Here’s a quirk of Indiana law that catches business owners off guard: a signed written contract generally gives you 10 years to sue over a breach, but a written promise to pay money gets only six. Sell goods under the Uniform Commercial Code, and the clock shrinks to four years. Same signature, very different deadlines.
Rules like that are why a contract lawyer in Indianapolis is worth calling before a deal is signed, not just after it falls apart. Whether you’re negotiating a supplier agreement, enforcing a noncompete, or suing a partner who walked away, these five firms bring proven 2026 credentials in contract drafting and commercial disputes.
Indianapolis Contract Law Firms Compared
|
Law Firm |
Key Attorney(s) |
Address |
Phone |
Known For |
|
Krieg DeVault LLP |
Business and transactional teams |
One Indiana Square, Suite 2800, Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
(317) 636-4341 |
Indianapolis roots dating to the 1870s, M&A and financial services contracts, Meritas global network member |
|
Mattingly Burke Cohen & Biederman LLP |
Sean P. Burke |
111 Monument Circle, Suite 3950, Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
Confirm with firm |
2026 Tier 1 Indianapolis ranking in Commercial Litigation, corporate and product liability work |
|
DeLaney & DeLaney LLC |
Kathleen DeLaney, Ed DeLaney |
3646 Washington Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46205 |
(317) 920-0400 |
Boutique for contract law, noncompetes, severance agreements, and physician contracts |
|
Paganelli Law Group |
F. Anthony “Tony” Paganelli |
10401 N. Meridian Street, Suite 450, Indianapolis, IN 46290 |
(317) 505-1449 |
Founded 2013, business litigation and injunctions, mediation, Best Law Firms honoree every year since opening |
|
Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP |
Christopher J. Braun |
1346 N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 |
(317) 637-0700 |
2026 Tier 1 Indianapolis rankings in Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law, policyholder coverage disputes |
1. Closing a Big Deal? Krieg DeVault
Krieg DeVault grew from a two-lawyer general practice in Indianapolis in the 1870s into one of the city’s best-known business firms. Sources differ slightly on the exact founding year, with some citing 1870 and the firm describing its start as the mid-1870s.
Today it handles mergers and acquisitions, banking transactions, and complex commercial agreements from One Indiana Square. Its membership in Meritas, an international network of independent firms, helps when a contract crosses borders.
- Best fit: Acquisition agreements, lending documents, multi-state commercial contracts
2. Breach Turned Into a Lawsuit? Mattingly Burke Cohen & Biederman
When a contract dispute heads to court, this Monument Circle firm brings serious trial credentials. It holds a 2026 Tier 1 Indianapolis ranking in commercial litigation, plus Tier 2 for product liability defense.
Sean Burke has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation since 2016. Older directory listings place several of the firm’s name partners at Barnes & Thornburg earlier in their careers, a sign of big-firm training in a smaller-firm setting. The firm also maintains a Bloomington office.
- Best fit: High-dollar breach of contract suits, business partner disputes
3. Employment Contracts and Noncompetes? DeLaney & DeLaney
This north-side boutique lists contract law, commercial law, and employment counseling among its core practices. That combination matters, because noncompete, severance, and executive employment agreements sit right where contract law and employment law collide.
Managing partner Kathleen DeLaney has been named an Indiana Top 25 Women Super Lawyer 16 consecutive years, and one of her cases was featured as SCOTUSblog’s “Petition of the Day” in 2018. The firm also represents physicians negotiating practice agreements, along with financial services clients.
- Best fit: Noncompete disputes, severance negotiations, physician employment contracts
4. Need Speed in Court? Paganelli Law Group
Tony Paganelli launched his firm in 2013 from a spare bedroom. It now has more than 20 lawyers, a Bloomington office opened in 2024, and Best Law Firms recognition every year since it opened.
Paganelli built a nationwide trial and injunction practice, useful when a former partner is breaching a contract right now and waiting months for trial isn’t an option. He chaired the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Litigation Section in 2012 and is recognized by Best Lawyers for business litigation and mediation.
- Best fit: Emergency injunctions, business and real estate contract disputes, mediation
5. Fighting Your Insurer? Plews Shadley Racher & Braun
An insurance policy is a contract, and when a carrier refuses to pay a covered claim, that’s a contract fight. Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, founded in Indianapolis in 1988, runs one of the Midwest’s largest insurance coverage practices for policyholders.
Its 2026 Tier 1 Indianapolis rankings span commercial litigation, insurance law, and insurance litigation.
- Best fit: Denied business insurance claims, environmental liability coverage, complex commercial disputes
Indiana Contract Deadlines to Remember
Missing a filing deadline can wipe out an otherwise strong claim:
- Written contracts (general): 10 years
- Written contracts for the payment of money: 6 years, such as promissory notes and loan agreements
- Oral contracts: 6 years
- Sale of goods under the UCC: 4 years
- Certain employment-related claims: As short as 2 years, even when part of the agreement is written
- Court judgments: Enforceable for 20 years
A signed written acknowledgment of a debt or a voluntary payment can restart some limitation periods.
This article provides general information, not legal advice. Firm selection reflects independent editorial research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How long do I have to sue for breach of contract in Indiana?
A: It depends on the contract. Most written contracts allow 10 years, while written promises to pay money and oral contracts allow six. Sales of goods under the UCC carry a four-year deadline.
Q2. Are verbal agreements legally binding in Indiana?
A: Often, yes. Oral contracts can be enforced, but some agreements must be in writing, including real estate sales and contracts that can’t be performed within one year. Proving oral terms is harder.
Q3. How much does a contract lawyer cost in Indianapolis?
A: Many attorneys charge flat fees for drafting or reviewing standard agreements, while contract litigation is usually billed hourly. Ask for a written engagement letter that explains rates and expected costs.
Q4. Can a contract lawyer stop someone from breaching a noncompete?
A: Yes, through a court injunction. Indiana courts enforce noncompetes that are reasonable in time, geography, and scope and protect a legitimate business interest, but overly broad restrictions may be narrowed or rejected.
