John F. Townsend III

Ms. Smithey devotes her practice to all aspects of employee benefits law. She represents clients with respect to qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans, assisting them with a variety of plan design, compliance, and administration issues for all types of pension, health and welfare benefit plans.Ms. Smithey advises her clients as to ERISA, MPPAA, HIPAA, COBRA, PPACA, the Internal Revenue Code, as well as other federal and state laws applicable to employee benefit plans and pla...

An experienced trial lawyer who defends employers of all sizes in a range of industries, including defense, food, and trucking companies, against unsubstantiated accusations, Rick’s litigation practice takes him to courts throughout the U.S. He litigates a wide range of employment matters, including discrimination and harassment; Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); breach of contract; golden parachute agreements; wage and hour laws (exemptions, overtime, commissions, etc.); wrongful te...

David delivers to his clients the benefit of nearly two decades of private practice and in-house public company experience. He utilizes this experience to work efficiently and effectively on nearly any form of complex real estate or corporate matters. David’s experience ranges from real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing, leasing and joint ventures, to corporate governance, compliance rules and regulations for real estate and development companies and other busine...

Paul Drucker has a broad and varied practice encompassing high-profile environmental and business litigation, appeals, sophisticated transactional work, complex internal investigations, and regulatory compliance matters and settlements. Paul’s ability to streamline complex problems, develop understandable and practical solutions, understand business objectives, and obtain successful results in contested matters is highly valued by the firm’s clients. His environmental work include...

Jason R. Burke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy and Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law. Jason R., who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jason R. is held by other top lawyers in...

Shawn D. Bauer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. Shawn D., who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Shawn D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A veteran intellectual property lawyer, Tom concentrates his practice on the strategic development and management of IP portfolios with special emphasis on providing business-focused legal advice. Tom assists clients in evaluating IP coverage, protecting core IP assets, handling Hatch-Waxman cases, domestic and international patent prosecution, and preparing infringement, non-infringement, freedom to operate, and validity opinions. Tom`s clients include major pharmaceutical, health science an...

B. Ronan Johnson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. B. Ronan, who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which B. Ronan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal prac...

As a corporate lawyer and business adviser, Jeff is committed to forging the right path to realizing each client’s goals. He is dedicated to serving as an effective consensus builder, communicator and negotiator who maintains focus on getting the deal done. In addition to his practice, Jeff serves on the firm’s Management Committee and is the partner-in-charge of legal personnel. Jeff offers comprehensive legal counsel to businesses and business owners in the areas of mergers and ...

Chair of Barnes & Thornburg's Labor and Employment Department for two decades, Ken Yerkes has spent over 30 years successfully fighting for his clients' rights and business objectives at the bargaining table, in arbitration and federal and state court, as well as in plants across the country through proactive training, counseling and union avoidance campaigns. Ken's ability to transform complex scenarios into workable strategies has earned him not only his clients' trust, but also acclaim...