Services
Education
- Creighton University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2000
- University of Nebraska at Kearney, B.S., Business Administration, 1995
Kenneth W. Hartman
Partner
1500 Woodmen Tower
1700 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68102-2068
1700 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68102-2068
Kenneth W. Hartman is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He counsels clients in a variety of ways to resolve their commercial, business, and/or constitutional disputes. In doing so, he represents clients in litigation at both federal and state courts. He also represents clients in arbitration proceedings and in mediation.
Prior to joining the firm, Ken was Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Kenneth C. Stephan, Nebraska Supreme Court from 2000-2001. From 2001-2003, he was Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Lyle E. Strom, United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. In 2009 and subsequent years, Ken has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” of the Nebraska Bar.
Selected Practice Highlights
- Successfully compelled recalcitrant parties, through suits filed in federal court pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, to arbitrate disputes pursuant to their contractual agreements
- Litigated state and federal constitutional claims, including securing summary judgment for public employer in case alleging First Amendment retaliation claims and securing dismissal of claim challenging the constitutionality of state statutes.
- Secured a judgment in excess of $150,000 on behalf of a local client against former independent contractors for breach of contract, tortious interference with business relationships, and theft of trade secrets
- Submitted an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the National School Boards Association urging the Court to affirm the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that a public employee could not maintain a "class of one" equal protection action against the employer
Publications
- “Appellate Advocacy: A Short Follow-Up Discussion.” Hartman, Blecha. The Nebraska Lawyer (2010)
- “Appellate Advocacy: Spanning the Generations in Search of an Answer to the Question all Appellate Lawyers Strive to Resolve: How Can We Maximize our Chances to Win on Appeal?” Hartman, Blecha. The Nebraska Lawyer (2008)
- “Lochner’s Cousin: Demonstrating Originalism’s Failure and Its Disingenuous Nature,” 34 Creighton Law Review 517 (2001)
- “Must Agency Shop Fee Challengers Exhaust Union Provided Arbitration Procedures Before Bringing a Claim in Federal Court? The United States Supreme Court Clarifies Hudson in Air Line Pilots Association v. Miller,” 32 Creighton Law Review 1845 (1999)
Recent Speaking Engagments
- "Protecting the Attorney Client Privilege in the Corporate Environment,” Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce , Lincoln, September 29, 2011.
Bar & Court Admissions
- Iowa, 2010
- Nebraska, 2000
- United States Supreme Court, 2008
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2007
- United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, 2000
News
Seminars & Events
Professional and Civic Affiliations
- Nebraska State Bar Association
- Member, House of Delegates, Nebraska State Bar Association
- Member, Practice and Procedure Committee, Nebraska State Bar Association
- 2007-2008 Nebraska State Bar Association Leadership Academy
- Omaha Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section member
- Robert M. Spire Inn of Court
- Member, Lex Mundi Dispute Resolution Practice Group
- American Lung Association Omaha Leadership Council