Sarah MacGill Marr

Partner

Biography

Sarah is a trial attorney who represents local, regional, and national companies in commercial litigation in both state and federal courts around the country. She practices in the areas of products liability, construction, transportation, and complex commercial litigation.  She represents clients in all stages of the litigation process, including trial, and has successfully defended claims for breach of contract, tortious interference with contractual and business relationships, alleged product defects, and premises liability.

Sarah has extensive experience with discovery of electronically-stored information (ESI), and regularly advises clients on document retention and storage matters, as well as leading ESI efforts in litigation. Additionally, Sarah counsels clients regarding best practices to avoid litigation, including tips for negotiating and drafting their contracts.

Sarah’s undergraduate degree is from Indiana University Bloomington and she earned her JD is from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.

Sarah is a life-long resident of Indiana and has been with the firm since she graduated from law school. She is dedicated to making Indianapolis a thriving community, and has been involved in local and state-wide political organizations which are committed to the causes that seek to enhance the community.

 

Community Activity

  • Dress for Success
    • Personal Shopper as well as a mentor for women entering or re-entering the work force
  • Catholic Charities Indianapolis, 2016 – present
    • Spirit of Service Development Committee and continues to support the organization through fundraising activities.
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
    • Executive Board, Young Lawyers Division, 2010 – 2014
    • Go Green Committee, Co-Chairperson, 2010 – 2014
      • Sarah and her co-chair designed a program to incentivize local law firms and corporate legal departments to evaluate their business practices to achieve environmentally sustainable results.
      • Broad Ripple Village Association, Member
      • Volunteer, Local Political Organizations

      Representative Matters

      Construction Litigation

      • Successfully defended multi-million dollar property damage claims brought by a municipal entity against our client for negligence and breach of contract as well as cross-claims brought by other parties against our client. Case was favorably resolved prior to trial.
      • Defended general contractor at bench trial where allegations included claims that the contractor had extensively damaged property off the project site. Obtained favorable result on behalf of our client.
      • Defended engineering firm in matter involving multiple fatalities where the allegations included negligence and breach of other professional duties. Matter was resolved prior to trial.
      • Defended subcontractor in connection with large claims for negligence and breach of contract relating to construction of a large multi-family housing unit. Case settled favorably prior to trial.

      Products Liability Litigation

      • Defended product manufacturer in litigation involving claims that a consumer appliance was defective where damages exceeded $1 million.
      • Defended product manufacturer in significant matter in Federal Court where allegations included claims for a defective appliance product and damages significantly exceeded expected values. Matter was favorably resolved prior to trial.

      Commercial Litigation

      • Defended large corporate entity against allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, deception, and conversion brought by one shareholder of the corporate entity against the other shareholder and the entity itself. Prosecuted claims for fraud, conversion, breach of contract, and contribution against one of the shareholders. Case settled favorably prior to trial.
      • Defended national event promotor in the motorsports industry wherein a team asserted claims against another team, a sponsor, as well as our client.  Secured Summary Judgment in favor of our client on all pending claims against it.
      • Represented corporate entity in a case where the minority shareholder asserted claims against the majority shareholder and ultimately sought a court-ordered buyout of the minority shares. Matter was favorably resolved prior to Court intervention.

      Real Estate Litigation

      • Lead trial counsel in matter involving a dispute following the purchase of real estate in southern Indiana.
      • Defended General Contractor during proceedings involving damage to residential real estate.

      Appellate Matters

      • Part of team representing a client in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

      Pro Bono

      • Sarah regularly volunteers with the Southern District of Indiana Pro Bono Program.
      • Represented an incarcerated individual in connection with his claims asserted pursuant to the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
      • Represented an incarcerated individual in connection with his efforts to collect a judgment following the Court’s entry of Summary Judgment in his favor.

       

      Publications

      Awards & Recognition

      • IBJ Forty Under 40, 2022
      • The Best Lawyers in America®, 2022 – present
        • Commercial Litigation
        • Construction Law
        • Insurance Law
        • Product Liability Litigation — Defendants
      • Indiana Super Lawyers, 2024
        • Business Litigation
      • Indiana Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2014 – 2023
        • Business Litigation
      • Order of the Barristers
          • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 2007 – 2008

      Industries Served

      Construction
      Insurance
      Manufacturing
      Real Estate

      Practice Areas

      Business Litigation
      Construction
      Commercial Litigation
      Government Law
      Insurance
      Business Contract Disputes
      Non-competition Covenants
      Shareholder & Partnership Disputes
      Construction Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      Insurance Defense / Insurance Coverage
      Arbitration / Mediation / Alternative Dispute
      Product Liability
      Insurance Defense

      Associations

      • American Bar Association
      • Indiana State Bar Association
      • Indianapolis Bar Association
      • Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana
      • Defense Research Institute

      Bar and Court Admissions

      • Indiana, 2009
      • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
      • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
      • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
      • D.C. Court of Appeals

      Education

      Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, JD, 2008

      Indiana University, BS, Marketing and International Business, Minor in Spanish, 2005