CCHA represents both plaintiffs and defendants in civil appeals that appear before the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. This includes representation of clients whom we represented during trial, as well as clients who hired us post-trial for the appeal only.

Our appellate practice also includes the representation of amici curiae (“a friend of the court”), usually on behalf of educational and municipal entities and organizations. We offer flexible fee arrangements for appellate work, including hourly, contingency, or flat fees.

Meet the Team

Kevin Smith - Kevin Smith joined CCHA in June 2016, after serving Hoosiers for more than a decade as both the Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Tax Court, and Supreme Court Administrator, managing 28 employees and gaining invaluable insight into the inner workings of Indiana’s Judicial Branch and its three highest courts. In addition to leading the Appellate team, he is also involved in the Litigation practice group.

Smith worked extensively on interpretations of and revisions to the Indiana Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Indiana Admission and Discipline Rules, and the Indiana Administrative Rules; led a multi-discipline team of public and private practitioners, court staff, and IT professionals in planning and implementing Indiana’s appellate e-filing initiative; taught numerous seminars on appellate procedure; and oversaw the Supreme Court’s legal and administrative caseload of approximately 1,000 matters per year and its transition from paper to electronic records.

Alex Pinegar - Alex Pinegar joined CCHA in June 2005, and is a partner in the firm’s Personal Injury, Litigation, School Law, and Appellate sections. Alex’s practice includes a variety of litigated matters, and he advises both plaintiff and defendant clients in personal injury and car accident cases, business disputes, insurance defense, and appeals. Alex’s clients include businesses, individuals, and public school corporations. As part of his litigation practice, Alex has first-chair trial experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in both Indiana’s state and federal courts. He has represented clients on appeal in the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Alex represented the State of Indiana in a multi-year, nationwide arbitration arising under the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Alex serves as general counsel for Sheridan Community Schools and assists with the firm’s general counsel representation of numerous public school corporations throughout Indiana. Alex currently serves as CCHA's Managing Partner.

Doug Church - Doug Church joined CCHA in May 1970 and concentrates his practice on civil litigation, mediation, and municipal law, including representation of municipal corporations. He served as Town Attorney for the Town of Fishers from 1980 to 2015 and was City Attorney for Noblesville from 1988 to 1996. He is routinely involved in civil litigation matters before the courts of general jurisdiction throughout the State of Indiana as well as United States District Courts.

In addition to representing numerous clients before plan commissions and boards of zoning appeals, he has also represented municipal corporations, including Fishers and Noblesville, on a vast array of legal matters. His extensive experience in litigation resulted in his induction into the American Board of Trial Advocates with the rank of Advocate. In both bench and jury trials, Doug has dealt with a wide variety of legal issues from complex commercial litigation to personal injury and medical malpractice matters to family and estate disputes. Since the advent of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, Doug has been routinely selected to serve as a mediator by parties and judges throughout Indiana.

Brent Borg - Brent Borg joined CCHA in 2010 and concentrates his practice primarily on advising and defending school corporations and small businesses on a wide variety of labor and employment issues, ranging from fair employment practices to wage-and-hour compliance.

Borg provides trial- and appellate-level litigation services for school corporations, small businesses, and individuals. A former law clerk for the Honorable Margaret G. Robb of the Indiana Court of Appeals, Brent’s appellate practice includes arguing cases before the Indiana Supreme Court, the Indiana Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, as well as submitting “Friend of the Court” briefs on behalf of advocacy organizations to the Indiana Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Who We Are + What We Do

“CCHA’s appellate attorneys are gifted writers and oral advocates with years of experience in state and federal appellate courts, both in front of them as advocates and behind the scenes as judicial law clerks and high level officers,” said practice group leader, Kevin Smith. “This experience has given us unique insight into the appellate process, how these courts and judges operate, and how to assess and persuasively present our clients’ arguments to these courts.”

CCHA’s Appellate team looks forward to participating in the upcoming Indiana Trial Lawyers Association's Fifty-Eighth Annual Institute, a two-day two event with exceptional continuing legal education, presented by nationally recognized trial attorneys and experts.

Contact the Appellate Lawyers at CCHA

If you are looking to file an appeal, contact CCHA today for experience you can rely on.