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This "What's New" page is designed to highlight only recent activity by the firm and its lawyers. Material will remain posted for a few months and then replaced with more current information. If you are looking for something and do not see it posted here or elsewhere on our site, give us a call. Chances are we can help you!
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans Named to “Best” Law Firm List for Eight Consecutive Years. Readers of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly named Hoeppner Wagner & Evans the “Best Law Firm for Litigation” in the 2010 annual reader poll. NWIBQ readers have awarded the firm top honors in corporate and litigation law firm categories since the survey was started in 2003.
Looking for a speaker for your next company meeting or professional organization program? Contact Hoeppner Wagner & Evans! Our attorneys possess extensive speaking experience on topics of interest to a variety of businesses and organizations. Call us to learn more: (219) 464-4961.
February 2012
Bob Dignam has been named as a member of the board of directors of the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana, which provides space exploration education and team building exercises for students and members of the public. The Center is a chapter of the national Challenger Center for Space Science Education, which was created in memory of the Challenger Space Shuttle astronauts by the families of those who perished in flight, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, on January 28, 1986.
January 2012
At the Annual Installation Dinner of the Lake County Bar Association, at which Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller was the keynote speaker, Larry Evans was honored with an award in recognition of his fifty years of service as a member of the Indiana bar, John Hughes was recognized with the President’s Award for his service on behalf of the Lake County Bar Association, and Michael Tolbert was recognized as the vice-president elect of the Association.
Mike Meyer successfully defended a restaurant during the trial of a premises liability matter involving a claimed injury stemming from alleged negligence in failing to maintain chairs in a safe condition. Through his representation of the client in the courtroom, the court’s judgment was limited to the amount which compensated the plaintiff for her nominal damages, which was well below the amount the plaintiff requested the court to award, and was even below the amount originally offered to settle the case without a trial.
Larry Evans and Kim Peil obtained summary judgment in federal court for the seller of a product which had been sued by two seriously injured plaintiffs under theories of negligence and products liability. Through their efforts, they demonstrated for the court that after sale of the product, it was not used in a foreseeable manner, which entitled the client to judgment as a matter of law.
December 2011
Gerry Stout has been very busy. He successfully represented a commercial client in a Porter County real estate tax appeal, securing an approximately 55% reduction in the assessed value of two parcels of property which resulted in significant real estate tax savings for the client. He also successful proving that the common area real estate of a property owners’ association had no taxable value, which resulted in a determination that no real estate taxes were due. In Lake County, he represented several clients in connection with incorrectly assessed real estate taxes and penalties which were subsequently removed, so the clients received proper refunds.
Larry Evans and Mike Meyer obtained summary judgement in federal court for a large general contractor in a case involving alleged discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Through their efforts, the court was able to rule in favor of the client on the basis that the plaintiff was not the client’s employee as a matter of law.
John Hughes and Mike Meyer successfully represented the family of an adolescent driver who was killed in at a railroad crossing by a passing train. Through their representation, a recovery was obtained for the family of the deceased driver from both the railroad and the State of Indiana which regulated the crossing.
Michael Tolbert, John Hughes, Kevin Kerr, Melanie Chandler, Jarmila Simnick and many others on the HWE team concluded the successful representation of a restaurant which was sued for the wrongful death of a child based on alleged negligent hiring and retention, as well as other alleged causes of action, following the off-premises murder of a young waitress by a co-worker. The case was tried to a defense verdict in November of 2009. The verdict was affirmed on appeal, and the appellate process has now been concluded through the Indiana Supreme Court’s denial of the plaintiff’s petition for transfer.
November 2011
Gerry Stout successfully represented a client to secure the return of his property, valued in excess of one million dollars, which had been sold at a tax sale.
