Team Profiles

Alex R. White

Since 2012 when he started his Louisville law firm after leaving the legal department of Hillerich & Bradsby (“Louisville Slugger,”) Alex White has established himself as an authority in the personal injury law field. He has led his Kentucky law firm to extraordinary growth and success that even some of the “big-name,” competing Kentucky law firms cannot claim. The foundation of that success among Kentucky personal injury lawyers is Alex’s relentless work ethic and genuine compassion for his personal injury clients.

Alex has devoted himself to personal injury law because he passionately believes that those who have suffered injury and harm from others’ carelessness deserve the dignity of just compensation. Prior to becoming a personal injury attorney, he was injured in two separate car accidents. Those experiences –from being injured, to dealing with the insurance claims, to finding the right personal injury law firm and car accident lawyer to hire- paved the way for his understanding of the personal injury law practice. From his own personal bodily injury claims to the thousands of claims he’s handled on behalf of his clients in the role of injury attorney, Alex has excellent and unique personal injury law experience. This is illustrated by the success, size, talent, vigor and ability of his Kentucky law firm, Alex R. White, PLLC.

The passion and zeal for personal injury law is evident in Alex’s record—Alex is consistently given top ratings by his clients. Alex R. White, PLLC was named “10 Best” for High Verdict and Settlements by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. “The National Trial Lawyers 40 Under 40” recognized Alex in their Top 40 under 40 honors for “Civil Plaintiff” category. “Attorney & Practice Magazine” recognized Alex as the “Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney in Kentucky.” He has also been named a Super Lawyers Magazine Rising Star in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 for his efforts as a personal injury attorney. In 2018 Alex received a client satisfaction award for exceptional and outstanding client service and was listed as “10 Best Attorneys” for the state of Kentucky. He is highly rated on Avvo, the largest directory of lawyers and law firms in the United States, and has received Avvo’s Client’s Choice award in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He is one of the highest rated personal injury attorneys on the nationwide lawyer rating site Lawyer.com. In addition, Alex was an attorney member of the prestigious Louisville Inn of Court during the 2015 and 2016 terms. Additionally, Alex has served as Vice Chair of the Small Law Firm Practitioner Section of the Louisville Bar Association.

If you want an experienced, passionate, and energetic attorney and a hardworking Kentucky law firm who does not back down to anyone… choose Alex White.

Alex@arwhitelaw.com

Fernando Valdizan

Fernando has been practicing law since 2011 and has been a personal injury attorney since 2012. Fernando first started defending cases for big insurance companies. However, Fernando soon realized that he would prefer to represent people who needed help. In 2013, Fernando joined the Kentucky law firm of Alex R. White, PLLC to start representing personal injury victims. He is able to bring his knowledge of how insurance companies work and now uses that as a tool when dealing with insurance companies.

Fernando uses both his legal and business background when handling clients’ cases. As an Economics graduate, Fernando understands the consequences of how an accident can change a person’s life in a second. He takes the totality of the circumstance and makes sure the insurance companies understand this life altering experience.

Fernando is of Peruvian descent and takes pride in being a very hard-working Spanish speaking personal injury attorney in the state. When Fernando isn’t practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his family and stays involved in the community through various activities. If you are in need of a personally injury or car wreck lawyer, let Fernando Valdizan’s experience and multi-cultural background go to work for you!

Fernando@arwhitelaw.com

John Spalding

John has been in practice since 2012 and has been a personal injury attorney from the very beginning of his career. Since 2012 John has been one of the most active lawyers in Louisville KY. Born and raised in Louisville, John attended Louisville Male High School, completed undergraduate studies at Morehead State University, and got his J.D. from the University Of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School Of Law. He is the first in his family to obtain a bachelor’s degree or a doctorate. John was admitted to the Kentucky Bar in October of 2012. Upon passing the bar, John started his own Louisville law firm to pursue his vision for serving his clients as a Louisville injury lawyer. In late 2018, John decided to join the Kentucky Law Firm of Alex R. White, PLLC so that he could maximize his ability to help injured Kentuckians.

When John is not hard at work for his clients, he enjoys spending time in the great outdoors and playing farmer in central Kentucky. He is also very active in his church with a special calling to engage in mission work. In 2017 and 2018 John spent 20 days in Malawi, Africa. While in Africa, John traveled to remote villages preaching, teaching, and serving in feeding centers for orphaned children. John hopes to continue ministering to the people in Malawi in the future.

As John looks to the future, he focuses on building his practice as a personal injury attorney here in the Louisville community.

john@arwhitelaw.com

Hoyt Grimshaw

Hoyt Grimshaw is a personal injury and worker’s compensation attorney in Louisville, Kentucky. He focuses his practice on a wide range of injuries arising from car wrecks to slip and fall incidents to workplace accidents.

As a native Louisvillian, Hoyt prides himself on helping his fellow community members who have suffered injuries. He attended duPont Manual High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville. Knowing that he wanted to remain in the city, Hoyt decided to pursue his legal education at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law where he graduated with magna cum laude honors and was published in the University of Louisville Law Review.

Hoyt has spent his entire legal career working in the personal injury field. Before joining Alex R. White, PLLC as an attorney, Hoyt worked for two years under the firm’s attorneys as a law clerk. This experience taught him the complexities of the legal field and allowed him to gain invaluable experience working in personal injury. When Hoyt is not practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family and watching sports. He is a huge UofL fan.

Hoyt is eager to fight for his clients and help them seek the recovery they deserve.

hoyt@arwhitelaw.com

Erin Stemle

Erin Stemle is a driven, hardworking and passionate personal injury attorney in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a fierce fighter who diligently advocates for all of her personal injury clients. Her enthusiasm is matched only by her attention to detail. She is experienced in dealing with car wrecks, premises liability and employment discrimination. Raised just south of Louisville, in Mt. Washington, Kentucky, Erin is a small-town girl who prides herself on helping those in her community.

Erin completed undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville and got her J.D. from the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. In law school, Erin obtained her limited license to practice law and received courtroom experience while fighting for victims of domestic violence. When she is not fighting for her clients, you will find her coaching youth basketball, hiking or kayaking at the Parklands of Floyds Fork in Louisville, Kentucky.

erin@arwhitelaw.com

Marc Hellmueller

Marc Hellmueller is a personal injury attorney who specializes in car wrecks, premises liability, medical malpractice and workers compensation. Since 2018, Marc has been a part of Alex R. White PLLC first clerking for distinguished Louisville attorneys, John Spalding, Ryan Russell and Fernando Valdizan.

Marc was born and raised here in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School, Western Kentucky University where he obtained a bachelors in History and Social Studies and finally the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law for his J.D.

When Marc is not fighting for his clients, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He is also an assistant Varsity baseball coach at St. Xavier High School. In 2019, Marc’s father was involved in a devastating motorcycle wreck due to a distracted driver. He knows from first-hand experience the overwhelming effects of what an injury can do to not only the person involved, but to their family as well. He knows what it takes to get people the compensation they deserve.

Marc’s background of coaching, working with a diverse group of hardworking and dedicated attorneys, and personal experiences has given him the tools needed to fight for his clients with zeal. If you are looking for someone who wants to go to bat for you, call Marc Hellmueller.

marc@arwhitelaw.com

John S. Friend

John has been practicing law in Louisville since graduating from the Brandeis School of Law (alongside Alex White and John Spalding) in 2012. For the first eight years of his career, John focused on class action and civil rights law. That work recovered millions of dollars for workers in Kentucky and across the United States.

In 2020, John shifted his focus away from litigation to appellate work, where he felt he could best help protect America’s workers and civil liberties. In 2023, John joined Alex R. White, PLLC, as an of counsel attorney to handle appeals, employment litigation, and other high-level litigation.

John has written amicus briefs at the United States Supreme Court on such far-ranging topics as First Amendment rights and the delicate balance of due process and national security. He has also been lead or amicus counsel in cases in the 5th, 6th, 8th, and 11th Circuit Courts of Appeal. Here in Kentucky, he has argued and won multiple cases before both the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Kentucky Supreme Court.

