INDIANA
INDIANA
Local litigation firms Local litigation stars Donald Knebel
Barnes & Thornburg
Antitrust, Intellectual Property
Highly recommended Nelson Alexander
Frost Brown Todd Wayne Kreuscher
Baker & Daniels Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Products Liability Barnes & Thornburg
Medical Malpractice, Products Liability
Barnes & Thornburg Thomas Barnard
Taft Stettinius & Hollister Jon Laramore
Bingham McHale Environmental Litigation, Insurance, Securities Baker & Daniels
Appellate
Taft Stettinius & Hollister Jackie Bennett
Taft Stettinius & Hollister Larry Mackey
Commercial Litigation, White-Collar Crime Barnes & Thornburg
White-Collar Crime
Recommended Alan Brown
Frost Brown Todd Jeffery Mallamad
Bose McKinney & Evans
Commercial Litigation, Insurance Bingham McHale
Commercial Litigation, Employment Litigation
Frost Brown Todd
Terri Bruksch
Barnes & Thornburg John Maley
Ice Miller
Personal Injury, Products Liability Barnes Thornburg
Krieg DeVault Intellectual Property
David Campbell
Bingham McHale Mark Merkle
Antitrust, Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Krieg DeVault
Property, Products Liability, Securities Commercial Litigation, Employment Litigation
Thomas Costakis Scott Morrisson
Krieg DeVault Krieg DeVault
Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury, Products Commercial Litigation, Employment Litigation,
Liability Insurance, Personal Injury
Thomas Davis Karl Mulvaney
Frost Brown Todd Bingham McHale
Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Appellate, Commercial Liability, Products Liability,
Professional Liability
Thomas DeVoe
Taft Stettinius & Hollister George Patton
Employment Litigation Bose McKinney & Evans
Appellate
Ronald Elberger
Bose McKinney & Evans Andrea Roberts Pierson
Appellate, Entertainment Law, Health Law Baker & Daniels
Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Products Liability
Stanley Fickle
Barnes & Thornburg George Purdy
Appellate Bose McKinney & Evans
Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property, Medical
Alan Goldstein Malpractice, Products Liability
Ice Miller
Construction Litigation Marc Quigley
Krieg DeVault
Edward Harris III Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Products
Taft Stettinius & Hollister Liability
Antitrust, Appellate
Michael Rosiello
David Herzog Barnes & Thornburg
Baker & Daniels Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation
Commercial Litigation, Securities
Chris Scanlon
David Irmscher Baker & Daniels
Baker & Daniels Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Products Liability,
Intellectual Property Securities
David Kasper Steven Shockley
Frost Brown Todd Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Insurance Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Employment
Litigation, Securities
214
INDIANA
Geoff Slaughter
Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Future stars
Antitrust, Appellate, Commercial Litigation
Peyton Berg
Robert Stanley Bose McKinney & Evans
Baker & Daniels
Commercial Litigation Craig Borowski
Baker & Daniels
Joseph Tanner
Baker & Daniels Ellen Boshkoff
Products Liability Baker & Daniels
David Tittle Trevor Carter
Bingham McHale Baker & Daniels
Commercial Litigation
Scott Chinn
Kevin Toner Baker & Daniels
Baker & Daniels
Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation Paul Hunt
Barnes & Thornburg
Alan Townsend
Bose McKinney & Evans Robert MacGill
Commercial Litigation, Products Liability Barnes & Thornburg
Wayne Turner Kathy Osborn
Bingham McHale Baker & Daniels
Antitrust, Appellate, Commercial Litigation,
Professional Liability, Securities Greg Small
Krieg DeVault
Brian Welch
Bingham McHale Robert Thornburg
Antitrust, Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Frost Brown Todd
Professional Liability, Securities
Paul Wolfla
Philip Whistler Baker & Daniels
Ice Miller
Antitrust, Corporate Litigation, Securities
Joseph “Jay” Yeager
Baker & Daniels
Commercial Litigation, Securities
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 215
INDIANA
Indiana found for the client on claims of infringement
by the defendant’s best-selling device and on
the validity of patent. The case settled before
the damages trial.
