In The News

Car Dealership Owner Sues Man Who Stole His Wife
Fox 59 (WXIN), June 25, 2009
Indiana and Illinois mega car dealer Bob Rohrman has filed suit against a Chicago plastic surgeon he says stole his wife of six-and-a-half years, Ronda. "Bob is very upset and emotional this is the woman he loves," said Chicago attorney Enrico Mirabelli who's representing Rohrman. The $50,000 claim filed June 18th is a complaint for "alienation of Affections" an obscure statute in Illinois that allows a spouse to out information of an affair. In the suit Bob Rohrman says surgeon Dr. Sami Bittar seduced his wife taking her to dinner and lavishing her with gifts in 2008. The money, Rohrman says, is to recoup funds his wife Ronda could have earned in addition to costs for a private eye. Indianapolis divorce attorney Jim Reed says Rohrman may also want to smear the surgeon's name by outing the alleged affair. "Certainly that kind of public disclosure is embarrassing and can hurt someone's professional reputation, that kind of thing," said Reed. Both Bob Rohrman and his wife Ronda have filed for divorce but neither had gone through with their case as of yet. Neither Rohrman nor his wife would comment on the suit.

"Meeting Laws in Danger?"
Indiana Lawyer, June 24, 2009
Indianapolis attorney Dan Byron, who sits on the Indiana Coalition for Open Government board and also serves as general counsel for the Indiana Broadcasters Association, doesn't see this case [Avinash Ringra; Anna Monclova v. Frank D. Brown, et al., No. 06-51587, 5th Cir. 2009] getting in the way of public document or meeting access. But he does recognize the potential, if raised more generally. "They still have to go back to the court to examine this. Even under tighter scrutiny, if you're trying to subvert the statute or spirit of access law, it would still pass muster. So, I think there's no fear here about open meetings based on this."

Nod to Professionalism
Indiana Lawyer, May 27, 2009
James Bell was recognized by the Indianapolis Bar Association for being a model attorney of the IBA's Professionalism Standard No. 5.

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"Washington City Council looks at bond issues"
Washington (Ind.) Times-Herald, May 12, 2009
Bond financiers Sue Beesley with the law firm of Bingham McHale and James Higgins with the London Witte group told council members that if the city improves its ordinance in three areas, they should get a more favorable rate of interest.

"Playing Detective: Search engines are a cost-effective way to find information."
Indiana Lawyer, May 28, 2008
"An attorney who has been using search engines for at least 10 years, Phillip J. Fowler of Bingham McHale in Indianapolis, said information online is easy to find and less tech-savvy attorneys can enlist the help of their paralegals, if necessary. He and others interviewed for this story also go directly to Web sites for their clients and opposing parties, including online bios of opposing counsel."

"Home-buying in Florida: Planning for a residence in Florida requires choices, legal advice."
Indiana Lawyer, May 14, 2008
"[An] Indianapolis attorney who is licensed to practice in both Florida and Indiana agreed, explaining the homestead exemption has three different parts. 'First, it provides creditor protection,' said Derek Hamilton of Bingham McHale. This is why 'if O.J. (Simpson) buys a house in Florida, creditors cannot reach his house.'"

"Inventors wary of reform bill"
Indianapolis Business Journal, March 17, 2008
"'[A small inventor's] money is more precious to him, and he's not going to risk it filing an application that has no commercial value,' said John Daniluck, a patent attorney at Bingham McHale LLP, whose clientele includes small and large companies. 'A big corporation will file and stake their claim to it, and fend off others.'"