Accepts Credit Cards

Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP, founded over 100 years ago, with offices in Lake and Porter County locations in Northwest Indiana offers clients representation in a diversity of practice areas. We offer quality legal services and representation equivalent to large law firms at competitive regional rates.

Statement of Practice

General Practice. Trials and Appeals in State, Federal and Tax Courts. Bankruptcy, Commercial and Banking, Corporate, Creditors' Rights, Probate, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Financial Resources Planning, Insurance Defense, Municipal Bonds, Municipal Law, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Professional Malpractice, Real Estate, Taxation, Workers Compensation, Zoning Law, Labor and Employment Law. Mediation, OSHA.

Representative Clients:

Advance Financial Federal Credit Union
Aldi Inc.
Allstate Insurance Company
Blue Chip Casino
Centier Bank, Chester, Inc.
East Porter County School Corporation
Falk PLI Engineering & Surveying, Inc.
Family Express
Fifth Third Bank
Gough, Inc.
Knox Community School Corporation
Manley Bros., Inc.
Mittal Steel USA, Inc.
North Coast Distributing
Porter County Educational Services
Powder Processing & Technology, LLC
Profile Systems, LLC
State Farm Insurance Company (Bad Faith Matters)
TMobile
Town of Lowell
Valparaiso University
Whiteco Industries, Inc.
White Lodging Services Corporation.

Rate Information

Fixed Hourly Rates
Fixed Fees Available
Accepts Major Credit Cards

• American Express

Address

Twin Towers South
1000 East 80th Place, 6th Floor P.O. Box 10627
Merrillville, IN 46410-0627, (Lake Co.)

Phone

Phone: 219-769-6552; 800-263-1466 (IN, IL)
Fax: 219-738-2349

Website

http://www.hwelaw.com

Office Hours

Monday: 08:15 AM - 05:15 PM
Tuesday: 08:15 AM - 05:15 PM
Wednesday: 08:15 AM - 05:15 PM
Thursday: 08:15 AM - 05:15 PM
Friday: 08:15 AM - 05:15 PM
Saturday: 08:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Firm/Affiliate Offices

(For complete biographical information on all Personnel, see Professional Biographies at Valparaiso, Indiana)

RESIDENT MEMBERS

John P. Bushemi (Member) admitted to bar, 1974, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: Indiana University (A.B., 1970; J.D., 1973). Indiana State Senator, 1976-1990. Merrillville Conservancy District Attorney, 1990-1992; Merrillville Town Attorney, 1992-1993; Merrillville Police Commission Attorney, 1996-1998; Indiana Department of Revenue Attorney, 1992-2006; Lake County Sheriff's Attorney, 1995-2002. Hobart City Council Attorney, 1994-1995; Hobart City Attorney, 1996-2008; Hobart Sanitary District Attorney, 1996-2002; Lowell Town Attorney, 1996-1997. Member: Lake and Indiana State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Collections; Civil Practice; Litigation; Corporate Law; Employment Law; Wills; Probate; Trusts and Estates; Guardianship and Conservatorship; Municipal Law; Personal Injury; Real Estate; Workers Compensation; Products Liability.

Larry G. Evans (Partner) admitted to bar, 1962, Indiana; 1978, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Valparaiso University (A.B., 1960; J.D., 1962). Best Lawyers in America. Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy, Valparaiso University School of Law, 1972-1980. Local Civil Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana. Indiana Super Lawyer. Director and Fellow: Indiana Bar Foundation; American Inns of Court (President, Porter County Chapter, 1995-1997). Member: Porter County, Indiana State (Board of Governors, 2005-2007), Federal (President, N.W. Indiana Chapter, 1985) and American Bar Associations; Indiana Bar Foundation (President, 2008-2009); Defense Research Institute, Inc.; International Association of Defense Counsel; Indiana Defense Trial Counsel (Diplomate). Practice Areas: Employment Law; Civil Litigation.Email: Larry G. Evans

John E. Hughes (Partner) admitted to bar, 1971, Indiana; 1978, U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Capital University (B.A., 1968); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1971). Phi Alpha Delta. Associate Editor, Valparaiso University Law Review, 1970-1971. Adjunct Professor, Valparaiso University School of Law, 1991-1995. Best Lawyers in America, 2006-2009. Member: Porter County, Lake County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law; Personal Injury; Municipal Law; Mediation; Insurance Litigation.Email: John E. Hughes