Indiana’s fiscal policy is built on a cautious and conservative business model, Bingham McHale
eschewing much of the runaway development and subsequent mortgage foreclo- With locations in Indianapolis, Vincennes
and Jasper, Bingham McHale remains
sures, contract defaults, and abandoned properties that led to a painful bust fol- dedicated to Indiana clients first and
lowing a massive run-up in other states. Many litigators attribute this to a sort of foremost, despite a growing national
“delay” factor, alluding to a widely held view that news of risky financial trends presence. Its impressive list of local clients
that would eventually cripple many other markets took so long to reach Indiana includes Simon Property Group, WellPoint
that by the time it did, enough awareness about the pitfalls of risky financial and 3M, and one of these clients cheers the
firm’s “flexibility, strategic creativity, and
instruments had been raised throughout the state to make buyers and lenders consistency of excellence across the board,
cautious, thus sparing it any major damage. Indiana has not escaped completely among partners and associates.” The firm is
unscathed, however; unemployment in the state remains at a higher-than-ideal currently representing Simon Property Group
level. Employers themselves are feeling the increasing exertion of influence from in a case that arose in the context of a dispute
gun lobbyists, who have maintained enough sway with the state legislature to over the validity of shopping mall magnate
Melvin Simon’s most recent will and trust.
push for the right for workers to bring arms onto job premises, provided said His widow, acting as trustee of a family trust,
weapons remain in their vehicles. tendered about 6.5 million limited
partnership units and demanded that they be
Highly recommended firms Barnes & Thornburg converted in 10 days either to shares in the
With four offices in Indiana, as well as offices public company or nearly $500 Million in
Baker & Daniels in Chicago, Grand Rapids, Columbus and cash. Wayne Turner and Jeffrey Mallamad
Baker & Daniels, one of the most highly Minneapolis, Barnes & Thornburg has a have both actively litigated on behalf of
touted firms in the state, has two offices is significant reputation in the Midwestern Simon Properties, in the commercial and
Indianapolis, one in South Bend, and one in litigation market, especially with regards to employment litigation capacities,
Fort Wayne, in addition to a recently opened intellectual property. Competitors uniformly respectively, since 1996.
office in neighboring Chicago, IL. Peers agree that “Barnes & Thornburg is an Brian Welch is noted for his commercial
unanimously agree, “Baker & Daniels is at excellent litigation shop, they have some of litigation and contract work. He represents
the top around here [in Indianapolis]” and the best known people in town. They Constantinos P Angelopoulos, a prominent
clients weigh in by confirming, “Out of the compete directly with Baker & Daniels for Greek businessman, in an action against a
firms we’ve used in Indiana, Baker & Indianapolis’ top trial firm.” The firm has conversion and fraudulent transfer of Mr.
Daniels is the strongest for litigation, and it aggressively expanded over the last 12 Angelopoulos’ ownership interest in Beta
is them that we rely most on for this months, adding partners not only in Indiana Steel Corp., estimated to be worth over $130
purpose.” but also in Chicago, Atlanta and Columbus. million. Peers and clients alike champion
While the firm is rich in senior-level Among those litigators who were cited David Tittle’s burgeoning commercial
talent, with veteran litigation stars like specifically, Donald Knebel is roundly litigation practice. A competitor
Joseph Tanner, David Herzog, Chris acknowledged as “outstanding, among the acknowledges Karl Mulvaney as “someone
Scanlon and Robert Stanley all repeatedly best in the city,” with a practice lawyers around the state call upon to try
namechecked by peers, it’s worth noting the concentrating on patent and trademark appellate cases.” Paul Hunt and Robert
level of depth within the firm’s younger infringement actions, antitrust and unfair MacGill are tipped as future stars.
generation of litigators as well. The firm competition, improper termination of
recently was successful in representing the distributors and sales representatives, and Taft Stettinius & Hollister
City of Indianapolis and its sewer utility violation of non-competition agreements. Ohio-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister is
against Clean Water Act claims brought by White-collar co-chair Larry Mackey is widely making inroads in Indiana with two offices in
federal and state government. Newly minted recognized among the Indiana community as the state, courtesy of a 2008 acquisition of
future star Scott Chinn and third-year local the man who, during his 18 years as a federal Indiana firm Sommer Barnard, and the firm
litigation star Kevin Toner were responsible prosecutor and three years as a state hangs on to its highly recommended ranking
for this victory. Paul Wolfla is given the nod prosecutor, served on the prosecution team in the state based upon peer
for his class action prowess, and newly responsible for the convictions of the acknowledgement and vocal client support.
