RENDERED: January 23, 2004; 10:00 a.m.
TO BE PUBLISHED
Commonwealth Of Kentucky 
Court of Appeals 
NO. 2002-CA-002240-MR
RONALD W. BORKOWSKI APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM FRANKLIN CIRCUIT COURT
v. HONORABLE WILLIAM L. GRAHAM, JUDGE
ACTION NO. 01-CI-00371
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY,
CABINET FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,
DEPARTMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES,
DIVISION OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE,
KENTUCKY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE COMMISSION,
And
BORK MARKETING GROUP, LLC APPELLEES
OPINION
AFFIRMING
** ** ** ** **
BEFORE: BUCKINGHAM, COMBS, AND DYCHE, JUDGES.
BUCKINGHAM, JUDGE: Ronald W. Borkowski appeals from an opinion
and order of the Franklin Circuit Court which affirmed an order
of the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission denying
unemployment benefits to Borkowski. We affirm.

Bork Marketing Group, LLC, was organized under KRS1
Chapter 275 as a Kentucky limited liability company. There were
46 members, who owned a total of 56 units of ownership in the
company. Borkowski owned 11 units. Also, Borkowski was the
manager of the company.

Bork Marketing ceased doing business on October 18,
2000. Thereafter, Borkowski filed a claim for unemployment
benefits. His claim was denied on the ground that he was not
engaged in covered employment.

Borkowski, who had been paid an annual salary of
$100,000 for the performance of managerial duties for the
company, appealed to the Commission. Noting that an LLC is
treated as a partnership for tax purposes, the Commission held
that "[s]ervices performed by partners in an LLC are not
considered to be performed in covered employment." Therefore,
the Commission affirmed the administrative determination that
Borkowski was not entitled to benefits.

Borkowski appealed to the Franklin Circuit Court. The
circuit court agreed with the Commission and found that there
were substantial facts in the record upon which the Commission
could rely in making its determination. After rendering an
opinion and order affirming the Commission, this appeal by
Borkowski followed.

Our review of this case is governed by the substantial
evidence standard of review applicable to decisions made by
administrative agencies. See Kentucky Unemployment Ins. Comm’n
v. Landmark Community Newspapers of Kentucky, Inc., Ky., 91
S.W.3d 575, 578 (2002). "If the findings of fact are supported
by substantial evidence of probative value, then they must be
accepted as binding and it must then be determined whether or
not the administrative agency has applied the correct rule of
law to the facts so found." Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co. v.
Kentucky Unemployment Ins. Comm’n, Ky., 437 S.W.2d 775, 778
(1969). Substantial evidence is defined as "evidence of
substance and relative consequence having the fitness to induce
conviction in the minds of reasonable [persons]." Owens-Corning
Fiberglas Corp. v. Golightly, Ky., 976 S.W.2d 409, 414 (1998).

This court must also consider whether the decision of
the administrative agency was arbitrary or clearly erroneous. A
decision is said to be of such character if it is "unsupported
by substantial evidence." Danville-Boyle County Planning &
Zoning Comm’n v. Prall, Ky., 840 S.W.2d 205, 208 (1992). If
there is any substantial evidence to support the decision of the
administrative agency, "it cannot be found to be arbitrary and
will be sustained." Taylor v. Coblin, Ky., 461 S.W.2d 78, 80
(1970). Thus, a final order of an administrative agency will be
affirmed if this court finds the agency applied the correct rule
of law to facts supported by substantial evidence. Vanhoose v.
Commonwealth, Ky. App., 995 S.W.2d 389, 392 (1999).

"Covered employment" is addressed in KRS 341.050(1).
It includes "[a]n individual who, under the usual common law
rules applicable in determining the employer-employee
relationship, has the status of an employee." KRS
341.050(1)(a). It also includes "[a]n officer of a
corporation." KRS 341.050(1)(b).

In the Landmark Community Newspapers case the Kentucky
Supreme Court referred to the Restatement (Second) of Agency §
220(2) in determining whether an individual was an employee or
an independent contractor for the purpose of determining
entitlement to unemployment benefits. Id. at 579. As the case
sub judice is a case of first impression in Kentucky, we
likewise turn to the Restatement (Second) of Agency for
guidance. Specifically, we refer to Section 220(1).

Section 220(1) states that "[a] servant is a person
employed to perform services in the affairs of another and who
with respect to the physical conduct in the performance of the
services is subject to the other’s control or right to control."
As that definition pertains to the facts of this case, we note
that Borkowski referred in his testimony to Bork Marketing as
being "my company." He also referred to an employee as "my
other full-time employee." Additionally, Larry Simpson, CPA and
chief financial officer of Bork Marketing, testified that
Borkowski "made all the decisions pertaining to the operations
of the company." Based on this testimony from Borkowski and
Simpson, we conclude that the evidence to support the
Commission’s decision was substantial and did not compel a
result to the contrary.

We note that the Commission based its decision on its
belief that Borkowski was not "an officer of a corporation" so
as to have "covered employment" pursuant to KRS 341.050(1)(b).
In support of that position, the Commission noted that LLC
members are treated as partners for tax purposes at both the
state and federal level. The circuit court agreed with the
Commission that "an officer of a corporation" does not encompass
a member of an LLC for purposes of KRS 341.050(1)(b). The court
noted that the Kentucky statutes clearly delineate between
corporations and LLCs. See KRS Chapters 271 and 275.

Borkowski concedes that the Commission and the circuit
court properly excluded him from the category of "an officer of
a corporation." However, Borkowski argues that neither the
Commission nor the circuit court addressed whether he would be
entitled to benefits under KRS 341.050(1)(a) based on "the usual
common law rules applicable in determining the employer-employee
relationship." Based upon the evidence in this case and the
Restatement (Second) of Agency § 220(1), we conclude that
Borkowski was not an employee of Bork Marketing so as to be
entitled to benefits under KRS 341.050(1)(a).

The opinion and order of the Franklin Circuit Court is
affirmed.
ALL CONCUR.