of prescription drug abuse and diversion. The OIG is also responsible for conducting complaint investigations and standard surveys involving some 3,000 health care facilities and services across the Commonwealth relative to state licensure requirements and federal certification conditions of participation on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Prior to his appointment as Inspector General, Mr. Benvenuti was an attorney with Stites & Harbison, PLLC. From 1998 to 2002 he served as the originating Corporate Compliance Officer for the UK Chandler Medical Center, where he established and directed the Medical Center's comprehensive compliance program.
Before becoming an attorney, he served in various administrative and management positions, including risk manager, for Baptist Healthcare Systems of Kentucky. Benvenuti also served for five years as a member of a volunteer rescue squad in his hometown of Sparta, New Jersey.
Mr. Benvenuti is a 1998 graduate of the UK College of Law. While in law school he was a member of the National Moot Court Team and a published author. Mr. Benvenuti also earned a Master's of Public Administration from the UK Martin School of Public Policy and Administration in 1991 and his BS degree from the University of Kentucky in 1988.
Mr. Benvenuti is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association and the Health Care Compliance Association. He has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law, is the co-author of the Kentucky Health Law Handbook chapter on government enforcement and has published numerous articles on fraud and abuse in the health care industry as well as other operational and regulatory issues facing health care providers. Beyond work, Robert coaches Cal Ripken baseball and has previously coached girls youth soccer. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Lexington Catholic High School. Together with his wife Susan, he has two children, Annabella and Robert.