A. Richard M. Blaiklock

Partner

T: 317.453.8635 | Mobile: 317.418.9181
F: 317.630.2790
E: rblaiklock@lewiswagner.com

Legal Assistant

Suzanne Phebus

T: 317.237.0500
E: sphebus@lewiswagner.com

Biography

Rich focuses his practice on representing individuals, governmental entities, and businesses, in a variety of commercial areas, including contract disputes, shareholder/owner disputes, trade secret and non-competes, auto supply chain issues, business and real estate transactions, business succession planning, regulatory matters, and commercial litigation. He has experience litigating multimillion-dollar disputes, with first chair trial and appellate experience in those disputes. He has argued several times in the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rich has experience representing manufacturers in stop-ship situations, and he has successfully obtained injunction orders preventing suppliers from terminating ongoing product supply. Rich has extensive experience in multimillion-dollar shareholder disputes and has written and taught continuing legal education seminars on the subject. Rich also represents the Indiana Department of Insurance, Patients Compensation Fund, in tort and coverage cases. More recently, Rich has represented several billboard companies in and outside Indiana, in First Amendment disputes and eminent domain cases. He has written and published law review articles on corporate law, appellate practice, and constitutional issues.

Rich has been selected as an Indiana Super Lawyers® consistently listed as one of Indiana’s top 50 Indiana Super Lawyers. In 2018, Rich was listed as a Top 25 Super Lawyer. From 2012-2020, Rich has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America® and is Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent.

Rich was honored as Co-Recipient, Defense Lawyer of the Year Award by the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana in 2009. In 2011, Rich was awarded the Indiana State Bar Association, Litigation Section's Civility Award.

Rich is an active supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and a member of the Indiana LLS Board of Trustees. In 2017, he raised over $230,000 in a ten-week period and was recognized as 'Man of the Year' for that accomplishment. In his free time, Rich enjoys playing hockey and golf. He is married with 2 children.

Experience

Representative Cases:

The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment issued by the Marion Superior Court that the claims asserted by Plaintiffs Crystal and William West are not claims for medical malpractice
49A02-1403-CT-163

The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment issued by the Marion Superior Court that the claims asserted by Plaintiffs Crystal and William West are not claims for medical malpractice
49A02-1403-CT-163

Honors & Awards

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent
The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Commercial Litigation; and Corporate Law, 2013-2020
- Best Lawyers’ 2016 Indianapolis Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) - Lawyer of the Year
Indiana Super Lawyers®, 2009-2020
- Top 50, Indiana Super Lawyers®, 2010, 2013-2017, 2019
- Top 25, Indiana Super Lawyers®, 2018
Indiana State Bar Association, Litigation Section's Civility Award, 2011
Co-Recipient, Defense Lawyer of the Year Award by the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, 2009

Representative Cases

Marsh Supermarkets, LLC v. Roche Diagnostic Operations, Inc., 987 N.E.2d 72 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013), trans den (Lead trial and appellate counsel; Breach of long-term lease case in which judgment of $19,563,933 was entered in favor of Marsh after a 7 day trial. Judgment included pre-trial interest and attorney fees incurred by Marsh. Presented oral argument to the Indiana Court of Appeals, which affirmed the trial court award. Marsh was awarded the present value of its damages for an 18-year lease, prevailing party attorney fees through entry of judgment, and post-judgment interest, for a total recovery of $22,496,918).
Sofaer Global Hedge Fund v. Brightpoint, Inc., et. al., 2011WL2413831, June 10, 2011 (S.D. Ind.)(Summary judgment in fraud and promissory estoppel case).
Freudenberg - NOK General Partnership v. Allison Transmission, Inc., 934 N.E.2d 972, 2010 WL3706573 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010) (Lead trial and appellate counsel; Preliminary injunction on behalf of transmission manufacturer against supplier, upheld on appeal).
Brown v. Automotive Components Holding, LLC, 2009 WL425005 (S.D. Ind. 2009) (Obtained summary judgment for automobile manufacturer in discrimination suit).
Butler v. Indiana Department of Insurance, 904 N.E.2d 198 (Ind. 2009) (Successfully argued issue of statutory first impression to Indiana Supreme Court).
U.S. Specialty Insurance Co. v. Harley Davidson Credit Corp., 1:09-cv-475, December 2, 2009 (S.D. Ind.) (Partial summary judgment against insurer on behalf of note-holder for plane crashed by Marcus Schrenker).
Randles v. Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund, 860 N.E.2d 1212 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007) (Trial counsel, and argued to Indiana Court of Appeals, which affirmed trial court ruling regarding status of plaintiff’s inability to obtain damages, and the amount of damages awarded in wrongful death case).
Northstar Partners v. Marsh Supermarkets, 2005WL3429251 (Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals 2005). (Oral argument to 7th Circuit, summary judgment on lease dispute).
Medical Assurance of Indiana v. Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund, 808 N.E. 2d 737 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004) (Summary judgment affirmed on statutory interpretation issue).
Emmert Industrial Corp, et al. v. Kennedy Tank & Mfg. Co, 49D04-1501-CT-002052 (Marion County, IN) (Argued transportation contract dispute before Indiana Supreme Court for third-party defendant).
WESCO Distribution, Inc. v. ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, LLC, 23 N.E. 2d 682 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014) (Lead appellate counsel seeking to overturn $36,134,477 judgment rendered against supplier in case involving steel mill fire).
Mark Weinberger Litigation (Lead counsel for Indiana Department of Insurance in defense of over 300 individual claims against Dr. Mark Weinberger, the “nose doctor” from Merrillville who disappeared right before the bulk of the unnecessary procedure lawsuits were filed).
Geft v. City of Indianapolis, 1:15-cv-01568, 2017 (S.D. Ind.) (Preliminary Injunction dispute involving, among other things, Geft’s First Amendment Rights and its right to install digital signage on billboards).
Whitesell Precision Components, Inc. v. Autoform Tool & Mfg., LLC, 110 N.E.3d380 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018), transfer denied, 121 N.E.3d 126 (Ind. 2019).

