Blackford County Lawyers

Josh has extensive experience in servicing businesses and individuals in all areas of real estate law, including land use, financing, real estate taxation, and government incentives. He regularly represents businesses in matters concerning the purchase, sale, financing, leasing and development of commercial and industrial real estate and the identification and negotiation of state, regional and local government-based economic development incentives in connection with such projects. Josh has appeared before county boards of zoning appeals and plan commissions in connection with land use and development matters, including rezoning requests, development plans, and variances. He also works with various local, regional, and...

Attorney K. Aaron Heifner is a skilled criminal defense, family law, and personal injury attorney. He is the founder of Heifner Law Inc., where he assists clients with a broad range of legal issues, including DUI/OWI defense, probation violations, domestic violence charges, divorce, child custody and support, car accidents, and more. Attorney Heifner has developed a reputation as an aggressive advocate for parents and defendants, as well as those injured due to the negligence of another person, company, or entity. With every case he takes on, Attorney Heifner strives to provide his clients with personalized, one-on-one attention and open communication....

An experienced litigator, Kevin Fitzharris focuses his practice in the area of alternative dispute resolution. As a registered mediator he assists individuals and businesses to resolve disputes. He is a member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) and the Defense Research Institute. Over his thirty year career, Kevin has represented major litigants in mediation, arbitrations, jury trials and bench trials.

Mike has spent the last two decades litigating business and commercial disputes throughout Indiana and Michigan. He has litigated a wide range of disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants, including wrongful death actions, securities violations, contractual disputes, trade secrets actions, trademark and copyright infringement, coverage actions, and construction disputes. Mike has handled dozens of noncompetition cases both on behalf of the employer and the employee including during the preliminary injunction phase, at trial, and on appeal. Mike has participated in approximately 100 appeals in the state and federal courts of Indiana and Michigan and has argued numerous times before the...

Gregory A. Cranston represents clients (adults and children) who have been charged with a crime or who are under investigation. Greg has represented clients throughout many counties within Indiana in cases involving serious felonies, misdemeanors and driving related matters. He has also represented clients in family law cases, landlord and tenant issues, civil lawsuits, and personal injury.

Cranston Law Can:

Help you understand the charges against you

Learn the potential range of outcomes for people in situations like yours

Provide general expectations for outcomes based on experience

Help navigate you through the system

Mount a strong defense on your behalf

Make sure your rights are protected every...

William Ramsey has extensive experience representing clients on appeals, defending against medical malpractice claims and general liability matters. He also works with businesses on commercial litigation issues, including disputes related to copyright and trademark rights and licensing and compliance matters. He has appeared before the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Tax Court and the Indiana Supreme Court for oral arguments and has jury trial experience.

I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where I majored in Political Science and graduated with honors.

While attending law school, I was actively involved with the Moot Court Board, serving as the Moot Court Board Chairman. I received several awards in law school, including the prestigious Leadership Achievement Award, the Frank Harper Achievement Award, and the Moot Court Board Chairman Awards.

After graduating law school, I was a certified legal intern with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, in the Narcotics Division, until I became a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in 2009. ...

Jake Gattuso focuses his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and real estate law. He has experience working with businesses of various sizes, and represents clients in the initial formation stages, and provides day-to-day operational counsel such as providing assistance with respect to the negotiation and drafting of third-party contracts, internal governance matters. Similarly, he represents clients in the growth or fundraising stages, by providing guidance for private placements, Regulation D securities offerings, and similar matters involving state “blue-sky” laws and federal securities laws compliance. Further, Jake assists clients buying and selling businesses of various sizes. Additionally, Jake represents...

One of the most enjoyable parts of being a lawyer is combining my genuine interest in others with my passion for helping people and fixing situations.

Most people seem to have headaches in a few key areas. That’s why I focus on the fields of family law (divorce, visitation, guardianships, etc.), business law (business formation, law suits, breach of contract, etc.), real estate law and personal injury (car accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and other acts of negligence).

My Experience
I started my career as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I “paid my dues” in busy courtrooms and...

Gary is the Chair of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. He advises clients in all areas of employment and labor law. Gary's strengths are his responsiveness and his ability to communicate complex subjects in a straightforward and understandable way.

Gary represents a wide range of clients, including steel manufacturers, automotive suppliers, health-care providers, municipalities, print shops, agribusiness, construction companies, and food producers. He has represented and advised clients in over twenty U.S. states and Canada. Although Gary’s primary expertise is employment and labor law, many clients seek Gary’s advice on a wide range of legal issues because...

