Stuart & Branigin’s estate and trust lawyers are highly skilled litigators in the arena of trusts, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. We regularly represent clients in large and complicated disputes. We do not outsource these matters. We regularly handle disputes involving assets across Indiana and the United States.
Before joining Stuart & Branigin, Jason served the Indiana Supreme Court for over a decade in legal advisory roles, including as a chambers law clerk and as a staff attorney advising both the full Court and Indiana trial judges on pending cases. Prior to that, Jason practiced as an active litigator in both civil and criminal appeals, as well as litigating and serving as judge pro tempore in Indiana trial courts.
Wrongful Death
His litigation work on behalf of freight and passenger railroads centers on defending against injury and wrongful death claims related to grade crossing accidents, workplace incidents, trespasser occurrences, and other disputes. He acts as Indiana state counsel for a Class I railroad in these types of cases, and handles similar litigation for other carriers operating in Indiana and in Illinois. A long-standing partner to his clients, David takes pride in working effectively with in-house attorneys, claims representatives, and operations personnel to deliver strong outcomes.
With a background in business and corporate law that spans over a century, Stuart & Branigin is a trusted partner to businesses and organizations across Lafayette, Indiana and beyond. Our business attorneys are knowledgeable, willing and able to counsel your organization’s complex legal needs in their entirety.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Large regional businesses, smaller family-owned companies, and start-up entities have all turned to David for guidance as they navigate growth and change. His work includes advice on entity formation, contracts, financing, employment matters, dispute resolution, and succession planning, in addition to strategic transactions. In the area of transactions, David represents clients in sales of real estate, stock, and membership interests, as well as mergers and acquisitions.
Business Formation
Before joining Stuart & Branigin, Leilani practiced in Texas in legal fields as diverse as bankruptcy, international immigration, and business formation. She also has experience in patent law, regulatory law, products liability, and international business transactions. Additionally, she volunteers pro bono with Indiana Legal Services’ Lafayette office. Leilani is licensed to practice law in Indiana and Texas.
Business Disputes
At Stuart & Branigin, our corporate attorneys are proficient at guiding businesses through all stages, including establishment, growth, development, and sale. By getting to know our clients, their businesses, and their goals, our lawyers are able to effectively advise clients on a comprehensive range of business law needs.
Business Transactions
As legal counsel for Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation, Tom has had a lead role in the negotiation of numerous enterprise-critical business transactions, including the groundbreaking Purdue University-Kaplan University transaction, the ERP implementation agreements with SAP and BearingPoint for the OnePurdue project, and the novel Amazon student agreement. He has further advised Purdue in strategic transactions related to the university’s intellectual property portfolio, including the sale of substantial pharmaceutical assets. Tom also represents Purdue in business, trademark, and copyright matters more generally.
Large corporate and institutional clients – including Purdue University – have relied on Steve for representation in employment disputes and government liability matters. He has successfully defended against discrimination and wrongful termination claims, and has resolved disputes related to alleged violations of other federal law, including the Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
Employment Discrimination
Summary judgment dismissing allegations of sex discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII and Equal Pay Act (EPA), and age discrimination in violation of Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and related state law claims.
Employment Contract
Employment Litigation
Schools in Indiana have turned to Mark for guidance for more than 25 years. His experience spans a broad spectrum of matters facing public and private schools, including construction and financing, compliance with state and federal regulations and school reform laws, board and governance matters, policy drafting and review, supplier contracts, labor and employment issues, arbitration, and litigation. Although the majority of Mark’s work is as primary outside counsel, he also consults with school districts in need of representation in specific areas, such as bond financing and employment law.
Non-compete Agreement
Severance Agreement
Employers are subject to a complex range of constantly evolving laws and regulations that govern the workplace. Creating and implementing well-crafted employment policies can help reduce exposure to costly litigation. Stuart & Branigin employment lawyers have provided guidance in virtually every area of employer services for over a century. Our clients vary widely and so do their legal needs. Our guidance is tailored to the unique interests of each client. Our employer counseling services cover a broad range of employment matters, including hiring and firing, disciplinary practices, severance negotiations, executive compensation, workplace protocol, and privacy policies and procedures. We also advise larger clients on acquisitions, mergers, contract negotiations and other high-level endeavors. With the help of Stuart & Branigin, businesses can understand how the law affects their bottom line.
The core of his practice is representing flagship clients in complex business and real estate matters, including Purdue University, the Purdue Research Foundation, Franciscan Alliance, Kirby Risk Corporation, and The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette-Indiana.
