practice
employee benefits compliance and litigation, civil litigation
experience
Doug began practicing law in Fort Wayne in 1987 following three successive federal judicial clerkships. His early practice focused on complex commercial litigation, including patent and trademark infringement. In 1995, Doug shifted his focus to employee benefits, and has been concentrating in this area of practice since then.
Following several years of solo practice, Doug joined the firm as Of Counsel in 2010, complementing its strong labor and litigation capabilities by assisting clients with complex benefits issues. He offers clear, unbiased advice in dealing with regulatory compliance issues and contractual relationships with third-party service providers. He regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor, and has extensive experience with both agencies’ correction programs. When disputes cannot be resolved short of litigation, Doug brings over 15 years of experience in handling complex ERISA issues in federal and state court.
Some of Doug’s significant accomplishments include:
- Securing a DOL no-penalty correction for a 401(k) plan that had failed to remit employee salary deferrals for three years.
- Coordinating and securing regulatory approval for the restatement of several previously unrelated retirement plans in a multi-entity corporate merger.
- Successfully resolving a self-insured health plan’s coverage dispute with its reinsurer involving the premature birth of quadruplets.
- Obtaining health insurance coverage for a $600,000 time-critical stem cell transfer procedure for a boy with a rare form of leukemia.
Doug is a member of the Allen County, Indiana and American Bar Associations. He is also a past President of the Benjamin Harrison American Inn of Court.
community involvement
Doug has been active in several not-for-profit and civic organizations, including service on the boards of Northeast Indiana Public Radio, Inc.; Arts United of Fort Wayne, Inc.; Family & Children's Services, Inc.; Fort Wayne Dance Collective, Inc.; and Heartland Chamber Chorale, Inc. Doug is also a CEO Roundtable Group Leader, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.
education
Bachelor’s degree, Oberlin College
Master of Arts, Bowling Green State University
J.D., University of Toledo
court admissions
Admitted to the Indiana State Bar – 1983
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 7th and 8th Circuits
U.S. District Courts for Indiana (Northern & Southern)
U.S. District Court for Alabama (Southern)
U.S. District Court for Georgia (Northern)
contact
direct dial: 260.425.1644