When clients in South Dakota or Wyoming Dakota have a complex legal matter that requires the eye of a litigation attorney, they contact Barker Law Firm, LLC. Led by board-certified attorney Ken Barker, our law firm offers the wisdom and knowledge to reach the results you need.

Our reputation as one of South Dakota /Wyoming’s preeminent litigation firms stems from our over 39 years of reaching successful verdicts and out-of-court settlements for our clients. We demonstrate exceptional skill in every area of law we practice, including:

  • Catastrophic motor vehicle collisions: After a crash, you may need compensation for damages, including hospital costs, treatment, and lost wages.
  • Wildland fires: If a fire damaged your land or caused an injury, our attorney can help you explore your options for compensation.
  • Insurance disputes: We have gone up against the toughest insurance companies and won maximum compensation for our clients.

Whether you need an advocate during out-of-court negotiations or an aggressive trial attorney in court, Barker Law Firm, LLC is prepared to represent you.

Led By A Board-Certified Trial Attorney

How can you trust that Barker Law Firm, LLC will provide excellent counsel? Our founding attorney, Ken Barker, is board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Civil Trial Specialist. He is one of few attorneys in the country who is considered an expert in civil litigation. Mr. Barker has helped recover over $100 million for his clients.

Kenneth E. Barker

  • University of South Dakota School of Law, Vermillion, South Dakota
    • J.D. – 1985
  • South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
    • B.S. – 1982
    • Honors: Dean’s List
    • Major: Economics
    • Major: Political Science

Classes & Seminars

  • Give the Jury a Place to Hang Its Hat–Simplify Your Case, Galaxy of Rising Stars Seminar, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1991
  • Dealing with Dirty Tricks: Zealous Advocate or Hardball Litigator?, Mastering Trial Strategies and Tactics Seminar, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Maui, Hawaii, 1992
  • Demonstrative Evidence–Storyboards and PET Scans, South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association, Spring Seminar, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 1994
  • Know When to Run (How Do You Handle Difficult Clients), South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association, Fall Seminar, Deadwood, South Dakota, 1994
  • David v. Goliath?–Using Chiropractic Experts to Prove Damages, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Jazz Fest, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1996
  • Issues & Lessons from Grizzly Gulch Power Line Fire Litigation, 2011
  • Oil Creek Fire: A Slippery Slope, 2017

Pro Bono Activities

  • South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commissioner, 1997 to 2005
  • Belle Fourche Community Center Board., 1997 to 2005
  • Chair, South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commissioner, 1998 to 2005

Published Works

  • “The New Federalism: Time for States to Pull the Plow in Soil Conservation”, South Dakota Law Review, Vol. 30 S. D. L. Rev. No. 3
  • “Jury Selection in the Next Century” , NDTLA, October, 1999
  • “Making an Impact: The Trial of an Automobile Collision Case”, ATLA, January, 2000

Professional Associations

  • State Bar of South Dakota, Member, Committees on Lawyer Referral and Negligence and Tort Law
  • Wyoming State Bar, 1995
  • American Bar Association
  • South Dakota Trial Lawyers
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce, President, 1988
  • South Dakota Board of Regents, Student Regent, 1982 to 1985
  • Butte County Bar, President, 1990

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Board Certified Trial Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury
  • Wrongful Death
  • Wildland Fire Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA)
  • Products Liability
  • Premises Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Spinal Injury
  • Condemnation
  • Brain Injury
  • Fraud and Deceit

Bar Admissions

  • South Dakota, 1985
  • Wyoming, 1996
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1994

Honors

  • Named in “The Best Lawyers in America” Continuously since 2001
  • Personal Injury – Plaintiffs Lawyers of the Year – Rapid City Area for years 2013, 2016 and 2019 selected by his peers
  • Super Lawyers, continuously since 2007

Representative Cases

  • Lesmeister v. American Colloid Company, 1993174690
  • Holzer v. Provider’s Fidelity Insurance Company
  • Stevens v. Wood Saw Mill, et al.
  • McIlravy, et al. v. Kerr-McGee, 1997162479
  • Filip Johnson v. Central Plains Clinic, et al.
  • Schuldies v. Millar, et al., 1996217901
  • Galen Andrews v. Medical Associates Clinic, et al.
  • Brunner v. Lear-Siegler, 1991130494
  • Clausen v. Aberdeen Grain Inspection, 1999129653