Brian brings over 10 years of experience in strategic litigation and transforming legal departments by merging business, compliance, and legal objectives to increase revenue and mitigate risk. He understands the pressures legal departments and businesses face because he has been there, and he has successfully created revenue generating mechanisms and cost-efficient legal procedures that fundamentally change the way legal services are valued. With alternative fee arrangements tailored to the specific business or litigation and an in-depth understanding of your processes, legal services should boost your business, not drain it.

An accomplished litigator, Brian is known for his forceful arguments...

Zach has nearly twenty years of experience working with clients in the areas of elder law, estate planning, and probate & trust administration. He has experience working with individuals and families on asset protection, Medicaid eligibility, and long-term care planning. He also assists clients with wills and trusts, the appointment of health care representatives, powers of attorney, IRA and retirement planning, and general business matters.

Tracy is a 1994 graduate of the Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington. She also received her undergraduate degree in Business-Marketing from Indiana University - Bloomington. Tracy has been admitted by the Supreme Court of Indiana to the Indiana Bar and to the U.S. Southern District Court. She participates as a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Allen County Bar Association. She is a former President of the Fort Wayne Estate Planning Council, Co-Chair of the Probate, Tax and Trust section of the Allen County Bar Association, and Board Member of Early Childhood Alliance. She is...

A skilled attorney with Barrett McNagny, Rachel Steinhofer represents clients in the employment arena, defending employers against claims involving Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Indiana Wage Payment Statute, the Indiana Wage Claims Statute, and the Indiana Workers' Compensation Act. In addition, Rachel interacts with administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), on behalf of clients. Rachel also has experience in working with employers to educate them on union avoidance and how to manage unionization efforts. She has assisted with representing businesses...

Shawn attended the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan where she earned her Juris Doctorate in 2008. While in law school, she served as a member of the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association, a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Association, and as an Associate Member of the Mock Trial Board. Prior to studying law, Shawn obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Business Communication from Concordia University in Fort Wayne. During her time in undergraduate school, she served as the Campaign President for Toys for Tots. Shawn is licensed and ready to...

Henry Najdeski focuses his practice in the area of business and real estate law. Throughout his career he has counseled businesses on the buying and selling of real estate, zoning and planning, tax abatements, business formation issues, contract review, mergers and acquisitions, and complex financing transactions.

Lauren Minke concentrates her practice in the area of litigation, with an emphasis in insurance defense and medical malpractice defense. She also represents clients in general liability defense and provides litigation services related to disputes concerning premises liability, real estate, and contracts. She has first chair bench trial and second-chair jury trial experience.

Chad E. Delventhal grew up in Auburn, Indiana, graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in Business in 1996, and earned his J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2008. He founded The Delventhal Law Office in 2009 after working for Boughter Law Office. Chad practices exclusively in personal injury, criminal, and civil rights cases and is often consulted by other attorneys on complex injury and wrongful death cases.

With nearly two decades of experience, Emily approaches issues in a practical and compassionate manner for clients. In her domestic and family law practice, Emily Szaferski concentrates on dissolutions, adoptions, paternity matters, custody disputes, child support issues, and guardianships. She handles various types of adoptions including private, agency and foster adoptions, adoptions that involve the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, and the finalization of international adoptions.

Mark Bains assists clients in a wide array of real estate matters. This includes commercial and residential real estate transactions and land use planning. He also represents clients in real estate litigation matters, including eminent domain actions, disputes on purchase agreements and leases. Another area of concentration for Mark is construction law. He works with residential and commercial contractors in negotiation and drafting of construction contracts, disputes on contracts, defective workmanship claims, collection actions and mechanic's lien foreclosures.

Christopher L. LaPan practices exclusively as a family lawyer, civil litigator, and mediator. He received his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University in 2009, and is admitted to practice law in the Indiana Supreme Court and the United States District Courts, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. He also holds a Masters Degree from Purdue University. Chris is formally trained in collaborative lawyering, and is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. His ability to successfully navigate even the most contentious and complicated divorces to creatively advocate for his clients inspires a fluid transition from being together...

Experienced and trusted attorney focusing on Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody and Child Support.

Focusing in the area of employment law, Carta Robison assists clients with their employment matters including, contracts, claims involving Title VII, Family and Medical Leave Act issue, wage and hour disputes, and claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Ann’s law practice is focused on appeals of Social Security Disability denials in federal district courts in Indiana. She is licensed to practice before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Supreme Court of the United States, and Indiana Supreme Court.

