Carmel, IN

Lance D. Cline

Lance Cline knew at a young age that when he grew up, he would be a personal injury attorney representing people who have been injured, and families who had had a member killed, as a result of the negligent conduct of others. His father was a successful and well-regarded personal injury attorney in Columbus, Indiana. Lance grew up listening to stories about how his father's clients had been injured, how the law allowed such individuals to seek redress for their harms and losses, and the hard work and excitement associated with jury trials. In high school, he worked in his father's office as a file clerk and attended several jury trials with his father. Lance knew at an early age that his calling in life was to be a lawyer for injury victims. Lance attended the McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1977 to 1980. In addition to being a full-time student, Lance worked full-time as a law clerk in one of the busiest and most respected personal injury law firms in Indiana. He graduated from law school in 1980 and began his practice as a plaintiff personal injury attorney right away in the same law firm in which he had served as a law clerk. He has continued his exclusive practice of personal injury law for forty-five years. Lance worked in his original law firm for thirteen years before leaving that firm with three other attorneys to open a new personal injury law practice. He continued to practice with those three attorneys for the next twenty-seven years. In 2020, Lance chose to continue his practice of law in a smaller law firm near his home. He created The Cline Law Firm where he presently practices with Lindsay Popejoy and Spencer Hatfield. Lance has dedicated his forty-five year legal career to representing victims of health care malpractice, motor vehicle collisions, consumer product defects, and other injury-producing events. Lance's long legal practice has made him a knowledgeable litigator representing injured people and their loved ones against health care providers, motor vehicle operators, large corporations, and other formidable opponents. He is a tireless and fearless advocate for his clients. Lance's dedication to his clients and his level of skill in trial advocacy have earned him membership in the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, a national organization limited to one hundred of the best plaintiff attorneys in the United States. Members of the Inner Circle are invited to apply for membership and undergo a rigorous selection process. Information is obtained regarding each nominee from peers, opposing counsel, and trial judges. Few attorneys are invited to apply for membership and even fewer are selected. Lance is one of only three Indiana attorneys elected into to the Inner Circle during its 53 year history. The Inner Circle provides Lance with daily contact and consultation with many of the best plaintiff personal injury attorneys in the United States. Lance is also a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an organization comprised of only 1% of trial attorneys nationwide. Selection to that group is through peer nomination and voting. There is no greater honor for a trial attorney than peer recognition from other attorneys. Lance has been honored by his peers many times. In addition to his admission to the Inner Circle of Advocates and the American College of Trial Lawyers, Lance has been selected by his peers as an Indiana Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the award in 2004. He was selected as one of the Top 10 lawyers in Indiana in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has also been selected as a Top 50 lawyer in Indiana eighteen times. Lance has also been recognized by an organization known as the Best Lawyers in America in both personal injury law and medical malpractice law every year since 1997. He has been voted the Indianapolis Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year in 2011-2012, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 and the Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year in 2019 and 2025. The Indiana Trial Lawyers' Association honored Lance as its Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2018. Lance has obtained multiple seven figure jury verdicts for clients and has settled over one hundred cases for clients for seven figure amounts. As a personal injury and wrongful death attorney, Lance runs his law practice by the golden rule. He treats and represents each of his clients as he would want to be treated and represented if he was the client of an attorney. He devotes the majority of his time and energy during his waking hours championing the legal claims of his clients.

Jason R. Reese

Jason Reese is a co-founder and managing partner at Wagner Reese, LLP, with over 28 years of experience. He co-founded the firm in 2000, focusing on personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona and received his J.D. with honors from Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington in 1997. Mr. Reese has successfully resolved over 100 cases with seven-figure verdicts and settlements. He has been recognized as an 'Indiana Super Lawyer' (2004-2024), a 'Top 50 Indiana Lawyer' (2016-2024), and a 'Top 100 Trial Lawyer' by The National Trial Lawyers (2013). He received the 'Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister Award' in 2019 and has been continuously recognized in 'The Best Lawyers in America' since 2019. He was also named 'Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year' by the Indiana State Bar Association in 2003 and 'Forty Under Forty' by the Indianapolis Business Journal in 2005. He is licensed in Indiana and Illinois. Mr. Reese is actively involved in community service, mentoring, and providing pro bono legal services, serving on the boards of CenterPoint Counseling, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Edge Mentoring, and Grace Care Center Foundation.

Daniel J. Buba

Daniel J. Buba has represented personal injury clients since 1994. He has built a reputation as a trusted advocate in both local and national legal communities, with a practice centered on complex trucking and catastrophic injury cases. His leadership in professional associations, frequent seminar presentations, and authored works reflect deep subject-matter expertise and a commitment to elevating standards in plaintiff litigation.

Stephen M. Wagner

Stephen M. Wagner is a co-founder and partner at Wagner Reese, LLP, with over 30 years of experience. He graduated as valedictorian from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in 1987, earned his B.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1991, and his J.D. cum laude from Indiana School of Law - Bloomington in 1994. He began his career with the Department of Justice before co-founding Wagner Reese, LLP in 2000. Mr. Wagner specializes in plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights violations, police brutality, jail death, product liability, medical malpractice, and mass torts. He has been recognized as an 'Indiana Super Lawyer' for over 20 years (2004, 2006-2025), a 'Top 50 Personal Injury Attorney in Indiana' (2018-2025), and 'Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year' in 2006. He is also a 'Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation' and a member of 'The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 - Civil Plaintiff'. He was named the 2023 'Lawyer of the Year' in Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs for Carmel by Best Lawyers. He is a frequent lecturer and author on civil litigation topics and has secured numerous 7-figure and 8-figure recoveries for clients. He is licensed in Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thomas C. Doehrman

Thomas C. Doehrman is a founding partner of Doehrman Buba Ring in Carmel-Indianapolis. With more than three decades of trial experience, Tom has earned a reputation as one of Indiana’s leading personal injury lawyers, representing victims of catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and wrongful death. Honored as Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2002 and selected among the Top 50 Lawyers in Indiana by Indianapolis Monthly Super Lawyers in 2007, he continues to set the standard for advocacy in Central Indiana and nationwide.

Jason Delk

Jason Delk is a founding partner with over two decades of litigation experience, focusing on commercial litigation, business disputes, personal injury, and general civil litigation. He has successfully represented diverse clients and secured multi-million dollar results in state and federal courts nationwide.

JR Emerson is a founder and attorney at Emerson Divorce and Accident Injury Attorneys, L.L.C. He previously served as Judge of the Whitestown Town Court. He focuses on family law and personal injury cases, and has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana.