Pleasant Lake Lawyers

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...

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.

Marcus A. Heminger concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate and business law and securities law. He has extensive experience in corporate transactions, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, private and registered public securities offerings, SEC reporting compliance, and NYSE and NASDAQ regulatory compliance. Prior to returning to Fort Wayne and joining Barrett McNagny, Marcus spent more than five years working at one of New York's largest law firms, where he gained valuable experience with the firm's Capital Markets Group. His corporate governance and securities law experience also includes drafting and reviewing SEC disclosure documents, including Annual Reports, Quarterly Reports, Current...

I am a graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law, a member of the National Lawyers’ Guild, and a private practice attorney representing clients in Indiana State and Federal Courts concentrating in Personal Injury Practice, General Civil Litigation and Family Law.

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...

Let's face it. We've been doing this a long time.  And we love what we do. The lawyers of Shaw Law Offices -- the Indiana Slip and Fall Attorneys. See us at "slipandfall.com."  That's right, we own the cause of action in our website.  That's how much we love what we do. Like Muhammad Ali the boxer famously said, "It's Not Bragging if You Can Back it Up." And with age and experience comes a little bit of "know-how."  So, here's 5 things we do to help you in the often-confusing path of a personal injury lawsuit: 1.  We Visit the Site...

Tamara is a 1986 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and a partner in the law practice of Banik & Renner in Elkhart Indiana. Her practice focuses on Employment Discrimination, Bankruptcy (personal and business) and Social Security Disability. She has successfully represented employees in employment related matters involving major corporations such as Coca-Cola, Forrest River, Pharmacia-Upjohn, Memorial Hospital, Elkhart General Hospital, Teacher's Credit Union, and other national businesses as well as other Elkhart and South Bend Indiana businesses. The most successful representation occurs when an employee seeks guidance prior to being discharged! It is important...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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

Thomas Niezer focuses his practice on real estate law, land use planning, and real estate finance law, with a dual emphasis in commercial transactions and residential real estate development, sales, and purchases. He also focuses on representing commercial and non-profit development entities on a variety of redevelopment and new development initiatives. With over 30 years of experience, Tom has represented real estate development clients before planning commissions, boards of zoning appeals, local engineering, surveying, traffic, utility, and storm water governmental departments. He has worked with clients in real estate acquisitions, sales, leasing, and construction matters. Tom regularly works with local...

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...

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...

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.

Attorney Rosy Meza, a member of the prestigious American Immigration Lawyers Association, is committed to assisting her clients in their quest of achieving the American Dream. With over 15 years of experience in the field, immigration law is both her mission and her passion.

Because immigration law is a dynamic and ever- changing field, it provides challenges and opportunities for problem-solving in a dedicated and creative manner. Fully bilingual in Spanish and English, Attorney Meza is able to bridge the cultural gap often present among the foreign-born and is able to make the client an intrinsic part of the team.

In addition...

Please visit our firm's website at bradbaberatty.com to find out more about us and what we do.

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.

Mr. Churchward’s legal career began at the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney’s office where he tried cases in both the Misdemeanor and Felony divisions. While serving as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, he was exposed to a wide variety of cases ranging from violent crimes to misdemeanor and financial offenses, during which time he gained invaluable experience that he applies to his current practice. in 2000, Mr. Churchward took a position as an associate attorney at Leonard, Hammond, Thoma and Terrill and immediately began working for his clients with the same dedication that he displayed as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney....

Jennifer has a diverse practice ranging from high conflict custody matters and complex divorce actions to collections. She regularly represents clients in Child of Need of Services actions, both as private counsel and Guardian Ad Litem. Jennifer is a registered domestic relations mediator. She is tough but fair, and strives to be at least one step ahead of the other side.

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.

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...

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...

Jennifer Naue attended IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. After living in Indianapolis for a few years, Jennifer Naue practiced in White County and Benton County before making the move to Kosciusko County to be closer to her family. Jennifer invested in the community and strives for excellence in her legal representation. Jennifer Naue practices primarily in Kosciusko County and Marshall County, but for certain legal issues she can provide legal services across Indiana. Upon admission to practice law, Jennifer Naue began her legal career as a staff attorney for the Department of Child Services. After working for the State...

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...

Matt Chapel is a Trial Lawyer based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a National Institute for Trial Advocacy Master Advocate and studied under Gerry Spence. Practicing criminal defense in Fort Wayne, Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio, Matt brings 23 years of experience to every case. Matt is a former U.S. Marine. Why is this significant? Because Matt brings his fighting spirit to every case - including yours.

Notre Dame law school 1984 Indiana University 1981

During high school, Benjamin (“Ben”) Bentrup won numerous #1-in-state awards for his Spanish classes. After completing both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Spanish, he embarked upon a ten-year teaching career. Concerned about the state of religious freedom in our country, he decided to enter law school and subsequently graduated in the top quartile from Ave Maria School of Law. In law school, Ben achieved the Dean’s List twice, and scored above an A- average combined (graded on a class curve) on his research papers. He won the CALI Award for Excellence in Bioethics (top grade in class),...

Larry W. Rudawsky has over thirty years of experience in the area of employee benefits and has extensive knowledge in the areas of reviewing, developing and implementing defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, employer-sponsored IRA plans and managed IRAs. Larry has overseen regulatory compliance for qualified, nonqualified, and VEBA plans and he has drafted plan documents for Taft-Hartley, 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 457 and 409A plans. He counsels clients on employee benefit issues in mergers and acquisitions, on equity incentive compensation, and on the design and operation of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Prior to joining the firm,...

Our firm represents small businesses and families in a wide variety of areas. Some of our main practice areas are litigation, estate planning, general corporate, real estate, probate/will disputes, elder law, and family law.

I am passionate about solving legal problems and helping clients get the outcomes they want.

Dan is a native of Fort Wayne. With almost 30 years of experience, he has developed a diverse practice. He has extensive experience in family law, estate planning and probate, real estate, personal injury, business formation contract drafting, civil litigation and creditor’s rights. Dan is a registered family law mediator and has received training in collaborative law.

Jennifer Hitchcock is devoted to representing clients who have faced discrimination in the workplace. As a plaintiff's attorney she handles all types of employment discrimination cases, including cases based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, and sexual harassment. As a former nurse, she has a unique ability to connect with and counsel her clients, and guide them through the complexities of a discrimination lawsuit.

Serious criminal defense. Significant Jury Trial Experience.