Indiana Personal Injury Attorney
with extensive experience in Will and Trust Law
Gerald L. Cowan
The Law Offices of Gerald L. Cowan and its co-counsel have the depth of experience, which is complemented by an expert support staff, to protect your rights in personal injury law, including defective products, wrongful death, dangerous drug litigation, traumatic brain injury, and all types of will, trust, and inheritance disputes. This high level of expertise and a record of successful client representation has resulted in Gerald L. Cowan's Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, the highest rating available, and his being listed in The Best Lawyers in America. It is his goal to conduct his practice at all times in accordance with Christian principles.
Born 1941; admitted to bar, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 1968; U.S. Supreme Court, 1975; U.S. Tax Court, 1976.
Education:
Indiana University (B.S., 1963); University of Oklahoma (M.B.A., 1964); Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis (J.D., 1968).
Author:
"Estate Planning for the Terminally Ill," Case and Comment, March-April 1989, and Res Gestae, November, 1990 monthly magazine of the Indiana State Bar Association; "High Net Worth Estate Planning-Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust Update", Res Gestae, February, 1994; Monthly column published by Indianapolis Prime Times newspaper with circulation of 50,000, addressing various legal topics, June 1998-August 2000;
"Legally Speaking",
a monthly column published by the Indianapolis Star newspaper with
circulation of 250,000, addressing questions about various personal
injury, product liability and related areas of the law, April 2002--.
Lecturer:
"Wills," Central Indiana Council on Aging, Inc., 1978; "Estate Planning for the Family Owned Business," Indiana Jewelers Association, Inc., 1979; "Wills, Trusts and Estates," Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner and Smith, Inc., 1980; "Financial Planning Through Wills, Trusts and Estates," American Association of Retired Persons, 1980; "Financial Planning Through Trusts and Wills," State Farm Insurance Agents, 1980; "Wills, Trusts and Estates," Boone County Senior Citizens, 1981; "The Legal Considerations of Retirement," IBM Sales, Service and Administrative Personnel Pre-Retirement Seminar, 1981; "Nuptial Agreements and Estate Liability for Property Settlement and Child Support Payments," Probate Procedures, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, (hereinafter ICLEF) 1984; "Recent Developments Concerning Probate," General Practice Review, ICLEF, 1984; "Adoption and Guardianships," ICLEF, 1985; "Basic Probate Procedures," ICLEF, 1985 (Co-Chairman); "Estate Planning for Incompetents," Probate Procedures, ICLEF, 1985; "Probate & Death Taxes," General Practice Review II, ICLEF, 1985; "Review of Common Probate Errors," Basic Probating of an Estate, ICLEF, 1986 (Seminar Chairman); "Analysis and Opening of the Estate," Indiana Paralegal Association, 1987; "Will and Trust Drafting - A Case Study Approach," ICLEF, 1988 (Seminar Chairman); "Estate Planning in Laymen's Language," Ameritrust Seminar, 1989; "Estate Planning and Settlement," Women's Investment Council, 1990; "Estate Planning and the Life Insurance Professional," Browne Associates Agency, 1991; "Candid Conversations Concerning Estate Planning," Citizens Bank of Mooresville Seminar, 1991; "Wills, Trusts and Probate - A Case Study Approach," ICLEF, 1991 (Seminar Chairman); "Writing Your Will: Insights & Choices," Community Hospitals Foundation and the Center for Older Adults, 1992; "Will and Trust Drafting - The Basics and Beyond," ICLEF, 1992; "Estate Planning for Larger Estates," Estate Planning Skills Program, ICLEF, 1993; "Elder Law Ethics Considerations," Elder Law, ICLEF, 1993; "Recent Developments in Trust and Estate Law," Southern Indiana Estate Planning Council, 1993; "How To Plan Your Estate," Smith, Barney, Shearson, 1993; "Practical Estate Planning Simplified," Sun Financial Group, 1993; "Retirement Planning for Professionals," Indiana CPA Society, Muncie Chapter, 1993; "High Net Worth Estate Planning," Estate Planning for Larger Estates, ICLEF, 1993; "Estate Planning Principles," Planned Giving Group of Indiana, 1993; "Trust and Estate Planning," Prudential Securities, 1993; "New Developments in Trust and Estate Law," Indiana Bankers Association, 1993; "Estate Planning for Family Business Succession," ICLEF, 1995 (Seminar Chairman); "Probate Litigation" National Business Institute, 1998 (Seminar Chairman).
