Bluffton Business 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...

Matt is a 1990 graduate of Columbia City High School. He received his Bachelors Degree from Indiana University in 1994 and graduated from the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis in 1998 where he was a member of the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review. Prior to joining Bloom Gates & Whiteleather, LLP, Matt practiced in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Matt concentrates his practice in real estate, litigation, corporate law, and represents multiple governmental entities and sewer districts throughout Northeast Indiana. Matt has litigated cases in both federal and state courts in...

John Barce has over twenty-five years of experience assisting businesses and individuals with their legal needs in the areas of business law, federal and state taxation, charitable planning, estate and business succession planning. He has working alongside businesses to handle their intellectual property needs and biotechnology licensing. John handles mergers and acquisitions for businesses of all sizes by negotiating and structuring the agreements, helping with financing issues and resolving closing and post-closing issues.

Aubrey Crist joined Beasley & Gilkison, LLP in April 2020. Previously, she worked at litigation firms in Richmond and Greenfield. Aubrey currently focuses her practice on adoptions, personal injury (including motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall, etc.), bankruptcy, family law, estate planning, social security disability, municipal law, and general litigation. Aubrey is originally from Muncie, Indiana, and a 2008 graduate of Muncie Southside High School. Aubrey attended Ball State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Aubrey then attended the University of Dayton School of Law (“UDSL”) in Dayton, Ohio. During her time in law school,...

I have been serving the legal needs in Muncie and surrounding areas since 2001. The areas of law in which I practice are estates, estate planning, real estate, business, elder law, guardianships and adoptions. I also serve as a Domestic Relations Mediator and as a Guardian Ad Litem.

Mike O'Hara assists clients in the areas of finance and banking law, creditor's rights, business transaction, corporate law and mergers and acquisitions.

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...

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...

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.

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...

Dedicated trial advocacy starts with finding an attorney with your best interests in mind. Ralph E. Sipes, an attorney based in Anderson, Indiana, has been doing just that for more than 34 years. After clerking for the Indiana Supreme Court for the late Chief Justice Richard M. Givan, he earned the position of managing partner at Busby, Austin, Cooper, & Farr, and has practiced as a solo practitioner since 2008.

Offices are located on the Atrium level of the Union Building, 1106 Meridian Street, Suite 107, in Anderson, Indiana

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.

Education:
Harvard College, AB
Vanderbilt University Law School, JD
Cambridge University, LLM in International Law and Diploma in International Law

Other biographical information, please review website at:
www.stephenbcohenlaw.com

Justin T. Molitoris concentrates his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, data privacy and cybersecurity. He works with clients of all sizes including sole proprietors, family-owned businesses and Fortune 500 companies assisting with a variety of corporate and business law matters, ranging from business formation and organization, corporate governance matters, contract drafting and review, and business transitions. He also has experience working on antitrust matters and assisting companies with Hart-Scott-Rodino analysis. Justin is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (United States) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He advises businesses on the impact of privacy laws in...

EDUCATION
Indiana Bar Admission – Admitted on October 16, 2017, Juris Doctorate, May 2016
Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis Indiana

Master of Business Administration, May 2012, Indiana Wesleyan University; Indianapolis, Indiana, Concentration in Accounting

Lean and Green Belt Certificate in Six Sigma, June 2011 Villanova University; Online

Bachelor of General Studies, December 2009 Ball State University; Muncie, Indiana
Minors: Biology and Chemistry

Mr. Karnes was born in Norfolk, Virginia and he graduated from Tabernacle Baptist School, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mr. Karnes received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pre-law from Bob Jones University in 1996. He received his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, magna cum laude in 2001. Mr. Karnes was a Note Development Editor on the Indiana Law Review and participated in National Moot Court Competition. He has also completed a 40 hour civil mediation training and received the Francis J. Feeney, Jr. Tax award.

Mr. Karnes’ professional memberships include the Muncie...

Serving Indiana since 1978. Primary areas of practice include criminal defense, family law, administrative and municipal matters, real estate and all manner of trial litigation. Member of the Indiana State and United States Supreme Court Bar

Thomas L. Stucky practices primarily in the area of family law and as a mediator on family law related matters. His practice also includes collection and creditors rights, as well as a general civil litigation practice, real estate transactions, preparation of wills and trusts, and handling of minor and adult guardianship matters.

Tom has also been trained in collaborative lawyering. He obtained his Bachelor of Science from Indiana University in 1978 and Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University in 1981 and is admitted to practice law in the Indiana Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern...

J. Michael Loomis is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended Homestead High School. He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington with a B.A. in Forensic Studies in 1978. Mike graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1981. Mike served as an aide to U.S. Senators Richard G. Lugar and J. Danforth Quayle from 1981-1983. Mike practiced law in Fort Wayne from 1983-1984 with CAPPELLI & LOOMIS, focusing on business and real estate. In December, 1984 Mike and his wife moved to Indianapolis, where Mike served as a Marion County (Indianapolis) Deputy...

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.

For over 35 years, Richard Fox has represented businesses, lenders, developers and governmental entities with complex financings. He has assisted in the use of federal, state and local tax incentives for public-private partnerships using the New Markets, low-income housing and historic Tax Credits. He has experience with the Indiana State Tax Credits such as the Community Revitalization Enhancement District (CReED) and Industrial Recovery (Dino) Tax Credits and local economic development financing supported by tax incremental financing (TIF) revenues. Over the years he has served as issuer's counsel, bond counsel, borrower's counsel and underwriter's counsel in taxable and tax-exempt bond and...

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).

Jordan L. Tandy is an attorney at Tiede Metz & Downs, P.C., a general practice firm in Wabash, Indiana. He specializes in criminal defense, family law, and general litigation.

Kylee J. Shirey focuses her practice in the areas of real estate and business law where she assists clients with the purchase, sale and development of real estate, land-use planning, business structuring and planning, financing, and business-related transactions. Over the past decade, she has held executive roles in both the private and non-profit sectors, where she provided strategic and tactical leadership in a variety of capacities, including strategic initiatives and business development. She is the founder and principal of Bold Wave Consulting, LLC, a strategic initiatives consulting firm.

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.

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.