Barath S. Raman

Barath S. Raman

Partner
Barath is an incredibly dedicated and responsive attorney who works tirelessly to address every client’s need through deep attention to detail and a drive to succeed. His professional expertise combined with an uncanny ability to connect with people often helps him yield great results.
Barath S. Raman
“Creativity and practicality, when combined, ensure the ability to identify and explore every possible angle for achieving an intended goal.”

Barath takes great pride in his deep attention to detail and drive to succeed. A partner in Lewis Wagner's litigation and employment groups, he specializes in civil defense litigation, including premises liability, product liability, construction accident and defect cases, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and employment law cases. In an era where most civil cases settle, he has successfully tried several jury trials and prepared and argued numerous complex motions in both state and federal court.

He was selected as Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana’s Young Lawyer of The Year in 2020. He was also selected as an “Up & Coming” Lawyer by The Indiana Lawyer Leadership in the Law program in 2022. He is an active member of ALFA International’s Hospitality and Retail Practice group, co-chairing numerous regional programs, presenting at various seminars, and serving as a contributing member of the practice group’s steering committee.

His fundamental beliefs are rooted in serving the greater good, being a steward of the community, and striving to encourage others to follow suit. Over the years, he has leveraged those values to establish himself as a leader, both within the bar association and the Indianapolis community. As a young associate, Barath co-founded a clothing drive for at-risk high schoolers. This initiative helped provide students with their first business suit attire.

Before law school, utilizing his B.S. in construction engineering from Purdue University, Barath worked as a field engineer for Mass Electric Construction Company. In connection with the light rail mass transit expansion project in Houston, Texas, he coordinated with and drafted contracts for sub-contractors and served as the project’s Environmental Compliance Manager. Mass Electric later asked Barath to serve as its Conduit & Utilities Field Engineer in Los Angeles, California for the I-405 highway expansion project, where he edited civil engineering drawings to reflect as-built installations and coordinated with the various trades on work schedules, procurement of materials, and safety compliance. His engineering degree and prior work experience have tremendously helped clients in complex construction cases, as Barath can better understand complicated design documents. Given his background, he can connect with witnesses and experts, which often results in success.

Outside of work and the community, Barath is an avid basketball and baseball fan rooting for his Purdue Boilermakers, Houston Rockets, and Houston Astros. He enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and french bulldog.

Barath takes great pride in his deep attention to detail and drive to succeed. A partner in Lewis Wagner's litigation and employment groups, he specializes in civil defense litigation, including premises liability, product liability, construction accident and defect cases, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and employment law cases. In an era where most civil cases settle, he has successfully tried several jury trials and prepared and argued numerous complex motions in both state and federal court.

He was selected as Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana’s Young Lawyer of The Year in 2020. He was also selected as an “Up & Coming” Lawyer by The Indiana Lawyer Leadership in the Law program in 2022. He is an active member of ALFA International’s Hospitality and Retail Practice group, co-chairing numerous regional programs, presenting at various seminars, and serving as a contributing member of the practice group’s steering committee.

His fundamental beliefs are rooted in serving the greater good, being a steward of the community, and striving to encourage others to follow suit. Over the years, he has leveraged those values to establish himself as a leader, both within the bar association and the Indianapolis community. As a young associate, Barath co-founded a clothing drive for at-risk high schoolers. This initiative helped provide students with their first business suit attire.

Before law school, utilizing his B.S. in construction engineering from Purdue University, Barath worked as a field engineer for Mass Electric Construction Company. In connection with the light rail mass transit expansion project in Houston, Texas, he coordinated with and drafted contracts for sub-contractors and served as the project’s Environmental Compliance Manager. Mass Electric later asked Barath to serve as its Conduit & Utilities Field Engineer in Los Angeles, California for the I-405 highway expansion project, where he edited civil engineering drawings to reflect as-built installations and coordinated with the various trades on work schedules, procurement of materials, and safety compliance. His engineering degree and prior work experience have tremendously helped clients in complex construction cases, as Barath can better understand complicated design documents. Given his background, he can connect with witnesses and experts, which often results in success.

