When Dinsmore & Shohl LLP litigator Barbara Barnstable Edelman first met Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, they instantly connected over their shared love for the University of Kentucky. This initial meeting marked the beginning of an attorney-client relationship that became a trusted friendship.

“When I started representing Mr. Gatton, it was one of the greatest thrills of my life,” Barbara says.

Barbara counseled Mr. Gatton on important matters until his death in 2022. She still advises the Bill Gatton Foundation, which continues Mr. Gatton’s philanthropic mission for communities across Kentucky, east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Before his passing, Mr. Gatton expressed his desire to show his gratitude to Barbara for the favorable outcomes she had achieved on his behalf.

Ultimately, one charity stood out as a clear choice.

In 2008, Barbara’s twin sisters Patricia Barnstable Brown and Priscilla Barnstable along with their mother, Wilma, established the University of Kentucky’s Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center for diabetes research, in memory of Patricia’s husband, David, who passed away in 2003 from complications of diabetes. Each year, Patricia hosts the star-studded Barnstable Brown Gala at her Louisville home, which attracts celebrities and dignitaries visiting for the Kentucky Derby. The evening event is the family’s premiere fundraiser for diabetes research.

Honoring the late businessman’s wishes, the Gatton Foundation recently gifted $16 million to the Center. For her dedication to Mr. Gatton’s important business matters, ten million dollars of the donation establishes The Barbara B. Edelman Endowed Faculty Fund to support chairs and professorships to expand research and clinical care. To date, the Gatton Foundation has donated more than $180 million to various programs and departments at the University of Kentucky.

“I was completely blown away,” said Barbara, who had never talked extensively about her family’s work to Mr. Gatton, and was not aware a donation was going to be announced at the Center’s annual Research Day, which welcomes doctors and scientists from across the country. “When Danny Dunn, the trustee of the Gatton Foundation made a surprise appearance, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I kind of stopped breathing, and when I heard ‘$16 million,’ I really started crying.”

The balance of six million dollars will go toward funding the next breakthrough in diabetes care and treatment. It will also fund scholarships for Kentucky residents pursuing a career as a registered dietician with an interest in diabetes care.

“I have had a great career,” Barbara recalls of her passion for building strong connections with all her clients, adding the donation serves as a testament to the work she and all of her Dinsmore colleagues accomplish for them. Earning the respect of her clients, and working for the best outcome, has always been a driving force for Barbara. “I worried more over their cases than they did. The fact that a client would think so highly of his attorney, that he would want to honor her in such a unique way, speaks to the service we provide and how much we care.”