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Scott Olson

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Tax appeals to open flood of business: Lawyers, consultants getting ready

Tax attorney Sandy Bickle looked forward this summer to taking her first two-week vacation since 1976. But the latest property reassessment and the tax bills to follow are expected to generate a slew of appeals, prompting Bickle to rethink her plans. “I’ll probably take one, but it won’t be two weeks,” lamented Bickle, who serves in an of-counsel capacity at Ice Miller LLP. “I expect to be very busy.” She’s not alone. Tax lawyers, consultants and appraisers all likely will…

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Larry Bird suing over improper use of his name

Larry Bird is suing a French Lick couple in federal court over the use of his name on a bed and breakfast they are operating in the Hoosier icon’s boyhood home. The lawsuit, filed May 12 in the New Albany division of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, demands that the Legend of […]

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Sommer Barnard merger pumps up attorney pay: Arrival of Cincy firm may lift starting salaries citywide

This month’s merger of the law firm Sommer Barnard PC into Cincinnatibased Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP likely will cause salaries for starting lawyers to escalate citywide. That’s because, starting June 1, Taft plans to pay its first-year associates here $107,500-more than the $100,000 firstyear associates currently make at the highest-paying Indianapolis firms. If history is any indication, the topthree Indianapolis firms of Ice Miller LLP, Baker & Daniels LLP and Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and likely a few others,…

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Firm helps clients blog easier: Compendium sees huge market in making business Web sites more interactive

The number of blogs operating on the Internet outnumbers the inhabitants of California, New York, Texas and Florida combined. With a market like that, it’s no wonder Chris Baggott and Ali Sales are so excited about the potential of Compendium Blogware, an upstart firm the two formed in January 2007. Baggott is best known for founding, along with co-owner Scott Dorsey, fastgrowing local e-mail marketing firm ExactTarget Inc. in 2000. The company brought in $48 million in revenue last year….

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UPDATE: Sommer Barnard approves merger

The 64 partners of Sommer Barnard PC unanimously voted today to approve the firm’s merger with Cincinnati-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. The vote means Taft Stettinius & Hollister will absorb Sommer Barnard on May 1, meaning Indianapolis will lose one of its largest law firms. Sommer Barnard was founded in 1969 and has 103 […]

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Obama, Clinton neck-and-neck, poll shows

Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are locked in a virtual dead heat in Indiana, according to the latest Howey-Gauge Poll. Hoosiers favor Obama over Clinton by the slim margin of 47 percent to 45 percent. In the race for governor, Democrat Jill Long Thompson holds a commanding lead of 45 percent to […]

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Sommer Barnard merging into Cincinnati firm

Indianapolis will lose one of its largest law firms May 1 when the Cincinnati-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP absorbs Sommer Barnard PC. Neither firm would confirm or deny the deal, but several sources in the local legal community say the deal will be announced today. When reached by phone, Taft Stettinius Managing Partner Thomas […]

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Equicor playing it ‘cautious’: Small projects fueling firm’s steady growth

As one of a few local developers that pursues both commercial and residential projects, Equicor Cos. quietly has built a portfolio of properties totaling more than $150 million. Among those under development is its most ambitious to date, Promenade of Noblesville, at State Road 32 and Little Chicago Road. The 153-acre mixeduse development features retail and office lots, as well as 280 homes. Yet, the 16-year-old north-side company has been absorbing its share of “bumps and bruises” as of late,…

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Former Duke retail executive ready for first solo project: Schembre preparing to break ground on $15M Lawrence Commons

A former Duke Realty Corp. executive who hung up her own shingle last year is close to breaking ground on her first project. Cindy Schembre, 49, launched Via Retail Development LLC in January 2007 and is negotiating with tenants and closing on the purchase of 11 acres at 56th Street and Mitthoeffer Road. The $15 million project, known as Lawrence Commons, is an 80,000-square-foot neighborhood center that is slated to break ground in June. The development includes a 45,000-square-foot anchor…

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Defaults also hit business property: Experts expecting bump in commercial loan woes

In the few short months since Gordon Hendry began leading the Property Management Division for the local office of CB Richard Ellis, the firm has become involved in a growing number of commercial loan defaults. Locally, CB Richard Ellis is the courtappointed receiver for Plainfield Crossing, a 92,000-square-foot West Washington Street strip center anchored by Value City, and for Crooked Creek Center, a 52,000-square-foot center at 79th Street and Michigan Road. Hendry expects the local office will be assigned to…

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IU leader’s goal: global integration: CIBER director wants center’s work to influence all areas of business education

