Wesley R. Butler
Founder, Reed Health Law
I practice at the intersection of health law and health care operations — where regulatory decisions have real consequences for patients, providers, and institutions.
Three Decades at the Intersection of Law and Health Care
I started my legal career in litigation — federal and state courts, defense work, learning by trying cases. That foundation shaped how I approach every legal problem: with a preference for clarity, a tolerance for complexity, and no illusions about how disputes actually resolve.
In 2003, I took time away from practice to travel with International Justice Mission to India, assisting with bonded labor investigations. It was work that had nothing to do with health care and everything to do with why I became a lawyer.
In 2004, I was asked to serve as Deputy General Counsel of a major state health and human services cabinet — one of the largest in the country by budget and scope. Two years later, I was promoted to General Counsel, where I managed a legal staff of forty attorneys, drafted legislation and regulations, and advised the Governor on health law and policy. That experience gave me a working understanding of how regulatory agencies are structured, how they make decisions, and what they're looking for when they engage with a provider. I learned the framework from the inside.
In 2007, I co-founded a boutique law firm focused exclusively on health law. Over nineteen years, I built a national practice centered on the regulatory systems that govern health care safety and quality — the federal frameworks that determine how health care organizations operate, how they're evaluated, and how they're held accountable.
In February 2026, I founded Reed Health Law. The firm reflects what I've learned about how to practice: with focus, with genuine engagement in the work, and with counsel grounded in how health care operates.
Public Service & Leadership
Special Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court
Appointed to serve as Special Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court in Brandon Winn v. Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Judicial Commission on Mental Health
Appointed by the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court to serve as the hospital sector representative on a multi-disciplinary commission examining improvements to the judicial system for individuals with mental health concerns.
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights — Kentucky Advisory Committee
Appointed to assist the Commission with fact-finding, investigation, and information dissemination on civil rights matters.
International Justice Mission — India
Traveled to India to assist with bonded labor investigations, working alongside a team conducting field investigations into forced labor conditions.
Kentucky Health Law Institute Co-Chair
Selected by the University of Kentucky College of Law to organize and lead the biennial health law institute — a two-day conference bringing together attorneys practicing across the spectrum of health law.
Speaking & Publications
I have had the priviledge of speaking on health care safety, quality, and regulatory law at national conferences, federal agency meetings, and industry forums.
- The Role of Privilege in Harm Communications, PACT Collaborative — September 2025
- PSQIA Case Law Update,Vizient Connections Summit — September 2024
- PSWP Privilege and the Courts, U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 18th Annual PSO Meeting — May 2026
- A Primer on the Patient Safety Act and the PSWP Privilege,The Joint Commission — August 2020
- A Primer on the Federal Patient Safety Act, Defense Research Institute — March 2018
- The Patient Safety Act: Lifting the Fog of the Patient Safety Work Product Privilege, 2020 Health Law and Compliance Update — Wolters Kluwer
- Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Within Medicaid Managed Care, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy — January 2022
- Chapter 5: Preparing and Filing the Appeal - Kentucky Civil Practice After Trial Handbook, 3rd Ed., Published by the University of Kentucky College of Law - 2009
Representative Cases
A selection of cases and amicus filings spanning nearly three decades of health law practice.
- Baptist Healthcare Sys. V. Kitchen, 727 S.W.3d 362 (Ky. 2025)
- Jackson v. Mayfield, KY OPCO, LLC, 2025 Ky. LEXIS 232 (Ky. 2025) - amicus
- Erie Ins. Exch. v. Johnson, 713, S.W.3d 149 (Ky. 2025) - amicus
- 303 Creative Ltd. Liab. Co. v. Elenis 6 F.4th 1160 (10th Cir. 2021) - amicus
- Truesdell v. Friedlander, 626 F. Supp. 3d 957 (E.D. Ky. 2022) - amicus
- Ashland Hosp. Corp. v. Darwin Select Ins. Co., 664 S.W.3d 509 (Ky. 2022) - amicus
- Stewart v. Azar, Nos. 19-5095, 19-5097, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 535 (D.C. Cir. Jan. 8, 2020) - amicus
- Beck v. Scorsone, 612 S.W.3d 787 (Ky. 2020)
- Lexington-Fayette Urban Cty. Human Rights Comm'n v. Hands on Originals, 592 S.W.3d 291 (Ky. 2019) - amicus
- KentuckyOne Health, Inc. v. Reid, 522 S.W.3d 193 (Ky. 2017) – amicus
- Univ. of Ky. v. Bunnell, 532 S.W.3d 658 (Ky. App. 2017)
- Lake Cumberland Reg'l Hosp., LLC v. Adams, 536 S.W3d 683 (Ky. 2017) - amicus
- Baptist Health Richmond, Inc. v. Clouse, 497 S.W.3d 759 (Ky. 2016)
- Tibbs v. Bunnell, 579 U.S. 937, 136 S. Ct. 2504 (2016)
- Norton Hosps., Inc. v. Willett, 483 S.W.3d 842 (Ky. 2016)
- Univ. Med. Ctr., Inc. v. Beglin, 375 S.W. 3d 783 (Ky. 2011) - amicus
- Michelle P. v. Birdwhistell, 356 F. Supp. 2d 763 (E.D. Ky. 2005)
- Osborne v. Commonwealth, 185 S.W. 3d 645 (Ky. 2006)