Professional Associations

ALFA International
- Contact Partner
- Business Litigation Practice Group
Defense Research Institute
Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana
- Business Litigation Section Executive Committee, 2015
Defense Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Litigation Counsel of America Fellow
Federal Bar Association
Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- Steering Committee
Indiana State Bar Association
- American Citizenship Committee, 2014
Indianapolis Bar Association
- Professionalism Committee, 2010-present
Indianapolis Bar Foundation
- Fellow, 2005

Presentations

BUSINESS LITIGATION: It’s A Team Sport!, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, February 24, 2017, Program Chair.
Buy-Sell Agreements: Anticipating Issues with Scope, Enforcement and Valuation Methodology, Business Valuation Conference, Indiana CPA Society, September 18, 2015.
Center for Business Preparation, Hanover College, 2005, 2006, guest lecturer.
Tortious Interference, Business Litigation Seminar, 2005.
Technology in the Courtroom, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Foundation, 2004.
Shareholder Disputes, Indiana Hot Topics in Business Litigation, PESI, 2003.
Tortious Interference, Shareholder Disputes, Indiana Hot Topics in Business Litigation, PESI, 2002.

Publications

"COVID-19 and Force Majeure in the Manufacturing Context," The Indiana Lawyer, June 26, 2020.
“Trade Secrets and Agreements Not to Compete: A State by State Compendium – Trade Secrets, Indiana”
The DRI Defense Library Series, 2009-present.
“Enhancing the Spectrum: Media Power, Democracy, and the Marketplace of Ideas,” 3 Ill. Law Rev. 813 (co-author with Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr.), 2000.
“Indiana Appellate Procedure in 1998,” 32 Ind. L. Rev., 873 (co-author with Michael A. Wilkins), 1998.
“Fiduciary Duties Owed by Frozen out Minority Shareholders in Close Corporations,” 30 Ind. L. Rev., 763, 1997.
"Indiana Appellate Procedure in 1997,” 31 Ind. L. Rev., 667 (co-author with Michael A. Wilkins), 1997.

Civic & Community Involvement

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Management Board, 2002-2004
Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Board of Directors, 1996-2002
Camptown, Board of Directors, 2009-2012
CARA Charities, Honorary Advisory Board, 2008-2010
Heritage Place, Board of Directors, 2004-2010
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Indiana Board of Trustees, 2019
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2017 Indianapolis Man of the Year
Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series, Class XXIX, 2004-2005
Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Board of Directors, 2001-2003

In The News

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

State of Indiana, 1997

Courts of Practice

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 1997
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2002
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2005
Supreme Court of the United States, 2019
Supreme Court of Illinois, 2019

Education

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 1997
- Executive Notes Editor of the Indiana Law Review, 1996 - 1997
- Fellowships & Scholarships: the John J. Dillon Memorial Fellowship in 1994 and 1995; the Indiana University Alumni Scholarship in 1995; the Indianapolis Bar Foundation Scholarship in 1995; Law School Scholarship in 1994 and 1995.
- Honors: Dean’s List in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997; National Dean's List in 1994 and 1996; American Jurisprudence Award on Civil Procedure; American Jurisprudence Award on Contracts; “Top Papers” awards for Contracts I, Civil Procedure l & ll, Employment Discrimination, Family Law and Juvenile Law.
Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana, B.A., 1990

Search Professionals