Douglas D. Church—Partner—Fishers, Indiana

Email: Douglas D. Church | Phone: 317.773.2190 | Fax: 317.572.1609

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Douglas D. Church concentrates his practice on civil litigation, mediation, and municipal law, including representation of municipal corporations. He has served as Town Attorney for the Town of Fishers since 1980 and was City Attorney for Noblesville from 1988 to 1996. He is routinely involved in civil litigation matters before the courts of general jurisdiction in Hamilton County and other counties throughout Indiana.

Mr. Church was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 1966 majoring in Government and Economics. He graduated from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis in 1970 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. While completing his law school education, he served as law clerk to the Honorable George B. Hoffman, Jr., judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals for the State of Indiana. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Church joined the firm, becoming a partner in 1971 and serving as managing partner from 1987 to 2005. He is now senior partner.

Mr. Church is a past president of the Hamilton County Bar Association and has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indiana State Bar Association as well as chair of the House of Delegates of the Indiana State Bar Association during the 2003–2004 period. He served as president of the Indiana State Bar Association in 2007–2008. He has served as chairperson of the Young Lawyers Section of the Indiana Bar Association and chairperson of the Local Government Section of the Indiana State Bar Association. In addition to belonging to the Hamilton County, Indiana, State, and American Bar Associations, Mr. Church is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, holding the rank of advocate in that organization. He is also a member of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and is a master fellow in the Indiana State Bar Foundation. He served as national co-chair of the Small Firm Litigation Management Committee of the A.B.A. for several years and also served as a member of the A.B.A. House of Delegates.

Mr. Church has been active in civic and charitable organizations throughout Hamilton County, the State of Indiana and the United States. These include the Indiana University Law School Alumni Association; the Noblesville Area Chamber of Commerce (past president); the Board of Trustees of the Greater Indianapolis YMCA Foundation; the Board of Trustees, United Theological Seminary, a seminary of the Methodist Church (2000–2002); Tri-County Mental Health Association, the Hamilton County Leadership Development Academy (past board chair); Board of Directors, Hamilton County Extension Service (member, 1997–2001); the Hamilton County Progress Committee (past president); the Greater Indiana Masters Swim Association; Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement (past board chair); the National Eagle Scout Association; the United States Masters Swimming Endowment Fund (current board chair); the Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association (past president); and United States Masters Swimming, Inc. (treasurer from 2001–2005; legal counsel, 2009-present).

In his spare time, Mr. Church enjoys competitive swimming and he coaches the Noblesville Adult Swim Team.

Areas of practice

• Civil litigation
• Mediation
• Municipal law

Admitted to practice

• Indiana, 1970
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 1970
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1995

Education

• Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, J.D., 1970
• Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, A.B., 1966
  • Major: Government and Economics

Published works

• Recent Developments in Planning and Zoning, ICLEF Municipal Law, 1984
• A Brief Review of a Few Current Cases, ICLEF The Nuts and Bolts of an Automobile Negligence Case, 1987
• Quality of Life: The New Zoning Agenda, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers 59th Annual Convention, 1988
• Hedonic Damages: Laying the Foundation, ICLEF Hedonic Damages, 1994
• Planning: What Is It and Why Do It?, MLA/IACT, Municipal Law XIII Handbook, June, 1996
• Road and Access Law in Indiana, National Business Institute, 1999
• Declaratory Judgments in the Public Sector, MLA/IACT, Municipal Law XIX, 2004

Representative cases

• Brook v. St. John's Hickey Memorial Hospital, 368 N.E.2d 264 (Ind.App. 1 Dist. 1977)
• Hoffman v. E. W. Bliss Co., 448 N.E.2d 277 (Ind. 1983)

Representative clients

• Town of Fishers

References

• Huntington Bank

Honors and awards

• Master Fellow, Indiana State Bar Foundation
• Certificate of Merit and Appreciation, The Appellate Court of Indiana, 1970
• American Bar Association Gold Key Award, 1970
• Indiana State Bar Association Citation of Merit, 1982
• Irv Merritt Award, Greater Indiana Masters Swim Association, 1989
• Volunteer of the Year, Hamilton County Branch, Greater Indianapolis YMCA, 1996
• Man of the Year, Hamilton County Branch, Greater Indianapolis YMCA, 1997
• Frank Campbell Service Award, Hamilton County Bar Association, 1997
• Hamilton County Citizen of the Year Award, Topics Newspaper, 1997
• Josiah K. Durfee Award Recipient, Noblesville Preservation Alliance, 2000
• Indiana State Bar Association "Cinch Strap" Award, 2000
• Indiana State Bar Association "Cinch Strap" Award, 2004
• Indiana State Bar Association inductee General Practice, Small Firm and Solo Hall of Fame, 2003

Professional associations and memberships

• Noblesville, 1988–1996, City Attorney
• Town of Fishers, 1980–Present, Town Attorney
• Hamilton County Bar Association, Past President
• Indiana State Bar Association, Member, Board of Governors
• Indiana State Bar Association, 2003–2004, Chair, House of Delegates
• Indiana State Bar Association, 2007, President
• Indiana State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Chairperson
• Indiana State Bar Association, Local Government Section, Chairperson
• Hamilton County Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• The American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
• Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Member
• American Bar Association, National Co-Chair, Small Firm Litigation Management Committee
• American Bar Association, Member, House of Delegates
• Indiana University Law School Alumni Association
• Noblesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Past President
• Greater Indianapolis YMCA Foundation, Board of Trustees
• United Theological Seminary, 2000–2002, Board of Trustees
• Tri-County Mental Health Association
• Hamilton County Leadership Development Academy, Past Board Chair
• Hamilton County Extension Service, 1997–2001, Member, Board of Directors
• The Hamilton County, Past President, Progress Committee
• The Greater Indiana Masters Swim Association
• Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement, Past Board Chair
• The National Eagle Scout Association
• The United States Masters Swimming Endowment Fund, Board Chair
• The Indiana Municipal Lawyer Association, Past President
• United State Masters Swimming, Inc., 2001–2005, Treasurer
• The Journal of Cognitive Rehabilitation, Member, Board of Reviewers

Past employment positions

• Hon. George B. Hoffman, Jr., Judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals for the State of Indiana, Law Clerk

Fraternities/sororities

• Phi Delta Phi