Instructor:
Business Law, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, 1977; Probate Law, Indianapolis Bar Association, 1980-1981; Business Law, M.B.A. Program, Graduate Division, University of Indianapolis, 1981-1982; "Wills and Trusts," Adult Education Program, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, 1983; Indiana Law Update--Trusts and Estates, Midwest Trust School, 1993; Personal Injury and Trusts and Estates for OASIS, 1997--.
Business and Civic:
Assistant Secretary and Regional Counsel, Burger Chef Systems, Inc., 1968-1970; Deputy Prosecutor, Marion County, 1970; Deputy Prosecutor, City of Indianapolis, 1971-1975; Secretary and Member, Board of Directors, The Diabetes Association of Greater Indianapolis, 1978-1979; Chairman, Living Gifts Committee, Salvation Army, 1980-1981; Member, Steering Committee, Young Life Indianapolis Urban, 1980-1981; Pike Township Attorney, 1980-1984; Republican Precinct Committeeman, 1980-1984; Member, Planned Giving Committee, American Heart Association, 1980-1982; Vice President and Member, Board of Directors, Westminster Village North Retirement Home, 1981-1985; President 1989-1990, Member, Board of Directors 1985-2000 and 2003--, Marquette Manor Foundation; Member, Estates, Wills and Gifts Committee, Murat Shrine, 1992; Member, Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity; Graduate, Ardath Burkhart Board Leadership Series, Class V; Member, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; Member, Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity; President and Member, Board of Directors, Park Tudor Fathers' Association; Elected as One of the Top Indianapolis Lawyers in Survey of Local Attorneys by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, 1993, 2002; Elected one of the Super Lawyers for the State of Indiana by vote of fellow lawyers, 2004; Member, Community Relations Committee, Metropolitan Broadcasting Company of Indianapolis (Channel 20); Fellow, Indiana Bar Foundation; Fellow and Member of Board of Directors, 1998-2000, Indianapolis Bar Foundation; Member, National Association of Elder Lawyers; Member, East 91st Street Christian Church.
Member:
Life Member of the National Registry of Who's Who published in the 1998 edition; Life Member of the Strathmore's Who's Who published in the 2003-2004 edition; Indianapolis (Chairman Probate Subcommittee, Court Liaison Committee, 1980; Council Member, 1983, Secretary/ Treasurer, 1984 and Chairman, 1986, Estate Planning and Administration Section) and Indiana State (Council Member, Probate, Trust and Real Property Section, 1986--; Secretary/Treasurer 1989; and Chairman 1991-1992) Bar Associations; Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis (Member, Executive Committee, 1985-1990; President, 1989); Planned Giving Group of Indiana, (Member, Vice President 1991, President 1993-1994; Director, 1991-1997); Member, Board of Directors, International Association for Financial Planning, Indianapolis Chapter, 1994-1996; Member, Christian Legal Society, 1996--; Member, Planned Giving Committee, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1994--; Member, Planned Giving Advisory Council, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 1994-1996; Member, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association; Listed in Best Lawyers in America; Fellow and Member, Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Committee, 1994-1996, Member, Professional Standards Committee, 1995-1997, Member, Fiduciary Litigation Committee, 1998-, Member, Elder Law Committee and Chairman, 2000--, Member, Executive and Substantive Chairs Committee, 2000--, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Summary of Honors:
- Appeared on numerous radio and television shows discussing various legal topics from time to time over the past 35 years.
- Chairman of Indianapolis Bar Association Estate Planning and Administration Section, 1986.
- Elected Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 1986.
- President, Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis, 1989.
- President, Planned Giving Group of Indiana, 1991.
- Chairman, Indiana State Bar Association Probate Trust and Real Property Section, 1992.
- Elected Distinguished Fellow of Indianapolis Bar Foundation, 1992.
- Elected Fellow of Indiana Bar Foundation,
1994.
- Life Member, National Registry of Who's Who, 1998.
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America published in 2000.
- Chairman, Elder Law Committee of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 2000.
- Member, Executive and Substantive Laws Committee of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 2000.
- Elected by fellow lawyers as one of Indianapolis' Top Lawyers in 1993 and 2000.
- Writes monthly column published in Indianapolis Star newspaper with readership of over 1,000,000 people on topics of personal injury, will, trust, and inheritance disputes, and related areas of law, 2003 through current date.
- Life Member of Strathmore's Who's Who, 2003.
- Elected one of Super Lawyers for the State of Indiana by vote of fellow lawyers, 2004.
- Graduate of 40 Hour Training in Mediation by American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 2004
- Member, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, 2004.
