Joanne R. Sommers

Joanne Sommers is uniquely experienced in both litigation and transactional matters. Joanne’s broad foundation allows her litigation practice to inform her transactional practice, and vice versa, to help obtain the best, most cost-effective outcome for her clients.

Joanne focuses her litigation practice on insurance coverage law. She represents policyholders in property and liability insurance coverage and insurance agent liability litigation. Joanne has deep and broad experience with a variety of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, umbrella liability, first-party property (including business interruption), directors and officers, errors and omissions, and pollution liability. Joanne also prosecutes and defends environmental cost recovery and other complex commercial claims, including breach of contract, construction defect, and real estate disputes.

Joanne focuses her non-litigation practice on transactional real estate and business matters for both buyers and sellers. Many of these deals concern environmentally contaminated properties. Joanne can assist clients with all aspects of asset and stock transactions, from contract drafting and negotiation, through due diligence, and to closing. Joanne uses her insurance and environmental training to help clients navigate any environmental concerns and maximize their likelihood of obtaining insurance coverage to pay for any required investigation and remediation.

Joanne also counsels both start-ups and established businesses on corporate governance matters.

Joanne served as a law clerk at Plews Shadley Racher and Braun LLP prior to joining the firm as an attorney. She was also an intern for Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Judge Timothy Oakes of the Marion Superior Court, and Judge Heather Welch of the Marion Superior Court.