F. Joseph Jaskowiak (Partner) admitted to bar, 1979, Indiana and Illinois. Education: Illinois Wesleyan University (B.A., 1976); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1979). Associate Editor, Valparaiso University Law Review, 1978-1979. Author: "The Meaning of the Term 'Accident' in the Indiana Workmen's Compensation Act," 13 Val. U.L. Rev. 533, 1979; "Covenants Not to Compete in Employment Agreements Under Indiana Law," Res Gestae, April, 1983; "Advantages of Designating the Physician in Workmen's Compensation Cases," Indiana Business, December, 1983. Member: Porter County, Lake County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Products Liability; Insurance Defense; Employment Law.Email: F. Joseph Jaskowiak

Tina M. Bengs (Partner) admitted to bar, 1997, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 1989); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1996). Member: Indiana Workers Compensation Institute; Society for Human Resource Management; Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce (Board Member); NWIBRT Education Subcommittee (Committee Member). Member: Porter County, Lake County, Indiana State Bar Associations; Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Employment Law; Workers Compensation; Immigration Law.Email: Tina M. Bengs

Robert J. Dignam (Member) admitted to bar, 1986, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; 1993, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: St. Xavier University (B.A., 1983); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1986). Member: Lake County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute and Trial Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Commercial Litigation; Complex Commercial Litigation; Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation.Email: Robert J. Dignam

Michael Eugene Tolbert (Partner) admitted to bar, 2000, Indiana and and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Valparaiso University (B.A., 1997; J.D., cum laude, 2000). Member: Lake County, Porter County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations; American Inns of Court. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Commercial Litigation.Email: Michael Eugene Tolbert

Sean E. Kenyon (Partner) admitted to bar, 1991, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; 1995, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: St. Bonaventure University (B.B.A., 1982); Indiana University (B.A., 1985; J.D., cum laude, 1991). Clerk to the Honorable Allen Sharp, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 1991-1993. Visiting/Adjunct Lecturer, Indiana University, South Bend, 1992-1995. Member: St. Joseph County, Lake County, Porter County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations; Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana; National Association of Women Lawyers; Robert A. Grant Inn of Court; Porter County Inn of Court. Reported Cases: Xantech Corp. v. Ramco Industries, Inc., 159 F.3d 1089 (7th Cir. 1998); Grand Trunk Western Rail Road Co. v. Kapitan, 698, N. E. 2d 363 (Ind. Ct App. 1998); Levee v. Beeching, 729 N. E. 2d 215 (Ind. Ct. App. 2000); Beeching v. Levee, 764 N. E. 2d 669 (Ind. Ct App 2002). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Appellate Practice; Insurance Coverage.Email: Sean E. Kenyon

RESIDENT ASSOCIATES

Gerold L. Stout (Associate) admitted to bar, 2002, Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.A., 1996); Valparaiso University (J.D., 2001). Pi Sigma Alpha. Listed, Who's Who: American Law Students, 1999-2001. Member and Director, Lowell Lions Club, Leadership Northwest Indiana, 2004. Adjunct Professor, Estate Planning Drafting, Valparaiso University School of Law. Member, Lowell Chamber of Commerce. Member: Lake County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Corporate Law; Taxation; Real Estate; Probate.Email: Gerold L. Stout

Lucretia A. Thornton (Associate) admitted to bar, 1982, Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Education: Purdue University (B.S., 1967; R.N., 1978); Valparaiso University (J.D., 1982). Member: Lake County and Indiana State Bar Associations; American Association of Nurse Attorneys. Practice Areas: Risk Management.

Colby Barkes (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, Indiana; 2008, Illinois. Education: University of Indianapolis (B.A., with honors, 2003); Valparaiso University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2006). Member: Porter County, Lake County and Indiana State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Labor Law; Civil Practice; Complex and Multi-District Litigation; Products Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Colby Barkes

Sarah L. Kirk (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, Illinois; 2008, Indiana. Education: University of Pennsylvania (B.A., with honors, 2001); University of Michigan School of Law (J.D., 2006). Member: Lake County, Indiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Civil Practice; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Defense Litigation; Litigation.

Alger V. Boswell, III (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, Indiana. Education: Ball State University (B.A., 2001); Valparaiso University School of Law (J.D., 2008). Probation Officer, Superior Court of Lake County, Juvenile Division. Member: Lake County and Indiana State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Litigation.Email: Alger V. Boswell, III