Star City Lawyers

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...

Experienced Attorneys with over 45+ years of combined experience! Visit us at www.ManningandMouratides.com

Debt Relief · Bankruptcy · Real Estate · Wills and Probate · Civil Litigation

We Proudly Serve Lake and Porter County Communities, and Surrounding Areas, Including but Not Limited to:

Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Hobart, Lake Station, Whiting, Cedar Lake, Dyer, Griffith, Highland, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Winfield, Lake Dalecarlia, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Shelby, Ainsworth, Belshaw, Brunswick, Creston, Deep River, Deer Creek, Dinwiddie, Green Acres, Illinoi (partial), Klaasville, Kreitzburg, Leroy, Liverpool, New Elliott, Orchard Grove, Palmer, Range Line, Ross, Southeast...

Attorney Nicholas E. Plopper has been practicing law since 2008, became partner at Plopper & Partners, LLP as of 2010. He is admitted to practice by the Indiana State Bar (2008); U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. His practice areas include: Estate Planning and Administration; Real Estate; Business Law; Corporate Law; Entertainment Law and Civil Litigation.

Nicholas Plopper completed his undergraduate studies from Indiana University in 1999 where he earned a B.A. in Telecommunications. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law in San Diego in 2006....

Eric received his law degree from Rutgers University Law School in 2007, where he was a Student Editor of the Rutgers Business Law Review. In 2016, he earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Taxation from the University of Florida, the best public law school tax program in the country and among the top three programs in the United States. He is currently admitted to practice before Indiana state courts, New York state courts, New Jersey state courts, the U.S. Tax Court, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.

Eric has over...

Dan Buba is a partner at the Indiana personal injury law firm of Doehrman Buba. Mr. Buba has represented victims of accidents and negligence for over 20 years. In his 20 years as a trial lawyer in Indiana, Mr. Buba has been named to the Best Lawyers in Indiana and name as a SuperLawyer.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Greg Garrison was admitted to the bar in Indiana in 1973. His undergraduate and law degrees were obtained from Indiana University in 1970 and 1973, respectively.

An experienced litigator, Greg has sat on both sides of the courtroom and has prosecuted a number of high profile criminal cases. Currently, his practice is concentrated on personal injury law, business and commercial trial work, and general litigation. In addition, he served for 20 years as a talk radio host on local WIBC.

Chadwick Hill was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was admitted to the bar in 1997. His undergraduate degree was obtained from Saint Louis University and his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, Michigan in 1997.

He joined Garrison Law Firm in 2010 and has concentrated his practice in the areas of criminal and civil litigation, personal injury, and entertainment representation. Mr. Hill has litigation experience in both state and federal courts. He also represents personalities in the areas of motor sports (IndyCar series), boxing, and music industries.

Connor Fleck concentrates his practice in the area of intellectual property where he assists clients with filing for patents, securing trademarks and helping to register and enforce copyrights. While obtaining his undergraduate degree Connor worked as a Design Engineer for a manufacture of cast aluminum automotive parts in Ohio and was a mechanical engineering intern at Steel Dynamics, Inc.

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...

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.

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.

Brian focuses his practice in the areas of wills and trusts, the avoidance or reduction of estate, inheritance, and generation-skipping taxes. He also consults business owners regarding the choice of entity issues, valuation issues, buy-sell agreements, and business succession issues. A Fort Wayne native, Brian practiced for over twenty years assisting estate planning clients in the State of Florida prior to joining Barrett McNagny. Brian is licensed to practice law in the states of Indiana, Florida, and Arizona (inactive).

Brandon focuses his practice in the area of real estate and land use law where he assists clients with the purchase and sale of real estate, commercial and residential leasing, development agreements, land use planning, and zoning. Prior to joining the firm, Brandon worked for the City of Fort Wayne where he practiced in the areas of utility, regulatory and municipal law. He has experience with the negotiation, review and/or preparation of contracts for real estate acquisitions, drafting and enforcing local ordinances and compliance with state regulatory requirements.

Ben Bailey works with businesses and individuals in all stages of real estate transactions such as the purchase, sale, financing, and leasing of commercial, industrial, rental, and residential property. He provides counsel to landowners and prospective landowners on environmental diligence, environmental risk assessment, and risk mitigation. Ben also assists with economic development efforts by helping clients with securing local and state funding. Prior to joining the firm, he completed a one-year clerkship with Justice Derek R. Molter of the Indiana Supreme Court.

John Frandsen works with our transaction group which serves business clients of all sizes from sole proprietorships to Fortune 500 companies. The group provides assistance with entity selection for new businesses, the drafting of operating agreements, bylaws and shareholder agreements, and the sale and purchase of businesses, including the due diligence process and the enforceability of non-competition agreements in connection with the sale of a business.

Gurleen Kahlon concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation and general liability defense. Specifically, she provides litigation services related to disputes concerning contracts, real estate, insurance defense matters, and premises liability. Prior to joining the firm, Gurleen practiced in Washington D.C. at a litigation firm where she focused her practice primarily in the areas of insurance coverage and bankruptcy disputes involving commercial liability, products liability, and complex torts. She assisted in representing major insurance companies in complex litigation in federal and state courts across the country.

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),...

