MEMBERS OF FIRM
P. Michael Miller (Partner) born Gary, Indiana, March 31, 1938; admitted to bar, 1965, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: Indiana University (A.B., 1960; J.D., 1965). Order of the Coif. Member, Student Staff, Indiana Law Journal, 1964. Certified Mediator, Indiana. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association; Defense Research Institute; American Inns of Court. Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Business; Litigation; Insurance Law.
Robert E. Kabisch (Partner) born Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 14, 1942; admitted to bar, 1968, Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Purdue University (B.A., 1965); Indiana University (J.D., 1968). Phi Delta Phi. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Litigation; Real Estate Law; Probate Law; Mediation.
David A. Stewart (Partner) born Bronxville, New York, March 5, 1943; admitted to bar, 1968, Indiana. Education: University of Virginia (B.A., 1965); Indiana University (J.D., 1968). Phi Delta Phi. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. [JAGC, U.S. Navy, 1968-1972]. Practice Areas: Probate; Estate Planning; Real Estate Law; Health Care.
Arthur G. Surguine, Jr. (Partner) born Nashville, Tennessee, March 3, 1944; admitted to bar, 1973, Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1971; J.D., 1973). Member of Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 1984. Member: Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association (President, 2000); Defense Research Institute. Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers. Practice Areas: Insurance Law; Product Liability Law; Defense Litigation; Professional Malpractice.
Michael D. Mustard (Partner) born Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 26, 1951; admitted to bar, 1978, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; 1979, Florida. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1973; J.D., cum laude, 1978). Counsel for: Fort Wayne Community Development Corporation, 1978; Fort Wayne Allen County Airport Authority, 1984-1989. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Corporation Law; Real Estate Law; Business Law.
Branch R. Lew (Partner) born Adrian, Michigan, January 24, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: Indiana University (B.S., with highest distinction, 1979; J.D., cum laude, 1982). Phi Eta Sigma; Beta Gamma Sigma; Phi Alpha Delta. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Law; Commercial Litigation; Transportation Law.
James J. Shea, Sr. (Partner) born Suffern, New York, November 30, 1959; admitted to bar, 1984, Indiana, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: King's College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1981); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1984). Phi Alpha Theta; Delta Epsilon Sigma; Phi Alpha Delta. Note Editor, Valparaiso University Law Review, 1983-1984. Volunteer, Deputy Prosecutor, Allen County. Member: Allen County and Seventh Circuit Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association; Civil Rights Defense of Law Enforcement Officials. Practice Areas: General Insurance Litigation.
Dane L. Tubergen (Partner) born Coldwater, Michigan, November 14, 1945; admitted to bar, 1970, Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.A., 1967); Indiana University (J.D.; 1970). Certified Mediator, Indiana. Judge of Steuben Circuit Court, 1979-1993; Angola City Court, 1976-1978. Member: Allen County, Steuben County and Indiana State Bar Associations; Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana. Practice Areas: Insurance Litigation; Arbitration; Mediation.
Kathleen A. Kilar (Partner) born Detroit, Michigan, October 30, 1962; admitted to bar, 1987, Illinois; 1990, Indiana. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., cum laude, 1984); University of Detroit (J.D., cum laude, 1987). Phi Alpha Delta. Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Commercial Law; Health Care Law; Medical Malpractice Defense.
N. Jean Schendel (Partner) born Lackey, Kentucky, January 7, 1956; admitted to bar, 1995, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.S., in Nursing, 1990); Valparaiso University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1994). Sigma Theta Tau. Note Editor, Valparaiso University Law Review, 1993-1994. Registered Nurse, Indiana, 1977. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, 2001 Member: Allen County, Indiana State and American (Member, Health Law Section) Bar Associations; American Health Lawyers Association; The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (President, Indiana Chapter, 1997-2000); Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Health Care Law.
Timothy W. DeGroote (Partner) born La Porte, Indiana, March 14, 1969; admitted to bar, 1995, Indiana. Education: Marquette University (B.A., 1991); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1995). Member: Allen County (Member, Steering Committee, Young Lawyers Section) and Indiana State Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense Litigation; Corporate.
