Meghan E. Ruesch

Meghan E. Ruesch

Partner
Empathy, honesty, and practicality are at the heart of Meghan’s legal practice. She strives to represent the facts, be empathetic of people’s situations, and to approach matters with an eye on the practical strategies and solutions.
Meghan E. Ruesch
“I believe that leading with empathy and tapping into your imagination helps open doors to possibilities, while putting a little good back into the world.”

Meghan has developed a passion for her practice by working on matters that have challenged her academically, emotionally, and philosophically. Most importantly, she has been inspired by the exceptional people she has worked with and has been influenced by both their approach to life and practice of law.

As a member of the Lewis Wagner’s litigation group, Meghan primarily focuses on all areas of insurance coverage, reinsurance, and bad faith issues across a wide expanse of insurance lines including property and casualty, errors and omissions, life, health, and accident, fiduciary, specialty lines, and umbrella and excess.

A native Hoosier, Meghan began her legal career in New York, where she represented insurance company clients in insurance coverage litigation. She also advised insurers on exposure and liability issues in wide array of tort and commercial contexts, including mass tort and class action litigation involving pharmaceuticals, chemical, transportation, news and entertainment, oil and gas, environmental suits, FDA compliance claims, unfair competition and false advertising claims, intellectual property claims, personal injury, and associated breach of contract claims. She also represents insurance companies, large and small businesses, and individuals in all aspects of complex civil litigation involving business and contract disputes, catastrophic injuries, cybersecurity and data management, employment matters, and general litigation matters involving transportation, construction, premises liability, environmental, and professional liability. She frequently advises insurance company clients on issues of regulatory compliance and assists in the drafting of insurance policies and associated endorsements to conform with state, national, and international law.

In her real life, Meghan is mama to her son, Liam Oliver, and has vowed not to traumatize him with cross examination throughout childhood! She enjoys spending time and experiencing life with family and friends, while traveling, cooking, going to concerts and theatre performances, and laughing as much as possible. And she will always try to sneak in a little time to read a book, particularly a good romantic romp or provoking mystery.

Meghan has developed a passion for her practice by working on matters that have challenged her academically, emotionally, and philosophically. Most importantly, she has been inspired by the exceptional people she has worked with and has been influenced by both their approach to life and practice of law.

As a member of the Lewis Wagner’s litigation group, Meghan primarily focuses on all areas of insurance coverage, reinsurance, and bad faith issues across a wide expanse of insurance lines including property and casualty, errors and omissions, life, health, and accident, fiduciary, specialty lines, and umbrella and excess.

A native Hoosier, Meghan began her legal career in New York, where she represented insurance company clients in insurance coverage litigation. She also advised insurers on exposure and liability issues in wide array of tort and commercial contexts, including mass tort and class action litigation involving pharmaceuticals, chemical, transportation, news and entertainment, oil and gas, environmental suits, FDA compliance claims, unfair competition and false advertising claims, intellectual property claims, personal injury, and associated breach of contract claims. She also represents insurance companies, large and small businesses, and individuals in all aspects of complex civil litigation involving business and contract disputes, catastrophic injuries, cybersecurity and data management, employment matters, and general litigation matters involving transportation, construction, premises liability, environmental, and professional liability. She frequently advises insurance company clients on issues of regulatory compliance and assists in the drafting of insurance policies and associated endorsements to conform with state, national, and international law.

In her real life, Meghan is mama to her son, Liam Oliver, and has vowed not to traumatize him with cross examination throughout childhood! She enjoys spending time and experiencing life with family and friends, while traveling, cooking, going to concerts and theatre performances, and laughing as much as possible. And she will always try to sneak in a little time to read a book, particularly a good romantic romp or provoking mystery.

  • Hanover College, B.A., magna cum laude, 2005
    • English
    • Theatre
  • Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2008
  • Supreme Court of Indiana, 2015
  • State of New Jersey, 2008
  • State of New York, 2009
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2008
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2013
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2016
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 2016
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2013
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 2014

Meghan is actively involved in various community organizations in and around the Indianapolis area, and has proudly served in leadership roles within both legal and public service organizations.

  • ALFA International
    • Insurance Executive Committee – Member, 2016-present
    • EPL and Professional Liability Seminar – Co-Chair, 2020
  • American Bar Association
  • Child Advocates – Volunteer
  • Defense Research Institute
    • Member, 2016-present
    • In-House Defense Quarterly, Co-Editor,2018-present
  • Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana – Member, 2016-present
  • FDCC
    • Member, 2021-present
    • Indiana State Representative, 2023
  • Indiana State Bar Association
  • Indiana Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2019; 2022-2023
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
    • Member, 2016-present
    • Insurance Coverage Section Chair, 2019-2020
  • Indy Reads – Adult Literacy Tutor, 2016-2017
  • Invent Learning Hub – Board Member
  • Hancock County CASA, 2016-2019
  • New York State Bar Association
  • Syracuse University College of Law
    • Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, Editor-in-Chief, 2008
    • Buffalo-Niagara Invitational Trial Competition, 2008
    • Competition Team Champion
    • Best Overall Advocate
    • Order of the Barrister
    • New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers – Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2023
  • Women’s Fund of Central Indiana (Central Indiana Community Foundation)
    • OPTIONS Class of 2018
    • Sage Member
    • Women’s Fund Engagement Committee

As a member of multiple professional organizations, Meghan has received multiple opportunities to both present at various conferences on insurance coverage and litigation issues and has frequently been published in various professional publications. She has also served as both a moderator and presenter on a wide range of legal topics.

