Profile

Steve Unger is a partner in the Utilities and Governmental Services Groups, where he assists clients with a broad range of complex to everyday utility and government issues. Among his areas of experience are

  • General Counsel
  • Territory & Services Disputes
  • Annexation and Reorganization
  • Utility & Government Formation
  • Government Services
  • Government Contracting and Negotiations
  • Higher Education Contracting
  • Utility Line Extensions
  • Ratemaking
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Economic Development and Incentives
  • Eminent Domain
  • Mineral Rights and Oil and Gas Leases
  • Public Records
  • Zoning
  • Property Rights
  • Litigation
  • Appeals

Steve is a summa cum laude graduate of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law – Indianapolis (J.D. 2005), where he was a board member and articles editor for the Indiana Law Review and served on the Dean’s Tutorial Society. He was a two-time participant in the Bose McKinney & Evans summer associate program, and clerked for the firm through his final year of law school. Steve also interned for The Honorable Theodore Sosin (Marion County Superior Court) and The Honorable Thomas Carroll (Marion County Superior Court). He received his undergraduate degree in political science, highest honors, from Butler University (B.A., 2002), where he also interned for the 112th Indiana General Assembly. Steve is licensed to practice law in the state of Indiana.

Education

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law – Indianapolis (J.D., summa cum laude, 2005)
Butler University (B.A. in political science, highest honors, 2002)

Honors / Awards

Indiana Super Lawyers® – Rising Stars Edition 2009-2019 (Government / Cities / Municipalities); Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Award Recipient (2012); James V. Donadio Scholarship Recipient (2003); Kerchner Scholar; Schofield Academic Leadership Scholar; Order of Omega; Mortar Board

Representative Matters

Published Opinions:

  • American Cold Storage NA v. City of Boonville, 42 N.E.3d 1027 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015), trans. denied.
  • Town of Whitestown v. Rural Perry Township Landowners, 40 N.E.3d 916 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015), trans. denied.
  • Town of Zionsville v. Town of Whitestown, 49 N.E.3d 91 (Ind. 2016)
  • Wagler v. West Boggs Sewer District, 980 N.E.2d 363 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)
  • Crowell v. Marshall County Drainage Board, 971 N.E.2d 638 (Ind. 2012) (amicus)
  • Town of Zionsville v. Hamilton County Airport Authority, 970 N.E.2d 185 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012)
  • Town of Avon v. West Central Conservancy District, 957 N.E.2d 598 (Ind. 2011)
  • Indianapolis Department of Waterworks v. Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County, 933 N.E.2d 880 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010), trans. denied.
  • City of Indianapolis v. Duffitt, 929 N.E.2d 231 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010) (amicus)
  • In Re Annexation of Certain Territory to City of Muncie, Indiana, 914 N.E. 2d 796 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) (amicus), trans. dismissed
  • Board of Commissioners of Hendricks County v. Town of Plainfield, 909 N.E.2d 480 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009)
  • Wagler v. West Boggs Sewer District, Inc., 898 N.E.2d 815 (Ind. 2008)
  • Brenwick Associates, LLC v. Boone County Redevelopment Commission, 889 N.E.2d 289 (Ind. 2008)
  • Fox v. Green, 856 N.E.2d 86 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006)

Unpublished Dispositions:

  • In re Direct Contempt of Goodnight, Mayor of Kokomo, Cause No. 34A02-1408-MI-00592 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015)
  • Indiana-American Water Co. v. Town of Mooresville, Cause Nos. 55A01-1312-PL-509, 55A04-1401-PL-35, 55A05-1311-PL-549 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014), trans. denied.
  • West Central Conservancy District v. Town of Avon, Cause No. 32A04-0610-CV-580 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007)
  • Clay Township Regional Waste District v. Boone County Board of Commissioners, Cause No. 06A04-0601-CV-40 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006)

Appearances / Publications

Author: “Did I Consent to That? The Current Status of Annexation Waivers in Indiana,” (Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis Sites Magazine and Sites Magazine Online, 2010); “Setting the Annexation Record Straight: The Myth Underlying Annexation Reform in Indiana,” (Res Gestae, 2008); “Ancient Lights in Wrigleyville: An Argument for the Unobstructed View of a National Pastime,” (38 Ind. L. Rev. 533, 2005)

Presenter: IACT 2014 Clerk-Treasurers’ School “Making the Collection Connection:  Understanding the Law and Your Options for Collecting Past Due Utility Charges”; ICLEF -2010 Indiana Law Update “Recent Cases and Legislation in Annexation and Zoning”

Appointments / Memberships

Member: Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association; Indiana Leadership Forum (Class of 2008); Indiana State Bar Association; Indianapolis Bar Association; Hendricks County Bar Association; Beta Zeta Foundation (board member); Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity (Indianapolis Committee on Corporate Governance); Connection Point Christian Church

Admissions

Indiana, United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana