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Find Lawyers in Indianapolis, Indiana for Commercial Litigation
Practice Area Overview
Litigation increasingly occurs in various venues, from state and federal courts to private arbitrations and administrative hearings. Proceedings can involve business-to-business disputes or any number of government agencies. Understanding the motivations and outlook of each of the litigation participants is important for determining weak points to exploit and strong points that will persuade the audience in question. During the past decade, commercial litigators have seen a dramatic uptick in multidistrict and inter-disciplinary litigation, making the stakes higher, the cases more complex, the parties more numerous and the discovery more complicated and unwieldy. Firms that are able to develop and implement a creative legal approach to each individual problem, efficiently focus on the key legal and factual issues, and master and manage the various aspects of these complex matters will be the busiest in the years to come.
In the current challenging economic climate, commercial litigators are under increasing client pressure to keep costs in check, which has both sides testing the efficacy of alternative fee arrangements and the scope of reasonable discovery. Whether the “death of the billable hour” is ultimately realized, the keys to a commercial litigator’s success will continue to be strong client relationships, thought leadership, practical management skills, deep experience, and personal commitment.
Steve Badger has more than two decades of experience in a wide range of complex litigation matters for businesses and serves as the firm’s deputy general counsel. A pragmatic litigator and advocate, Steve focuses on paths to resolution that serve his client’s objectives using his persistence and powers of persuasion to drive home legal arguments in court and at the negotiating table. Steve counsels and advises media organizations on media law issues, including rights of access and...
Matthew Barr represents companies in the manufacturing, construction and transportation industries in litigated disputes throughout the United States. Whether as plaintiff or defense counsel, Matthew’s perseverance, unwavering work ethic and understanding of the law and commerce help him to achieve his client’s business objectives. Matthew’s clients range in size from the fastest growing businesses in Indianapolis to companies listed among the Fortune 500. His litigation pra...
Chris focuses his practice in representing clients in complex commercial disputes, serving as trial counsel in federal court, state court, arbitration tribunals, and administrative proceedings. His experience in business litigation spans a wide range of claims, including breach of contract, construction, corporate fraud, tortious interference, and unfair competition. Chris has significant appellate experience, including a federal appellate clerkship and cases before state and federal appellat...
Neal Brackett is valued for devising and executing legal solutions and plans of action to help his clients navigate complex issues. As an experienced white collar criminal defense attorney, Neal provides counsel in a manner that is understandable, workable and effective. Neal concentrates his practice on white collar criminal defense, government and internal investigations, corporate monitorships and general commercial litigation. He understands the importance of problem-solving in a way that...
Joseph C. Chapelle is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg's Indianapolis office. He practices primarily in the Litigation Department and handles government litigation and insurance coverage matters as well as products liability litigation. Joseph is a co-chair of the firm's Government Litigation Practice Group, handling a variety of legal issues unique to governmental entities, including government contracts and eminent domain. Joseph received a B.A. in 1983 from the University of Michigan wi...
Appellate adviser and litigator Mark Crandley is at his best when faced with high-stakes claims that involve issues of critical importance and concern. After nearly two decades of practice, Mark knows what does and does not work. Clients and colleagues alike rely upon him for his judgement and leadership throughout the dispute resolution process. Mark focuses his practice on appeals, constitutional and government law, commercial litigation, and the resolution of probate disputes. He has repre...
Andrew J. Detherage is a partner in the Indianapolis and Los Angeles offices of Barnes & Thornburg. Andrew serves on the firm's Management Committee. He is admitted to practice in Indiana and California. He also is co-chair of the firm's Insurance Recovery and Counseling Practice Group, which was named by Law360 as a 'Practice Group of the Year.' Andrew represents clients in litigated matters throughout the United States and has appeared in courts in more than 35 states. His practice conc...
Charlie Edwards is a seasoned trial lawyer and insurance claim advocate who is co-chair of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Counseling practice. He has helped a wide range of businesses and individuals obtain hundreds of millions of dollars of insurance proceeds in his career. He has secured insurance coverage for lawsuits, construction defects, natural disasters, thefts and other types of losses. In his third decade of practice, Charlie’s litigation experience includes D&O c...
Commercial litigator, trial lawyer and skilled negotiator Curt Greene represents private and publicly traded companies nationwide in a variety of civil litigation and business transactional matters. Curt understands business management and operations from the inside out, and brings his first-hand experience and business acumen to his broad dispute resolution and business law practice. Curt joined the firm after nearly a decade of both public and private sector service in various operational a...
Manny guides executives and in-house counsel in various industries, along with elected and appointed officials facing crises or key business decisions. He is an effective, practical, and strategic business litigator and problem solver who focuses on optimizing business results for his clients. He believes that the best solution to a problem is a problem avoided. For the problems that can’t be avoided, he prepares his client and the team to present a compelling story to the court or jury...
Paul Hunt advises business clients on complex intellectual property law matters. In his role as litigator and counselor, Paul seeks practical and efficient solutions when identifying and implementing winning strategies and advocating his clients’ rights. For nearly three decades, Paul has safeguarded intellectual property assets for small and large businesses alike. He has served as lead counsel for clients such as ABB, BISSELL, Corning Incorporated, Cummins Inc., Ingersoll Rand, Roche ...
