Business Litigation Practice Group, Chair

• Indiana University School of Law, J.D., 1978, cum laude
• Indiana University, B.A., 1974
  

Alan is chair of Frost Brown Todd’s business litigation practice group, the largest of the firm’s practice groups. He has more than 30 years of experience litigating and trying cases in state and federal courts and has extensive experience in arbitration and mediation. He has tried and arbitrated matters to judgment for plaintiffs and defendants relating to contract interpretation and breach; tortious interference; UCC Article 2; lending liability; state and federal banking regulations; supply contracts; restrictive covenants; trade secrets; breach of fiduciary duty; corporate ownership, control and governance; and will and probate disputes.

Alan has argued cases to the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and has had primary responsibility for appellate briefs for the winning sides in key decisions involving contract formation (Mays v. Trump Indiana, 253 F.3d 351 (7th Cir. 2001)); lender liability (Wabash Grain, Inc. v. BankOne, 713 N.E.2d 323 (Ind.App. 1999)); foreign currency exchange and employer codes of conduct (Interactive Intelligence, Inc. v. KeyBank, 546 F.3d 897 (7th Cir. 2008)); trade secrets and RICO (AGS Capital Corp. v. Product Action Int’l. 884 N.E. 2d 295 (Ind.App. 2008)); promissory estoppel (Classic Cheesecake v. JPMorgan Chase, 546 F.3d 839 (7th Cir. 2008)); dissenting and minority shareholder rights (Fleming v. International Pizza, 676 N.E.2d 1051 (Ind. 1997)); and fiduciary duties among members and managers of LLCs (Southern Hills Investments v. Purcell, N.E.2d 991 (Ind.App. 2006)).

Alan is recognized as one of Indiana’s leading business litigators, receiving annual recognition in publications including Martindale-Hubbell® (AV rated); Best Lawyers in America®; Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business®; Benchmark Litigation®- Local Litigation Stars; and Indiana Super Lawyers®.

In addition to his litigation work, Alan counsels companies and entrepreneurs in the development of general business, litigation and litigation-avoidance strategies.  Alan works with growing companies to help them identify their contract, tort and insurance risks and institutionalize systems and practices to manage those risks.

• AV Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
• Best Lawyers in America®, 2001-2012
• Indiana Super Lawyers®, 2004-2012
• Chambers USA® Guide: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Commercial
  Litigation, 2006-2011
• Benchmark Litigation®, “Local Litigation Star”, Indiana, 2010, 2011
• Indianapolis Business Journal, "Who's Who in Law"
• Joseph R. Olshan Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), 2006

• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) , Director, FDCC Foundation
  FDCC Foundation Fellow
  Past Officer and Director
  Past Program Chair, 2000 Annual Meeting
  Past Convention Chair,  2001 Annual Meeting
  Past Chair, Business Torts and Commercial Litigation Section
• Indianapolis Bar Association, Foundation Fellow

• TARP Comp Limits Bill Passes House, Awaits Senate Action

• American Pianists Association, Director; Past Officer
• Indy Jazz Fest, Past Chair
• Carmel United Soccer Club, Inc., Past Director; Past President
• Cathedral Arts, Inc., Past Board Member
• Indiana Soccer Association, Inc., Director
• Kids Fest, Past Chair
• Midsummer Festival, Past Chair

"Training Legal Professionals as Project Managers"
Practising Law Institute, New York, January, 2011

"Overcoming Lawyer Resistance to Project Management"
Project Management for Lawyers, January 2011

"Preparing for Success in Mediation"
PLRB/FDCC Joint Conference, Chicago, September, 2008

"Managing Contract Risks for Growing Businesses"
Blue Chip Business Awards Workshop, August, 2008

“Class Actions: Report from the Epicenter”
FDCC Corporate Members Forum, March 2005

"Cycles of Scandals - History Repeats Itself"
Joint FDCC/British Insurance Law Association Seminar at Lloyd's of London, January 2005

FDCC Law Firm Management Conference
2001-2008

FDCC Litigation Management College
1999-2001

"Transitioning a Business from Start-up to Operating Entity"
Indianapolis Business Journal, October 2008

"Alternative Fee Arrangements"
Association of Corporate Counsel, Indiana Chapter, Newsletter, 2007

"Comparison of Consumer Fraud Statutes Across the Fifty States"
FDCC Quarterly, 2005