Community Activity

• Downey Avenue Christian Church
  • Trustee 2010
  • Moderator, 2004
  • Vice Moderator, 2002 – 2003
• Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
  • Board of Directors, 2008 – 2016
• North Central High School Band Parent Organization
  • Vice President 2008 – 2009
  • President 2009-2010

Representative Matters

• Represented an insurance company in a bad faith action before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the client, on the basis that the insurer did not breach its contract or act in bad faith when it filed an interpleader against the insured and numerous claimants, and tendered its policy limits into court, and held that its duty to defend ended upon the deposit of the limits into court: Abstract & Title Guaranty Co., Inc. v. Chicago Ins. Co., 489 F.3d 808 (7th Cir. 2007).
• Obtained summary judgment for insured declaring that he was entitled to underinsured motorist coverage under his employer’s primary, and excess auto policies with multi-million limits for severe injuries suffered when he was hit by an uninsured motorist while assisting injured motorists: Spencer v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 381 F.Supp. 2d 811 (S.D. Ind. 2005).
• Represented insurer in an action in which the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded there was no insurance coverage under a homeowner’s policy for injuries suffered by the insured’s minor guest when she was riding the insured’s ATV off of the insured’s property: Illinois Farmers Ins. Co. v. Wiegand, 808 N.E.2d 180 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004).
• Counseled and represented insurers and insureds with regard to disputes or litigation concerning liability coverage, indemnity rights, and/or the priority of coverage for construction accidents and environmental contamination.

Represented clients in the following reported cases:

• Midtown Chiropractic v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co., 847 N.E.2d 942 (Ind. 2006)
• Auto Owners Ins. Co. v. United Farm Bureau Ins. Co., 560 N.E.2d 549 (Ind. Ct. App. 1990)
• Knight v. United Farm Bureau Ins. Co., 950 F.2d 377 (7th Cir. 1991)
• Hartford Fire Insurance Co. v. Pure Air, 154 F.R.D. 202 (N.D. Ind. 1993)
• Illinois Farmers Ins. Co. v. Adams, 144 F.3d 1129 (7th Cir. 1998)
• Darst v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co., 716 N.E.2d 579 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999)
• Baxter v. ISTA Ins. Trust, 749 N.E.2d 47 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001)
• Jackson v. Jones, 804 N.E.2d 155 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004)
• Federated Rural Elec. Ins. Exchange v. National Farmers Union Prop. & Cas. Co., 816 N.E.2d 805 N.E.2d 456 transfer granted 816 N.E.2d 1157 (Ind. 2004)
• Northern Assurance Co. of America v. Thomson, Inc., 996 N.E.2d 785 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013)

Awards & Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America®, 2022 – present
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation — Insurance
• American Jurisprudence Awards in Civil Procedure and Family Law
• Indiana Super Lawyers, 2004, 2010, and 2012 – present
  • Insurance Coverage