A trial lawyer, Robert T. Keen has extensive experience handling cases in state and federal courts across the State of Indiana for insurance companies, businesses and governmental entities. He focuses on commercial litigation, insurance defense, premises liability, products liability and employment litigation. He also has experience defending local governments and police officers against lawsuits. He is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, and the Defense Research Institute.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance with Honors from Indiana University in 1987, his Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University in 1988 and Doctor of Jurisprudence from Capital Law University in 1995. Admitted to the practice of law in 1995 in the State of Indiana and began practice in April of 1996 and have limited practice to consumer and small business bankruptcies since inception. The practice primarily focuses on debtor representation in the United States Bankruptcy Courts in the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana. I frequently given seminars on the topic of consumer bankruptcy...

Facing a divorce or family law matter such as a divorce or any matter involving your children is never easy. It is natural to feel like the weight of the world is against you and you may be looking for a way to ease the stress and worry. Working with a compassionate and caring family law attorney can make all of the difference. Kim Kessinger is a dedicated Senior Associate Attorney with Stange Law Firm, PC. She can represent clients throughout Marion County, IN and the surrounding areas from the firm’s Indianapolis, Indiana office. Kim earned her Juris Doctorate from the...

We provide bankruptcy and personal injury legal services to the greater Indianapolis and Central Indiana area.

A partner at Barrett McNagny, Phil focuses his practice on business transactions, business succession planning, federal and state taxation, estate planning, probate matters, and estate administration. Phil also advises business owners regarding the choice of entity issues, valuation issues, buy-sell agreements, and business succession issues.

Maria works with the family and domestic law team assisting clients with dissolutions, adoptions and guardianships. The team also is experienced at handling custody and child support issues, paternity issues and acting in the role of a guardian ad litem.

Casie Towsley focuses her litigation practice in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance defense, premises liability, products liability, collections, and contract disputes. She also assists with due diligence review in the mergers and acquisitions practice area.

Robert J. Boughter, the founder of Boughter Sinak, LLC, dedicates his life to the representation of people seriously injured or killed in accidents and on the job. He is known as “The Fighter” because of his aggressive and straightforward approach to representing his clients in and out of court. Mr. Boughter prides himself on being honest, tenacious and loyal. He has a vast range of experience, having successfully prosecuted almost every type of injury or death case imaginable – from trucking accidents to chemical explosions. Mr. Boughter was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degrees in criminology...

Matt handles a wide variety of civil litigation, with a special focus on employment disputes. He has significant experience defending discrimination and retaliation lawsuits in state and federal courts. He also regularly handles wage claims, including class actions and collective actions, and advises individuals and employers regarding non-compete issues.

Beyond his employment practice, Matt helps clients resolve all types of other disputes. Representative areas of practice include will contests and estate litigation, insurance coverage, tort claims, business disputes and appeals.

Matt also regularly assists out-of-state attorneys as local counsel in Allen County and statewide.

Matt has been named to the...

Gregory L. Fumarolo graduated from Indiana University School of Business in 1975 and Indiana University School of Law (Indianapolis) in 1978. His legal career began in 1978 as an Allen Superior Court Law Clerk. Fumarolo was Chief Deputy Prosecutor of Allen County from 1983 to 1986, but the vast majority of his career has been in the criminal defense arena either via private practice or as a public defender, primarily in Allen County.

His practice has included death penalty litigation, appellate practice, trial practice and as court appointed lawyer in CHINS and TPR cases. Mr. Fumarolo’s career as a public defender...

Ben is a litigator with a focus on intense litigation and trial work. He has spent his career advocating for people and businesses involved in lawsuits. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants, although certain client relationships preclude his representation against some professionals. Ben's focus on trial work began when he was a member of the Indiana University intercollegiate trial team for each of his three years of law school. Since then, he has sought out trial-intensive work and has participated in the presentation of over fifteen trials to a jury, with most of those trials involving the defense of doctors and...

Dave Joley is a Fort Wayne native, graduating from Bishop Dwenger High School in 1996. He is admitted to practice law in the Federal Districts of Northern and Southern Indiana, as well as the State of Indiana. His practice areas include Worker’s Compensation, Personal Injury, and Family Law, with a concentration in Criminal Defense.

Mr. Joley is a previous member of the National College for DUI Defense, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, NORML, past member of Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, American Inns of Court, Benjamin Harrison Chapter, as...

Phil Truitt joined Truitt Law Offices in 2018 after he earned his J.D. from Ohio Northern University Ohio Northern Pettit College of Law. However, his association with the law firm dates all the way back to childhood. His father, Richard, established the firm over 40 years ago.

Growing up, Phil would spend a great deal of time at the firm’s offices. He began working for the law firm in high school and handled client intake and management roles throughout law school.

Today, Phil combines the practice of law with a role as administrator of the firm’s three offices in Indiana. Those duties...