Michael Tolbert and Rich Davis obtained a defense verdict for an insurance company in a jury trial conducted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. The insurer had been sued by its insured for an alleged breach of contract following the denial of a fire loss claim. Mike and Rich had previously obtained summary judgment for the insurer on the insured's alleged bad faith claim. Melanie Chandler was also instrumental in this excellent result for the client.
Jim Jorgensen was honored at the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center’s 20th Annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards as the recipient of the Garry Bradley Small Business Advocate of the Year.
October 2011
Bill Satterlee has been re-elected as Vice-Chairman of the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable, an independent non-profit council of local organizations committed to the improvement of construction and maintenance projects in Northwest Indiana
On October 20th Hoeppner Wagner & Evans attorneys, Jim Jorgensen, Keith Wolak, Gerry Stout, and Lee Lane conducted the 14th Annual Hoeppner Wagner and Evans LLP Accountant’s Seminar at beautiful Sand Creek Country Club. Successful completion of the all-day seminar awarded Certified Public Accountants with 8 CPEs.
Rich Davis spoke at a National Business Institute seminar on the subject of protecting Social Security Income and Medicaid eligibility by means of special needs trusts and similar devices.
September 2011
Larry Evans has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Litigation - Real estate.
John Hughes has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, in the area of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. He has now been selected for this honor for six consecutive years.
John Hughes was recognized last year and has again been recognized for the present year as an Indiana Super Lawyer in the area of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.
Rich Davis spoke on the topic of ethics, as well as trial advocacy and comity, at a seminar addressing Medicare set-asides in personal injury litigation, in Merrillville.
Sean Kenyon has been named Executive Chair for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign, for Lake County, Indiana. The purpose of the campaign is to assist in funding research for the prevention and treatment of heart disease in women.
Sean Kenyon and Lee Lane served as co-chairs of Impact Porter County’s Women’s Fund campaign in behalf of the Porter County Community Foundation.
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans employee Linda Sulicz was recently named one of the Pink Ribbon Society’s Calendar Girls for its annual 2012 calendar. She holds the title of “Ms. February,” after being nominated by Attorney Sean Kenyon and fellow employee Leann Langbehn. Linda has shared that she is a five-year breast cancer survivor, and recently attended the 2011 Pink Ribbon Society’s annual luncheon with Leann and Sean, and Attorneys Lee Lane and Kevin Kerr, co-workers Jamie Gill, Tameca Reeves, Karri Cook, Valerie Smith, Kit Runion and Judy Davis, as well as family members and friends. The firm sponsored three tables for the event, which was also attended by Managing Partner Bill Satterlee and Director of Administration Lois Evans. Attorney Jim Jorgensen served as a celebrity server for a capacity crowd of 720 attendees. The Pink Ribbon Society, founded by Ann Peters, is a charitable society which supports the Bundles of Hope program, the Indiana Women in Need program, the Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer program, and the Wig Reimbursement program. The society reaches out to deserving women and men throughout Northwest Indiana.
August 2011
Bob Dignam conducted labor negotiations and obtained a favorable arbitration ruling for a contractors' association, by which the arbitrator selected the association's last best offer to establish the union laborers' wages and benefits for the next contract period.
Keith Wolak made a presentation to regional investment advisors at the Edward Jones University annual seminar on the subject of how to address client needs in an environment of “estate tax law chaos”.
April 2011
Bob Dignam gave a presentation on unemployment insurance benefits for the Society for Human Resource Management at the Avalon in Merrillville on April 13.
February 2011
Bob Dignam gave a presentation on unemployment insurance benefits at the Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana in Portage on February 25.
January 2011
William F. Satterlee, III, Managing Partner of Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP was recently named Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of NWIBRT. Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable is an independent, non-profit council of local firms committed to the improvement of construction and maintenance projects in Northwest Indiana. The purpose of their organization is to promote safety, quality and cost effectiveness by all parties associated with the local area construction/maintenance industry. For more information about NWIBRT: www.nwibrt.org.
Bob Dignam authored an article about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act which was published in the winter edition the Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly.