For more than 40 years, John has been a force within the Indiana legal industry and the community.
As one of the most impactful mediators in Indiana, John is frequently hired by judges and lawyers to mediate some of Indiana’s largest and highest profile cases. He is also frequently named as an arbitrator in bodily injury, business dissolution, employment, and commercial disputes.
In addition to his dedication to his alternative dispute resolution practice, John’s practice is dominated by catastrophic, complex, and class action litigation in state and federal courts. He has extensive experience in insurance coverage disputes, bad faith defense, lawyer and insurance agent malpractice, business litigation, and catastrophic damages caused by all types of casualty risks.
Through the years, he has been admitted pro hac vice in more than 35 jurisdictions and is frequently hired by out-of-state firms to serve as local counsel in Indiana. He has also argued numerous appeals in the State and Federal appellate courts as counsel for a party and as amicus counsel for lawyer and trade associations. He has been repeatedly listed in state and local polls of attorneys as one of the top lawyers. Since 2004, John has been selected for inclusion in Indiana Super Lawyers® and ranked number one overall in Indiana from 2011-2021. He has also been a Defense Lawyer of the Year honoree and in 2000 the Defense Research Institute (“DRI”) named him Outstanding Defense Bar Leader of the Year.
In 2021, he received the distinguished Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award from DRI. This national honor is presented each year on behalf of DRI and recognizes one individual who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism and service to the legal profession, fosters respect and trust among lawyers, and preserves decorum and integrity of the judicial process. In 2022, he was named to Indianapolis Business Journal’s inaugural Indiana 250, which recognizes the most influential business leaders in Indiana, across multiple industries.
John plays an active and influential leadership role both at Lewis Wagner and in the Indianapolis community. He remains committed to protecting the legal profession’s future by supporting programs and activities that educate and drive discussion among the next generation of legal minds. He has served as President of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Board of Visitors Chair at I.U. Robert H. McKinney School of Law, President of the Board of the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society and Chair of DRI’s national Judicial Task Force—lending his expertise and legal prowess to guide and preserve the legal profession. He has also served as President of the country’s oldest association of attorney mediators, the Texas-based Association of Attorney/Mediators. Presently he serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel.
John considers his greatest achievements to be as a husband to his wife, Ann, and father to his two daughters, Laura, and Marie; Marie followed in his footsteps and now practices law.
For more than 40 years, John has been a force within the Indiana legal industry and the community.
As one of the most impactful mediators in Indiana, John is frequently hired by judges and lawyers to mediate some of Indiana’s largest and highest profile cases. He is also frequently named as an arbitrator in bodily injury, business dissolution, employment, and commercial disputes.
In addition to his dedication to his alternative dispute resolution practice, John’s practice is dominated by catastrophic, complex, and class action litigation in state and federal courts. He has extensive experience in insurance coverage disputes, bad faith defense, lawyer and insurance agent malpractice, business litigation, and catastrophic damages caused by all types of casualty risks.
Through the years, he has been admitted pro hac vice in more than 35 jurisdictions and is frequently hired by out-of-state firms to serve as local counsel in Indiana. He has also argued numerous appeals in the State and Federal appellate courts as counsel for a party and as amicus counsel for lawyer and trade associations. He has been repeatedly listed in state and local polls of attorneys as one of the top lawyers. Since 2004, John has been selected for inclusion in Indiana Super Lawyers® and ranked number one overall in Indiana from 2011-2021. He has also been a Defense Lawyer of the Year honoree and in 2000 the Defense Research Institute (“DRI”) named him Outstanding Defense Bar Leader of the Year.
In 2021, he received the distinguished Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award from DRI. This national honor is presented each year on behalf of DRI and recognizes one individual who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism and service to the legal profession, fosters respect and trust among lawyers, and preserves decorum and integrity of the judicial process. In 2022, he was named to Indianapolis Business Journal’s inaugural Indiana 250, which recognizes the most influential business leaders in Indiana, across multiple industries.
John plays an active and influential leadership role both at Lewis Wagner and in the Indianapolis community. He remains committed to protecting the legal profession’s future by supporting programs and activities that educate and drive discussion among the next generation of legal minds. He has served as President of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Board of Visitors Chair at I.U. Robert H. McKinney School of Law, President of the Board of the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society and Chair of DRI’s national Judicial Task Force—lending his expertise and legal prowess to guide and preserve the legal profession. He has also served as President of the country’s oldest association of attorney mediators, the Texas-based Association of Attorney/Mediators. Presently he serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel.
John considers his greatest achievements to be as a husband to his wife, Ann, and father to his two daughters, Laura, and Marie; Marie followed in his footsteps and now practices law.
Pro Hac Vice Admissions
Awards
John is a prolific writer and speaker on a wide array of topics, and enjoys the opportunity to share insights with the legal community.
During his four decades of legal practice, John has gained both extensive mediation and trial experience.
Since 1955, the attorneys of Lewis Wagner have provided pro-active counsel for individuals, small businesses, governmental agencies and Fortune 500 companies. We believe that the legal industry is a client-service business, and our success is measured by exceeding the expectations of our clients.