Barbara Flynn, a veteran of academia who arrived at Indiana University in 2006, is director of the IU Center for International Business Education and Research. CIBER, founded in 1981, creates business research and study opportunities for IU faculty and students, with the ultimate goal of preparing graduates to compete in today’s global economy. The center mostly is funded federally and operates on a $500,000 annual budget. The 55-year-old Flynn has a degree in psychology from Ripon College in Wisconsin and…

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Federal survey of patients puts hospitals to the test: Satisfaction questionnaire ranks criteria ranging from room cleanliness to communication skills of providers

New patient satisfaction scores compiled by the federal government and posted online give consumers more feedback than ever regarding the care hospitals provide. The usefulness of that information is up for debate. On its Hospital Compare Web site, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracks technical measures that show how often hospitals provide certain types of care that is recommended for patients treated for various conditions-heart attacks or pneumonia, for instance. Starting late last month, the agency began including…

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St. V: ERs needed in suburbs: Traditionally unprofitable service could thrive in two growing areas

Building these facilities i n proven “growth markets” such as Boone and Hamilton counties, however, should prove more prosperous, insists St. Vincent CEO Vincent Caponi. A more upscale demographic is the telling factor. Yet, the network of hospitals is not about to abandon its purpose of serving the needy. “That doesn’t mean the poor and underserved aren’t going to be coming to our front door,” Caponi said. “That’s always been part of our mission. We will continue [to], and gladly,…

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Former ATA worker files class-action lawsuit

An ATA Airlines employee who was fired April 3, when the Indianapolis-based regional carrier filed bankruptcy and ceased operations, is suing the company for back pay. The class action filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by Kevin Batman claims ATA violated federal law by terminating more than 1,000 workers without giving a 60-day written notice. ATA […]

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Zoo counting on koala appeal: Visit by cuddly creatures expected to draw big crowd

Stock up on the eucalyptus leaves. Cute, cuddly koalas will soon be coming to the Indianapolis Zoo. The temporary exhibit will run from Memorial Day weekend through Sept. 1 and feature two of the slow-moving marsupials on loan from the San Diego Zoo. Not since 1994 have koalas been in Indianapolis. The lengthy time lapse, coupled with the zoo’s objective to introduce a new major exhibit every year-whether temporary or permanent-made the native Australian animals a logical choice. “We’re using…

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Slots at horse-racing tracks may boost meeting space: Hotels in long-term plans if ‘racinos’ are successful

Two thousand slot machines at each of Indiana’s two biggest horse tracks should attract hordes of Hoosiers willing to try their luck on the one-armed bandits. But, ultimately, owners want to add meeting and convention space to capture other business as well. Legislation approved by the General Assembly in 2007 permits the slots at horse-racing facilities Hoosier Park in Anderson and Indiana Downs in Shelbyville. The law paves the way for the creation of what many are calling “racinos”-casinos that…

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Goldberg contest counts on business: Companies find recruits, marketing opportunities

In terms of advertising revenue, the Final Four it ain’t. But the national Rube Goldberg Machine Contest at Purdue University is attracting more corporate sponsorships than ever before. Named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, the annual event scheduled for April 5 is a testament to his drawings that lampooned government policies by using complicated contraptions to complete trivial tasks. This year’s assignment is to assemble a hamburger consisting of at least one patty, two vegetables and two condiments between buns….

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Real-world experience-for real: IUPUI’s Global Design Studio lets students tackle projects around the planet

New Orleans and Indonesia are worlds apart, yet linked by devastation from catastrophic floodwaters and by the outpouring of empathy that has ensued. An effort launched four years ago on the campus of IUPUI to involve design students in actual construction projects is responsible for a portion of the good will. The Global Design Studio is helping to rebuild areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and, to a lesser extent, the tsunami. Its projects also include renovating a boarding house in…

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Mortgage blues haven’t hit all: Some firms are holding their own despite housing, credit slump

The local office of Cleveland-based KeyBank has hired a banking veteran to lead a revamped mortgage department that will boast a larger sales force. And locally based mortgage firm Signature Group recently completed construction of its new headquarters and added three brokers. In this climate of ballooning foreclosures and rising interest rates, one might wonder whether executives of the aforementioned institutions are reading the wrong spreadsheets. To the contrary, despite the gloomy picture monthly housing statistics paint, they are among…

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Foreclosures keep ’em busy: Bankruptcy attorneys, credit counselors seeing surge in clients

Many consumer bankruptcies typically can be traced to a divorce, job loss or medical issue. Now another perpetrator-subprime mortgages-is entering the fray. The fallout from the housing crisis, coupled with a weakening economy, is contributing to a rise in bankruptcy filings nationwide. They spiked more than 30 percent in January compared with the same time last year, according to the Virginia-based American Bankruptcy Institute. With more than 1 million subprime mortgages due to reset this year, ABI Executive Director Samuel…

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