Outside of work and the community, Barath is an avid basketball and baseball fan rooting for his Purdue Boilermakers, Houston Rockets, and Houston Astros. He enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and french bulldog.

  • Purdue University, B.S., 2009
  • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2014
  • Supreme Court of Indiana, 2014
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2014
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 2014
  • ALFA International
    • Steering Committee – Hospitality & Retail Practice Group
    • Future Leaders Forum Liasion
  • Center for Leadership Development, 39th Annual Minority Achievers - Nominee
  • DTCI Outstanding Young Lawyer, 2020
  • Foster Success, Board of Directors
  • Friends of Riley, Riley Hospital for Children’s Foundation – Co-President, 2017-2021
  • Indiana State Bar Association
    • Litigation Section, Executive Board
  • Indiana Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2021-2023
  • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
    • President, Student Bar Association, 2013-2014
    • Dean’s Tutorial Society Scholarship Tutor, 2012-2014
    • Robert H. Stanton Intramural Moot Court Competition
    • Executive Chair and Founder, Robert H. McKinney School of Law Inaugural Job Fair
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director
    • Suited Up, Co-Founder, 2015-present
  • IMPD General Orders Board
  • Indy's Best and Brightest – Law Division, 2022
  • Stanley K. Lacey Executive Leadership Series – Class 46
  • The Best Lawyers in America
    • Ones to Watch – Construction Litigation; Environmental Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation Defendants, 2023
    • Product Liability Litigation Defendants, 2023
  • The Indiana Lawyer – Leadership in Law, Up and Coming Lawyer, 2022
  • “Don’t Get Blindsided: Laying The Groundwork To Be Culturally Competent in 2023,” ALFA International Product Liability and Complex Torts Practice Group Seminar, Speaker, June 2, 2022.
  • “Lost in Translation? Let Millennials Craft The Message for Millennial Jurors,” ALFA International Client Seminar, Speaker, March 5, 2022.
  • “Looking at the “Man in the Mirror” Tackling Implicit Bias in the Workplace – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” ALFA International Hospitality and Retail Practice Group Seminar, Speaker, November 5, 2021.
  • “Hot Topics in Retail and Hospitality,” ALFA Hospitality and Retail Practice Group Regional Seminar, June 30, 2021.
  • “Importance of Perfectly Worded Risk Transfer Provisions,” The Indiana Lawyer, April 30, 2019.
  • "Congratulations on graduation, and welcome to the profession," The Indiana Lawyer, May 30, 2018.
  • "Negotiating and Litigating the Damages: Defense Perspective," Damages in Personal InjuryNational Business Institute (NBI), Merrillville, Indiana March 9, 2018.
  • “Winning Before Trial - The Ten Keys to Winning Depositions,” Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Speaker, Indianapolis, October 25, 2017.
  • “Do Not Treat Mediation as Routine and Ordinary,” The Indiana Lawyer, May 3, 2017.
  • “9 Ancillary Issues in Personal Injury Litigation,”  Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Speaker,Merrillville, Indiana, October 5, 2016.

Barath has also been involved in several mock trial experiences which have provided valuable trial experience. Additionally, despite the heightened summary judgment standard in Indiana, he is aggressive in looking for avenues to file dispositive motions, if warranted, which has led him to be very successful in securing numerous summary judgment rulings from the court on various types of cases, including premises liability and construction defect and accident cases.

  • Donald Stauffer v. Steak n Shake, Inc., Marion County, 2014.
  • Amber Hamilton v. Steak n Shake, Inc., Marion County, 2019.
  • Jeffrey Certa v. Steak n Shake, Inc., Tippecanoe County, 2019.
  • John J. Settergren and Tamara Settergren v. Kamran Iqba, Family Dollar of Indiana, LP, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Marion County, 2019.