Lewis Ostermeyer is part of our business transactions team assisting with drafting and reviewing of contracts, regulatory compliance, and due diligence. He also supports business clients with general corporate matters, including advising on business structure and entity formation. Prior to joining the firm, Lewis spent two years as a Legislative Assistant for the Indiana House of Representatives, where he worked alongside three state legislators and staffed the Courts and Criminal Code Committee and other criminal justice committees and councils. He also has worked in the Allen County Voter Registration Office and in the office of the Allen County Board of Commissioners.

Chris gained vast experience in consumer law, debt and creditor resolution, landlord-tenant issues, as well as family law and civil litigation while working as an attorney in the Indianapolis area the past 15 years. Raised in Plymouth, Indiana, Chris obtained a Psychology degree from DePauw University, where he played college baseball and met his wife, Jennifer. They have two children, a daughter, and son, and love taking trips as a family to Disney, Universal Studios and Ft. Myers Beach. Chris graduated from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis in 2001. At Hostetter & O’Hara, Chris focused on...

Jason was born in Lafayette, Indiana, but grew up in Brownsburg. Jason started college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and eventually transferred and graduated from Loyola University New Orleans.

After working as a partner at a personal firm of for nearly 13 years, Jason decided to start his own firm. Mr. Shartzer currently sits on the Brebeuf Alumni Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Directors for the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.

His accolades include an AV-rating (the highest rating an attorney can earn) from Martindale-Hubbell. He was also named in the “Top 40 Litigation Lawyers Under...

Providing no-nonsense legal representation at a reasonable price for more than 25 years.

I am an attorney representing clients in employment, labor, estate planning and disability law. I base my practice on three principles: provide exceptional legal advice to my clients; foster a relationship of trust and cooperation with my clients; be available to my clients to serve their needs at their convenience.

Lee Christie is the Managing Partner at Christie Farrell Lee & Bell. The Indianapolis based law firm has been fighting for injured people for over forty years.

Attorney Sarah Brinkley put herself through college and law school. She began working in a corporate law firm in 2011 and finished college with honors. Like many of the clients she represents, real life experience has taught her how to persevere when faced with a challenge. It is now her mission to advocate with diligence, professionalism, and, most importantly, compassion. At Brinkley Law, we work for you. Clients come first, and Attorney Brinkley values the importance of keeping clients involved and informed every step of the way. Settling for less than what is deserved has never been an option for Attorney...

In today's technology driven marketplace, intellectual property (IP) plays a critical role in business strategies and transactions. Intellectual property can significantly impact business success or failure. SmithAmundsen protects your ideas to further your business strategies and successes. Our legal services obtain, protect, license, and enforce your IP rights, so you can maximize your investment in innovation. SmithAmundsen also provides legal services relating to aviation, business formation and transactions, e-commerce, legal disputes, and technology.

Patrick M. Callahan is a licensed Illinois attorney with an extensive background in healthcare. He received his Masters of Public Health from Columbia University in New York, New York. He then earned his law degree from DePaul University’s College of Law with an additional certificate in health care law. He has worked for multiple Illinois public agencies, including the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Health Care Fraud Division of the Illinois Office of the Attorney General.

He handles a wide range of health care related matters, including licensure issues for all healthcare providers and other regulated professionals,...

Born and raised in central Indiana, John Hensley has always possessed an overwhelming desire to protect the rights of his fellow Hoosiers. Since 1998, he has devoted his practice to assisting those who have been wrongfully injured. John has built Hensley Legal Group into a law firm based in downtown Indianapolis that works hard toward achieving the best results possible for its clients. Known mainly for his compassion for others, John also possesses a common-sense and efficient approach to the practice of law. He continues to bring experience and integrity to his work.

I have been practicing family law since 1989. I previoulsy worked with James A. Buck and James A. Reed. I also have a family law mediation practice and I am a trained Parenting Coordinator. I can assist clients with any family law issue, from simple non-contested divorces to very complex, high asset cases. I have an accounting background from getting an accounting degree from Indiana University prior to going to law school.

Belinda J. Kunczt was born in California, at Beale Air Force Base in 1971, and grew up in northern Indiana. She attended University of Miami, Florida and Ball State University where she played basketball receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Administration/Criminal Justice in 1995 from Ball State.

Her history with the firm is extensive. She started working at Montross Miller Muller Mendelson & Kennedy LLP in 1996 as a paralegal. She found helping patients injured by substandard medical care to be very rewarding. So rewarding, in fact, that she made the decision to go to law school. While in...

Caleb Peery is a member of the litigation team where he handles matters involving insurance defense, commercial litigation premises liability, products liability, collections, and contract disputes. He has experience with the court system, as he spent time following law school clerking for the Honorable Jennifer DeGroote and the Honorable Andrew Williams in Allen County Superior Court. During law school, he was a judicial intern for the Honorable Rossie Alston at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria, VA and for the Honorable Daniel Ortiz in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, VA.

Nathan Miller, an Indianapolis native, graduated from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in 1994. He received his B.A. degree from Stetson University, DeLand, Florida in 1998 and his J.D. degree from Ohio Northern University Law School in 2002.

Nate serves clients with needs in the areas of complex medical malpractice, personal injury litigation, product liability and wrongful death.

Mr. Miller is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association of Justice.

I have been a resident of Chesterton for 40 years. I am a mother to three boys, though tragically, my oldest son was murdered in 2001. You can find more about this by searching my name or my son's name, John Trowbridge, online, where you can also learn about the laws I have written and the programs I have initiated. I am deeply involved in my community, volunteering for the Porter County Veterans Court and the American Legion, where I served as the past Auxiliary President. I have also been volunteering at my local nursing home for a decade and have...