Premises Liability
His personal injury defense work includes product and premises liability claims for retailers, manufacturers, and higher education. For more than 15 years, he served as national trial counsel in product liability cases for a large privately held pool product company based in the Southeast. He also defends insureds in motor vehicle and workplace accident claims.
Construction Litigation
When disputes arise, our construction lawyers help resolve issues both inside and outside the court room. Whether representing the owner, contractor, developer, or material suppliers, we help project participants understand their contracts and comply with them. Stuart & Branigin construction lawyers can provide counseling at all stages of complex construction disputes involving dispute review boards, mediation, and arbitration.
Real Estate Transactions
His work with the Purdue Research Foundation involved complex real estate transactions, including the development of three certified technology parks in the state of Indiana. He also helped the foundation with numerous campus expansions, large-scale renovations, financings, and public-private redevelopment initiatives. Beyond real estate, Tony advised foundation leaders on endowment investment decisions and policy changes.
Eminent Domain
At Stuart & Branigin, our knowledge, skills, and resources enable us to serve a wide range of clients and to tackle projects of any size. Our experience extends to all things real estate – from the development of industrial parks, multi-family apartment complexes, commercial shopping centers, and residential real estate to the negotiation of construction contracts, demolition and liquidation, easement rights, commercial leases, environmental issues, condemnation and eminent domain, and the multi-generational transfer of family farms. In all of these areas, our clients benefit from Stuart & Branigin’s acclaimed legal guidance in negotiating agreements, navigating and structuring transactions, transferring title and ownership, reviewing lending, negotiating leases, and resolving disputes.
Easement
Land Use and Zoning
A self-described “dirt lawyer,” Marianne’s true passion is counseling clients on complex real estate transactions. Give Marianne what looks to be a complex real estate transaction, and she will devote herself to identifying the critical elements of each project and working efficiently to negotiate terms, conduct due diligence, facilitate financing arrangements, secure zoning and land use approvals, and assist in management and leasing operations.
Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Ian graduated from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2023. While at McKinney, Ian obtained the Advocacy Skills Graduate Certificate. As well, Ian had the opportunity to work with low-income Indianapolis residents to resolve landlord-tenant disputes through McKinney’s Health and Human Rights Clinic.
Property Damage
Barry also defends trucking companies in tort matters related to injury and property damage. Although he typically resolves disputes before they go to trial, he has successfully tried transportation cases to verdict as a first-chair lawyer, and has prevailed on summary judgment in state and federal courts numerous times.
Scotty enjoyed her summer as a law clerk at Stuart & Branigin in 2018 before joining the firm as an associate in the fall of 2019. Scotty’s practice areas include real estate, creditor’s rights, and personal injury.
Medical Malpractice
At Stuart & Branigin, we aim to build relationships with our clients by providing a diversified, trusted service that is backed by experience and reputation.Stuart & Branigin lawyers can assist with medical malpractice, design and construction malpractice, accounting malpractice, legal malpractice, errors and omissions, and director and officer liability.
Stuart & Branigin has been serving Indiana clients for over 137 years. We’ve earned a reputation for effectiveness and proficiency, specifically in areas of wills, trust and estate planning.
Wills
Reid provides outsourced general counsel for day-to-day business legal matters and handles entity formations, ownership transfers, and succession planning. He also serves the personal legal needs of area individuals and families by creating will and trust plans that include all the documents that parents need to properly protect their children, pets, and property.
Trusts
The truth about wills, trusts and estates is that they can be complicated. In most matters of planning and administering – whether it’s a first generation will or a multi-million-dollar estate – there are a multitude of influencing factors.
Power of Attorney
Probate
Few law firms are as well-versed as Stuart & Branigin. We are a multi-talented team, highly trained and adept in the nuances of trust law, estate and charitable planning, taxation, real estate, business planning, probate law, and estate and trust administration. Our extensive financial understanding gives us the ability to serve a multi-purpose role. In addition to serving as your legal counsel, Stuart & Branigin partners are capable and qualified to act on your behalf as trustees, executors and financial agents.
Firm clients also turn to Jason for representation in creditors’ rights and bankruptcy-related matters. His experience representing lenders, businesses and individuals in Chapter 7, 11, and 13 and bankruptcy litigation matters – and background in management and finance – enable him to identify efficient strategies to recover and preserve assets. Beyond creditors’ rights issues, he also works with banks and credit unions on commercial loan documentation matters.
Foreclosure
Tax Law
Our approach is personable and hands-on. From the beginning, we’ll review options, determine appropriate actions, and make every effort to simplify the intricacies of tax law along the way.