Tia J. Combs is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP’s Lexington, KY and Indianapolis, IN offices and is Chair of the firm's Government Law national practice section. Tia is also Chair of the firm's Education national practice team. She practices primarily in employment law, school law, and professional liability law.

Tia helps public and private employers in matters involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and related state laws. She also provides essential guidance to employers navigating these matters in the workplace.

She also has considerable experience representing schools, school administrators, and teachers in matters ranging from employment conflicts to student disciplinary matters, special education, civil rights, Title IX, and contract negotiation and drafting.

Tia represents a wide spectrum of professionals in malpractice claims, especially insurance agents and claims professionals, accountants, and attorneys.

She also has represented clients in diverse industries, ranging from telecommunications to retail, in all both regulatory and litigation matters.

Indiana

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky

• "The Far-Reaching Impact of Student for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admission, Inc. v. University of North Carolina", For The Defense (DRI Magazine), July & August 2024
• “Tots, block, and… Glocks? The Perils of Arming School Staff” – For the Defense  (June 2017)

• International Association of Defense Counsel
• Kentucky Bar Association
• Fayette County Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• Kentucky Defense Counsel

• 2023-2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America^™
• Kentucky Defense Counsel’s “Young Lawyer of the Year” (2017)
• Recognized by Super Lawyers as “Kentucky Super Lawyers Rising Star” (2015-2021)

• “What to Expect When Your Employee is Expecting: Accommodations for Pregnant Workers and New Mothers,” FMG Webinar (2025)
• “Defending Federal and State Education Law Claims and Cases Based on Allegations of Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment” (2023)