Ellen M. Townsend, Partner
Ellen is an experienced business litigation attorney who dedicates her practice to a full range of real estate, litigation and general business/corporate matters with a specialty in professional liability representation and defense. She represents businesses across a variety of industries, as well as residential and commercial real estate brokerages, inspectors, appraisers, trade associations, title and escrow companies throughout Indiana in real estate and professional liability defense litigation. She also practices extensively before the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Indiana Real Estate Commission, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Medical Licensing Board, Department of Insurance, the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and numerous State and local Realtor® boards.
As outside general counsel to businesses and real estate brokerages state-wide, Ellen assists clients with litigation and employment matters, transactional issues, regulatory compliance, policy development, transaction documents and best practices to ensure compliance and diminish risk. She serves on the Indiana Association of Realtors® Forms Committee as one of two outside attorneys tasked with the drafting of state-wide real estate contracts for buyers and sellers. More than ever, Buyers and sellers of home sales and residential real estate need lawyer representation. Ellen specializes in all aspects of broker and buyer/seller representation, buyer broker agency contracts, NAR and MLS compensation, commission and coop systems and structures, as well as all phases of Realtor/brokerage representation and MLS-related issues, or routine buyer/seller contracts.
Ellen defends businesses in state and federal courts across Indiana, as well as many other state and federal regulatory agencies. She represents business organizations with respect to forming entities, drafting and negotiating contracts, employment matters, buying and selling businesses, litigation, mediation and arbitration, and risk management. She represents clients in connection with permitting, enforcement, and other common issues arising in real estate development work, including zoning and other land use matters.
In addition to being honored with the distinction as an Indiana Super Lawyer for ten years, Ellen is peer-rated by the Martindale Hubbell® directory as AV Preeminent, the highest level of professional excellence. Ellen is a former Chair of the Indiana State Bar Association Litigation Section (2021-2022) and is admitted to practice in Indiana State Courts and the United States Northern and Southern District Courts, as well as the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and Indianapolis Bar Association (President’s Award for Service to the Association, 2009 and 2011). She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation and served as the Town Attorney for the Town of Williams Creek from 2007-2016.
Ellen earned her Juris Doctorate from Indiana Maurer School of Law in 1997 (cum laude) where she served as Articles Editor of the Indiana Law Journal and was Second Place in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. She graduated from DePauw University in 1994 (Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude) where received the prestigious Walker Cup and delivered the commencement address.
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