Ken Barker was raised in Edgemont, South Dakota, growing up in the family ranching and construction business. After High School, he worked as a section hand and trainman for Burlington Northern, allowing him to attend SDSU in Brookings, South Dakota, graduating in 1982 with degrees in economics and political science. He attended USD Law School, where he was appointed by Governor Janklow to the South Dakota Board of Regents and was an editor of the South Dakota Law Review. Graduating in 1985, he has since been a member of the South Dakota and Wyoming (1996) Bars. Ken has been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) as a Civil Trial Specialist continuously since 1996. He has been selected by his peers as a Best Lawyer® continuously since 2001. He was named by Best Lawyers® in 2013, 2016 and 2019 Personal Injury Litigation – as Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” for the Rapid City area. Ken is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and peer review rated 5/5.
Barker Law Firm has named the Best Lawyers™ “Law Firm” U.S. News, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Ken has served on several local and state boards, including eight years as a member of the South Dakota Game Fish & Parks Commission.
As a Civil Trial Specialist, Ken has been asked to speak on various litigation topics at several national conferences. He represents clients in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota, appearing in courts in each of those states, having been admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ken specializes in complex litigation cases, including death or serious injury caused in industrial and mining accidents, truck, motorcycle, and car collisions, wildland and structural fires, product failures, insurance coverage questions, construction, railroad injuries and business disputes.
