In 1880, Joseph A. Roberts began his practice of law in Noblesville, the county seat of Hamilton County. It was an exciting time for a young professional. The natural gas boom was helping to enrich the 5,000 or so residents of Noblesville. Fishers, Carmel, Sheridan, Westfield, and Cicero were crossroads.
As Noblesville and Hamilton County have grown, so has the law firm. In the early part of this century, first Roger Roberts and then Justin Roberts, joined their father in his practice. The firm primarily concentrated in real estate, probate and estate law. Justin Roberts was the Hamilton County Prosecutor during the trial of D. C. Stephenson and served as local trial counsel to the Marion County Prosecutor. The conviction of Stephenson has been widely regarded as the beginning of the end of the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. Justin also served in the Indiana General Assembly.
In 1952, the modern era of the firm began with the arrival of Manson Church. A World War II veteran, Manson Church represented a new generation in the country and in the community. Shortly after his arrival, he was asked to serve as School Board Attorney and City Attorney, and thus began a commitment that carries on to this day -- to represent the educational and governmental institutions of our City and County. Under Manson's leadership, the firm continued to grow and expand.
The 1970's were the beginning of the amazing growth throughout Hamilton County, and the partnership kept pace with the addition of Doug Church, Jack Hittle and Mike Antrim. As the new partners identified their interests and capabilities, the development of special areas of practice continued.
The 1980's and 1990's have brought new opportunities and higher expectations to the legal profession. Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim benefits its clients with the use of computer technology and our ability to go "on-line" to the information superhighway. Continuous, advanced legal education is a standard for each attorney in the firm. Partners routinely have been lead counsel in both state and federal courts and have appeared before the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Indiana Supreme Court, and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Not only has the firm grown in the number of skilled and qualified attorneys, but the support staff has expanded in size and knowledge. Experienced secretaries, legal assistants, and clerks have a combined tenure with the firm of many years. They provide a wealth of practical and useful information for the ultimate benefit of our clients.
There are numerous areas where the attorneys at Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim are able to competently represent client interests. We welcome all inquiries. When we do not feel qualified to represent a client on a particular matter, we do not hesitate to make a referral, and we maintain a close working relationship with a number of highly qualified law firms for that purpose.