Mr. Kaiser concentrates his practice on state and federal court litigation, class action defense, commercial litigation and employment law. Mr. Kaiser advises and defends clients in the retail financial services and consumer class action litigation. He has represented clients in lawsuits and administrative proceedings involving employment contracts, non-competition/trade secret disputes, commercial disputes, class action litigation, EEO claims, ERISA claims, wrongful discharge, and wage and h...
Litigator and regulatory counselor Kara Kapke advises on issues involving autonomous vehicle technology, transportation policy, education, tax policy, First Amendment law, and other compliance and regulatory matters. She also offers diverse experience in defending schools, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers, media outlets and other entities in complex litigation. Kara functions as outside general counsel for government agencies, schools and businesses of all sizes and involved in every...
Public and private sector business clients alike trust commercial litigator Bart Karwath to look out for their best interests and safeguard their position. Bart helps his clients solve serious problems by focusing on the merits of each case and seeking the best possible outcome. Bart concentrates his practice on utilities, condemnation, government, municipal, UCC/sales, contracts, construction, commercial lease, real estate, franchise, civil RICO and ERISA litigation matters. Valued for his c...
Intellectual property litigator, counselor and problem-solver Dwight Lueck delivers solutions that best achieve his client’s objectives — whether by diplomatic negotiation, favorable settlement, trying the case in court or before the Trial and Appeal Board, or by taking proactive measures to avoid a dispute altogether. Dwight litigates intellectual property disputes involving trademarks, trade dress, domain names, copyrights and intellectual property licenses. The subject matter o...
Trial lawyer Robert MacGill has represented Fortune 50 companies, city and state governments, businesses with high-stakes legal issues, and top athletes in resolving complicated matters through negotiation or trial. Rob's trial and appellate results are found in a variety of reported cases. Rob represents U.S. and foreign-domiciled companies at trial and before appellate courts throughout the country. He has served as national counsel to industrial, agricultural, real estate, and transportati...
A trusted adviser and passionate advocate, John Maley is skilled in advocating before trial and appellate judges, juries and mediators who rely upon his assessment of the case at hand. Whether on attack or defense, John’s understanding of diverse industries and the sophisticated legal issues that permeate complex disputes is at the core of his success as a litigator and trial attorney. John regularly represents publicly traded and private companies in regional and national litigation, t...
Michael D. Moon Jr. is a partner with Barnes & Thornburg in the firm's Indianapolis office, where he has practiced for the past 18 years. He is a member of the Litigation Department and has experience in complex matters, including mass tort actions, catastrophic occurrences and class actions. Michael has tried and arbitrated numerous cases to verdict in complex commercial and personal injury cases, and has litigated cases in more than 25 states. Michael's experience litigating commercial ...
A proven, reliable and experienced trial advocate, Alexander Orlowski concentrates his practice in complex business and commercial litigation involving a broad range of substantive areas, including contracts, business torts, trade secrets, product liability and real property. With experience as both plaintiff and defense counsel, Alexander focuses his efforts on achieving his clients’ business objectives. Alexander has represented both Fortune 500 companies and individual clients at vir...
Michael C. Terrell is a partner in the firm's Labor and Employment Law practice group. He is chief employment counsel for numerous international and domestic companies engaged in various industries, including manufacturing, real estate, banking, construction, entertainment and high tech. He concentrates his practice in all aspects of labor and employment law, with a particular emphasis on prevention and defense of employment litigation. His practice includes employment litigation in federal a...
Lynn C. Tyler is a partner and registered patent lawyer in the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. Mr. Tyler helps innovative companies secure and preserve their market position and competitive advantage by navigating their way through the FDA to the marketplace and enforcing their intellectual property rights, which often must be protected against imitators who seek to reap where they have not sown. He litigates intellectual property matters and represents clients at virtually all...
Joe's practice focuses on commercial disputes, with experience representing heavy equipment manufacturers, real estate development and construction companies, utilities and entities involved in energy trading. Joe has authored briefs to the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and has argued before the Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Court of Appeals.Joe is admitted to practice law in the United States Supreme Court; the United States Co...
Steven Baldwin focuses his practice on a wide range of complex business and commercial litigation matters, including contract, business tort and unfair competition lawsuits. Dependable, driven and knowledgeable, he brings a pragmatic approach to counseling and representing his clients, working to help them achieve their strategic outcomes. Steven represents plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts in jurisdictions throughout the United States. He actively participates in virtuall...
Shareholder Matthew Ciulla focuses his practice on high-stakes commercial litigation in courts nationwide. A former federal circuit clerk, Matt briefs and litigates key issues from case inception to judgment, with a constant focus on strategies for evidentiary presentations, trial tactics, and preserving the appellate record. Matt has been recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch for his work in Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, and Commercial Litigation. He w...
Growing up in a farming community with a family background in the sale and application of crop protection products, Alexandra saw first-hand the importance of agriculture and the challenges facing the industry in an increasingly regulated and financially strained space. In view of these opportunities and challenges, Alexandra represents her clients in litigation matters that arise at various stages in the farm-to-food pipeline, from contractual disputes, to personal injury and products liabil...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.