Plymouth, IN

Michael Ray Smith

Michael R. Smith is a seasoned attorney with over three decades of experience in business law, estate planning, and appellate practice. As a partner at Harshman Ponist Smith & Rayl, LLC, Michael has built a reputation for providing comprehensive legal solutions tailored to the unique needs of his clients. He specializes in business formation, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, and resolving internal disputes among business owners. He is also highly skilled in estate planning, assisting clients in creating comprehensive estate plans. Michael's appellate practice is marked by his ability to handle complex legal issues. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and graduated summa cum laude from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He previously worked at Eli Lilly and Company and is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Susan D. Rayl

Attorney Susan D. Rayl is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney with more than 25 years of practice. She has represented hundreds of clients in complex criminal cases, from pre-trial investigation to appeal. Before her legal career, she worked in healthcare as a radiation therapist. She attended law school while working full time and was admitted to the bar in 1994. She practiced criminal defense at McClure, McClure, and Kammen, then opened her solo practice in 2000, focusing on criminal appeals, and later became a partner in Smith Rayl Law Office, LLC. She has conducted numerous trials and completed over 130 appeals. Now a partner with Harshman Ponist, she handles criminal trials and appeals, post-conviction relief proceedings, sentence modifications, expungements, and probate violations.

Rachelle N. Ponist

Rachelle N. Ponist is an experienced litigator from Zionsville, Indiana, representing clients in family law, estate planning & probate, general civil litigation, and civil and family appeals. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Indiana Wesleyan University with degrees in Public Relations and Political Science Pre-Law, and attended Indiana University McKinney School of Law. She started her own law firm in 2016, driven by a desire to provide personalized, client-focused legal service. She has extensive experience in divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, estate planning, and dealing with the estate of loved ones.

Aaron J. Harshman

Aaron Harshman has over 10 years of experience as an Indiana attorney, with broad experience as both a criminal defense attorney and a deputy prosecuting attorney in three Indiana Counties. He has conducted many jury and bench trials for various felonies and misdemeanors. He also has experience with post-conviction relief, sentence modifications, probation violations, community corrections violations, and expungements. Additionally, he served as Executive Director at the Indiana State Board of Nursing, where he applied criminal law and administrative rules to determine penalties for accused nurses.