History

Bingham McHale LLP is the result of the merger in 2003 of two old-line Indianapolis law firms, Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman and McHale Cook & Welch and the recent additions to that combination of the well-respected firms of Kiefer & McGoff in 2007 and McTurnan & Turner in 2008. Today, Bingham McHale is the fourth largest firm in Indiana with a diverse group of more than 140 lawyers who concentrate their practices in numerous areas of the law with a focus on the representation of businesses and their executives. Members of the firm have historically and continue today to be actively involved in their communities, in the political landscape and in shaping the law in Indiana.

The Bingham Summers firm was founded in 1912 by James E. Bingham. Mr. Bingham was born in 1888, and studied law under his uncle, James Bingham, a former Attorney General of Indiana.

Frank McHale was born in 1891, and began practicing law in his hometown of Logansport, Indiana, after he completed his Army service in World War I. He was involved in Democratic politics, working for a successful election of Paul McNutt as Governor of Indiana in 1932. He opened an office in Indianapolis in 1933.

Paul R. Summers began practicing law in Indianapolis in 1922. He was a fraternity brother of musician Hoagy Carmichael at I.U. in Bloomington. Hoagy worked at our firm, following his graduation from Law School, until Mr. Bingham fired him. It seems Hoagy spent too much time playing the piano at the Columbia Club instead of tending to legal matters.

David M. Cook joined Mr. McHale in the late 1930s. Also from Logansport, he was a leader in the Jewish community. On a night in December 1967, he died suddenly at the age of 51.

In 1945, after service in World War II, Claude M. Spilman, Jr. joined Mr. Bingham. Five years later, the firm became Bingham Summers & Spilman, when Paul Summers joined. Mr. Spilman always preferred that his name be last.

William F. Welch joined then McHale, Patrick, Myers & Cook upon graduation from the University of Michigan Law School in 1948. He, too, was born in Logansport. Mr. Welch maintains an office at the firm today and is routinely present for a consult. In 1958, Robert H. McKinney joined Messrs. McHale Cook and Welch. Mr. McKinney left them in 1963 and the firm maintained the name McHale Cook & Welch until the merger. Matthew E. Welsh, who was governor of Indiana from 1961 through 1965, joined Bingham Summers & Spilman in 1965 to form Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman and the firm maintained that name until the merger.

Since that time, there have been two additional firm mergers. In November 2005, the firm of Kiefer & McGoff joined the firm. On January 1, 2008, the highly regarded litigation boutique, McTurnan & Turner, became a part of the firm.

We now have more than 250 attorneys, paralegals and staff in four offices across Indiana, and are the fourth largest law firm in Indiana. Our attorneys, paralegals and staff also work as volunteers and leaders on committees and boards that improve communities, build cultural assets, and advance industry initiatives. We believe that when we help our neighbors and our communities prosper, we help our clients prosper. Bingham Hale is proud of its long history, and continues to serve the needs of the citizens of the state with high-quality legal services.