  • “Litigating in State vs. Federal Court: Insurance Coverage Disputes and Beyond,” Presenter, Indianapolis Bar Association, CLE, September 1, 2022.
  • “Insurance 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Insurance Coverage Litigation,” Presenter, Indianapolis Bar Association, CLE, October 28, 2021.
  • “2021 Indiana Law Survey,” Presenter, Hoosier CLE, Insurance Coverage, September 30, 2021.
  • “Insurance for Autonomous Vehicles: Who’ll Drive Those Risks?,” Presenter, American Bar Association, 2021 Virtual Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, March 12, 2021.
  • "Procedural Bad Faith-Recent Trends and Developments," co-author, American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Section, March 4, 2021.
  • “2021 Indiana Insurance Law – A Year in Review,” Indiana Law Review, 2021.
  • “2020 Indiana Insurance Law Update,” Presenter, ICLEF, 2020 Year in Review, Live Seminar/Webinar/CLE, December 10-11, 2020.
  • “Winter Insurance Symposium: The Heat is On,” Presenter, Indianapolis Bar Association, December 1, 2020.
  • “Advanced Insurance Law 2020," Presenter, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF), September 17, 2020.
  • “Mediation Master Class: Civil Mediation Tips and Tactics,” Moderator, Indianapolis Bar Association, CLE/Webinar, May 5, 2020.
  • “The Basics of Business Income Claims for COVID-19 Loss – A Discussion,” Presenter, Indianapolis Bar Association, CLE/Webinar, April 9, 2020.
  • "Procedural Bad Faith: The Latest Trends," Presenter, American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, Tucson, Arizona, March 4-7, 2020.
  • "Everything You Need to Know About the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law But Were Too Afraid (or Confused) to Ask," Moderator, 2019 ALFA International Insurance Roundtable, Nashville, Tennessee, May 17, 2019.
  • “Evolution of D&O Coverage in a Time of Nontraditional Claims,” Presenter, DRI Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute, April 3-5, 2019.
  • “Social Media Liability Exposures & Coverage,” Presenter, Property & Liability Resource Bureau 2019 Claims Conference, Indianapolis, March 30-April 3, 2019.
  • “Social Media Liability Exposures,” Journal of Insurance Regulation (Vol. 38, No. 8), National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Co-authors: Kevin T. Merriman, David M. Knapp, Nicole M. Weir, 2019.
  • “When Competition and Coverage Collide: Clarification, Trends, and Forecasts of Coverage B for Trade Disparagement Claims,” For The Defense, DRI, Co-authors: Melissa Fernandez, Anna Stafford, May 2019.
  • "Opening Statements - Tell a Compelling Story,” Presenter, NBI, Civil Trial from Start to Finish, Indianapolis, December 21, 2018.
  • "Closing Statements and Final Jury Instructions - Steer the Jury in the Right Direction," Presenter, NBI, Civil Trial from Start to Finish, Indianapolis, December 21, 2018.
  • "E-discovery in Insurance Coverage Litigation," Moderator, Indianapolis Bar Association, June 7, 2018.
  • "How to Apply Rules to Discovery and Evidence," Presenter, National Business Institute (NBI), Building Your Civil Litigation Skills, Indianapolis, April 20, 2018.
  • “Cyberinsurance Outlook for 2018: Risks Evolve, As Does Coverage,” The Indiana Lawyer, Feb. 20, 2018.
  • “Show Me the Bitcoin! The Costs of Cyber Risks and the Cyber-insurance Coverage Landscape,” In-House Defense Quarterly, DRI, Fall 2017.
  • "Dollars, Cents, and Bitcoin: Identifying and Calculating Damages for Insurers Facing a Cyber Event," Moderator, ALFA International Insurance Law Roundtable, New York, June 14-16, 2017.
  • “The Appraisal Process and the Insurer’s Dilemma,” For The DefenseDRI, Co-author: John C. Trimble, October 2016.
  • “Creating Culture: Protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions and the Impact on Creation and Innovation in the Marketplace of Ideas,” Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, 35 Syracuse J. Int'l L. & Comm. 369, 2008.
  • “Procedural Bad Faith – Recent Trends and Developments,” American Bar Association, Co-authors: Karen S. Aldama, Tred R. Eyerly, March 4, 2008.