nominated future stars Ellen Boshkoff and Oklahoma City bombing defendants. John One such client offers the ultimate accolade:
Craig Borowski represent the firm’s Maley is “recognized locally as a top “We looked for a firm with individuals
burgeoning employment litigation capacity. litigator” for his successes in intellectual experienced with litigation and with a
Joseph “Jay” Yeager, whose name is property at the trial and appellate levels. reputation for integrity with the courts and
invariably followed by a flood of peer Terri Bruksch represents businesses and with their clients. I wouldn’t use ANYBODY
praise, is representing Zimmer Inc. in individuals in a variety of litigation else!” Among the firm’s roster of brand-name
pending litigation against eight Texas, encompassing pharmaceutical and general clients is The Hershey Company, who Taft
California, Ohio and Michigan plaintiffs’ products liability litigation, commercial and represents in as many of 400 pending matters
law firms in federal court for false residential construction, personal injury, and in Hershey’s national anti-counterfeiting
advertising, defamation, tortious general commercial contract disputes. Peers program, on both a pre-litigation and a
interference, trademark infringement and give the nod to Paul Hunt as a future star in litigation basis. While the firm acknowledges
other claims, all based on the firms’ the intellectual property field. Hunt that many of these have settled, several have
advertising campaigns claiming that represented a client in a patent infringement required the firm’s, and most notably
Zimmer product was defective. Jon case involving electrochemical blood glucose Jonathan Polak’s, courtroom acumen to be
Laramore also receives high marks from monitoring technology between two of the put on full display.
peers for his appellate acumen. four largest players in this market. The jury Edward Harris is co-chair of the firm’s
216
INDIANA
Litigation Department, and in 2009 he served office in Indianapolis and one in Fort Wayne. regard.” The firm is actually expanding its
as national class counsel for direct purchasers Within the last year, however, the firm closed litigation presence in Indiana with the
of diamonds from De Beers in a litigation its Fort Wayne office. Frost Brown Todd now addition of two new partners to its
that resulted in a $295 million recovery for operates throughout nine offices in five states environmental group in June 2010.
plaintiffs. Peers credit Jackie Bennett for the including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Specifically, Philip Whistler is revered by
behind-the-scenes legwork he performed for Tennessee and West Virginia. In the peers as “a top-drawer lawyer” and “very
Kenneth Starr’s team on the Monica Indianapolis office, Nelson Alexander has accomplished and very competent.”
Lewinsky scandal. Thomas Barnard is
championed as “an experienced litigator with
a broad and deep understanding of
environmental law and civil procedure” by a
satisfied client.
“A client the strongest for litigation, andused in Indiana,we rely&
Daniels is
states ‘Out of the firms we’ve
it is them that
Baker
most on for this purpose.’ ”
Recommended firms
Bose McKinney & Evans
Bose McKinney & Evans suffered an
unfortunate sanction ordered by a federal extensive trial and appellate experience Krieg DeVault
judge in 2009 when two former partners representing clients in business and products Peers call Krieg DeVault a “very good
were found to have displayed “egregious liability matters. Patricia McCrory bankruptcy firm,” although its total practice
behavior” in the mishandling of a case for concentrates her practice in business and is broader in scope and includes commercial
client and were subsequently forced to resign. complex litigation, representing a wide range and real estate lending, securities law, civil
Hot on the heels of this scandal, the firm was of clients, including corporations, not-for- litigation, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy,
noted to have “lost several senior female profit entities, health care providers, financial and intellectual property. The firm provides
litigators.” Despite being beset by these institutions, gas stations, dry cleaners and comprehensive coverage the Indiana market,
obstacles, the firm still has its supporters, insurers. with five locations in the state, as well as
who claim that “The scandal was terrible, additional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Boca
but the two disgraceful rogues responsible for Ice Miller Grande, and, as of May 2011, Minneapolis.
it are long gone, and Bose still retains great Full-service firm Ice Miller offers a broad Litigator Thomas Costakis is noted for his
litigators. Ron Elberger is outstanding, array of practice areas through its offices in commercial litigation and products liability
George Purdy is also really good, and George Indianapolis and DuPage County. While the work. Recent clients include RJ Reynolds,
Patton is a great appellate lawyer.” firm has been the subject of merger who Costakis has represented since 2001.
speculation for quite some time, this has yet Joseph Russell, who joined the firm from
Frost Brown Todd to come to pass, and the firm maintains an Bose McKinney, is considered “top-tier” and
Having absorbed Locke Reynolds into its impressive level of support from local peers “undeservedly underrated and very good” by
fold, the Kentucky-based Frost Brown Todd who claim “Ice Miller seems stronger now peers for his commercial litigation and white-
expanded its footprint in Indiana with an than a year ago, and it is still held in high collar acumen.
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 217