John’s philosophy is that it is not enough to simply know “what” the law is, but also its “how” and its “why.” Nearly any lawyer can apply the law to a set of facts, but far fewer can place those facts into a larger legal and historical context. That ability is crucial for winning hard or novel cases on appeal. He also has to ability to quickly spot the important facts, sift through the “noise” in a case, and boil it down to what really matters to the court. Judges are busy readers, and providing them a clear, concise view of your case gives you the best chance to win. John believes in the rule of half: your brief should be half as long as you think it needs to be.

When he isn’t writing or reading about the law, John is probably lifting weights in his garage or spending time with his wife, Nora, and their cats Omelet, Biscuit, and Sundrop.

friend@arwhitelaw.com

Steve Connolly

Steve Connolly joined Alex R. White, PLLC in 2023 to launch the West Virginia location. He has decades of experience in the practice of law. Steve, a native of West Virginia, has served as General Counsel Deputy State Auditor Director - Public Integrity and Fraud Unit. Throughout his career he has demonstrated history of successful Litigation. He is skilled in Criminal Law, Personal Injury Litigation (Personal injury, Premises Liability, Product liability, Motor Vehicle Accidents) and Workers Compensation. He is a former prosecutor in the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. He’s admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court; Northern and Southern District of West Virginia; and the WV Supreme Court of Appeals. If you are a West Virginian in need of legal assistance, contact Alex R. White, PLLC today and ask for Steve Connolly.

Patrick Quire

Patrick Quire is a personal injury attorney who solely devotes his practice to helping people who have been injured by the negligence and carelessness of others. Patrick handles a wide range of personal injury cases including motor vehicle collisions, slip and falls, and dog bites.

Patrick was born and raised just south of Louisville in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He graduated from Central Hardin High School and received his undergraduate degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he competed as a collegiate cross country and track athlete. Patrick graduated magna cum laude from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law with his J.D. in 2023.Patrick joined Alex R. White, PLLC in 2021 as a law clerk. He has spent his entire legal career with the firm learning how to successfully resolve injury cases while gaining invaluable experience in the field. When Patrick is not advocating for his clients, he enjoys running and spending time with his family and friends.

If you’re looking for an attorney who will fight tirelessly to help you get the recovery you deserve, give Patrick a call.

Rachel Wilhite

Born in Lexington and raised in Georgetown, Rachel graduated from Scott County High School in 2013. Continuing her academic journey, she pursued a Bachelor's degree at NKU, majoring in political science with a minor in pre-law.

Professionally, she holds the position of Assistant Director of Bar Prep and Academic Support at Chase College of Law and teaches as an adjunct professor. In the past, she had the privilege of coaching trial team students, guiding them in the preparation and presentation of cases for trial competitions against other law schools.

Rachel is deeply committed to giving back to her community. Serving as a board member for the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers group, she strives to promote the significance of pro bono work in our society. She also actively takes on pro bono cases through Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, furthering her dedication to providing legal aid to those in need.

Rachel joined Alex R. White, PLLC in 2023 to help serve clients throughout Kentucky and Ohio. A great addition to the team because she brings extensive courtroom and practical experience. Rachel Wilhite is dedicated to helping clients navigate challenging legal issues. When clients walk through her door, Rachel envisions guiding them toward favorable outcomes with a smile. She understands that legal matters can be daunting and emotionally taxing, and Wilhite Law is here not only to address the legal aspects but also to support clients through personal and emotional challenges.

If you're seeking an attorney who cares, fights relentlessly and is committed to empowering you, please don't hesitate to call Rachel Wilhite of Alex R. White, PLLC.

This is an advertisement. Alex White is a lawyer licensed solely in Kentucky. Work may be performed by another Attorney. Offices at 904 Minoma Avenue, Louisville, KY 40217 and 2813 Main Street, Hurricane, WV 25526.