Stephen E. Dever (Partner) born Fort Wayne, Indiana, June 27, 1967; admitted to bar, 1995, Indiana. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 1989; J.D., 1995). Member: Indianapolis, Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense Litigation; Workers Compensation; Business Litigation.
Linda A. Polley (Partner) born Fort Wayne, Indiana, December 11, 1959; admitted to bar, 1985, Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1982); University of Dayton (J.D., 1985). Member: Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations.
Daniel J. Palmer (Partner) born Michigan City, Indiana, March 9, 1966; admitted to bar, 1991, Indiana. Education: Butler University (B.S., cum laude, Chemistry, 1988); Indiana University (J.D., cum laude, 1991). Recipient, Willard Eason Chemistry Scholarship. Member: Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Insurance Litigation.
Scott L. Bunnell (Partner) born Dearborn, Michigan, August 30, 1954; admitted to bar, 1983, Indiana; 1983, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Michigan State University (B.A., 1979); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1983). Phi Alpha Delta. Law Clerk, Allen Superior Court, 1983. Probate Commissioner of Allen County, Indiana, 1984. Member: Allen County (Chair, Trial Lawyers Section, 1995), Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Litigation; Probate Law.
ASSOCIATES
Orfej Petar Najdeski (Associate) born Resen, Macedonia, October 28, 1968; admitted to bar, 1999, Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.A., 1992); John Marshall Law School, Chicago (J.D., 1999). Law Clerk: Hon. Daniel G. Heath; Hon. Nancy Eshcoff, Boyer Allen Superior Court, Fort Wayne, Indiana; 1999-2000. Member: Indiana State Bar Association. Practice Areas: Litigation.
Melissa Garland Hawk (Associate) born St. Joseph, Michigan, August 19, 1975; admitted to bar, 2001, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Western Michigan University (B.A., cum laude, Political Science, Criminal Justice, 1997); Valparaiso University (J.D., 2001). Member: Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Medical Malpractice; Insurance Defense; Family Law.
Andrew S. Williams (Associate) born Marion, Indiana; admitted to bar, 2002, Texas, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Ball State University (B.S., cum laude, 1995); Baylor University (J.D., 2001). Barrister, Moot Court, 2000-2001. Senior Editor, Baylor Law Review, 2000-2001. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Insurance Litigation.
Jeriamiah L. Joseph (Associate) born Lima, Ohio, January 10, 1977; admitted to bar, 2005, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Tiffin University (B.S., 2002); University of Toledo (J.D. magna cum laude, 2005) Orders of Coif. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense.
Rachel S. Sadovsky (Associate) born 1978; admitted to bar, 2006, Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 2001); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., 2006). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Family Law.Email: Rachel S. Sadovsky
Todd P. Gilbert (Associate) born Indianapolis, Indiana, 1968; admitted to bar, 2006, Indiana. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1991; J.D., cum laude, 2006). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense.
Eric M. Wilkins (Associate) born Fort Wayne, Indiana; admitted to bar, 2005, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 2001); University of Dayton (J.D., cum laude, 2005). Member: Indiana State Bar Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense.
Emily R. Yoder (Associate) born Moundridge, Kansas, July 28, 1982; admitted to bar, 2007, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Ashland University (B.S.W., 2004); University of Akron (J.D., 2007). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense.
Codie Ross (Associate) born Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1977; admitted to bar, 2007, Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.A., 1999); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., with distinctions, 2007). Member: Allen County, DeKalb County, Indianapolis, Indiana and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense.Email: Codie Ross
OF COUNSEL
Thomas C. Ewing (Of Counsel) born Marion, Indiana, September 17, 1950; admitted to bar, 1975, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Purdue University (B.S., with distinction, 1972); Indiana University (J.D., cum laude, 1975). Beta Gamma Sigma; Phi Kappa Phi. Member: Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Litigation.