John Hoard | Indianapolis Bankruptcy & Debt Lawyer

• Member | Indianapolis Bar Association
• Member | Indiana State Bar Association

• John C. Hoard has been chosen to be recognized in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his high caliber of work in the practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Bankruptcy.
• Marquis’s Who’s Who in America
  2020
• Indianapolis Business Journal’s Distinguished Barrister Award
  2019
• ABA Distinguished Fellow
• Indiana State Bar Association Distinguished Fellow
• Indianapolis Bar Association Distinguished Fellow
• Named a Super Lawyer, which recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in the State of Indiana
  2007 / 2009-2020
• Named Top 50 Lawyers in the State of Indiana
  2012

Over the past several years I have been counsel to the Trustee of ITT ESI, a for profit college that filed bankruptcy. As a result of my work on the case along with others, we have collected millions of dollars for the past students who represent the largest class of creditors in the estate. These dollars have been collected from claims brought against preference defendants, an accounting firm and a sophisticated lender. As well, we have settled many cases that were pending at the beginning of the case. Most recently, we settled a case where we obtained a release of millions of dollars in student debt. My contributions to the case involved analysis of the cases and prosecution of the law suits to resolution.

The key to a successful practice is to always be prepared, return every call and show up to work every day. By following these three rules, you will make yourself available for your clients, and render good services for a reasonable fee. This requires many long hours including working at night and on the weekends to make sure that you are current on the law and communicate with your client frequently to be apprised of all that is happening that may affect the outcome of the case. In addition, a lawyer should support the practice by giving back to the legal community and the community at large. In this regard I have been an active board member of a legal clinic for 15 years. I have served as an officer for my church. I have served as a committee chair person for a state bar committee. By giving back, lawyers help fulfill their roles in the community to uphold the tenets of the profession and promote the rule of law.

Clients should look for responsiveness from their attorneys. We live in an era where it is so easy to be connected to your clients. As well, clients should expect and respect a lawyer that sets necessary boundaries regarding the frequency and timing of a lawyer's responses. A lawyer often has many resposibilities to his or her various clients, as well as their firm, family and civic committments. The life of a lawyer is demanding and rewarding in so many ways. Therefore, if the lawyer is happy with their practice and serving the clients with care and deep interest in their case, this should show in the lawyer client relationship fostered by the lawyer.

Local knowledge is very important in many areas of law: real estate, litigation and tax to name but a few areas. In real estate, local knowledge of the land and land owners is important to the buyer because issues regarding the particular tract of land may be well known to the local population, but not so to outsiders. Therefore, hiring local counsel is a good idea. Local knowledge of the judges and court personnel is also a vital issue to address in representing clients in litigation. Some areas of law are less dependent on local customs and practice. However, in smaller communities, the relationships between the local bar and the members of the bench are sometimes too close and therefore, knowing about these relationships is important. Nevertheless, there is no substitute for good lawyering and judges who rule with integrity will not allow bias or prejudice to affect their rulings.

Until a client is assured that he or she is not in a conflict situation, there is little advice that can be shared other than a high level discussion of the issues presented in the case. However, if there is no conflict of interest, then a lawyer can provide a general overview of the area of law and provide some perspective of the issues as presented in the initial stages of the case. As well, the lawyer can give examples of their experience in the particular area of law to demonstrate their familiarity with the issues and the local practice. In addition, the lawyer can provide an overview of their fee structure, documents that would be necessary to review in order to assess and accept the case, a range of fees given certain assumptions, and a preliminary analysis of whether the lawyer believes the case is worth taking or investigating further before being engaged. Lawyers should not offer advice upon which the potential would rely on for taking or not taking an action against another party until formerly engaged.

The lawyer needs to know the names and contact information of all related parties that could be included in the action, as well as possible witnesses. Next, the lawyer should interview the potential client regarding the facts of the case, damages if any, important documents that may affect the analysis and outcome of the case and the client's expectations. Therefore, the client should be prepared to discuss all these matters.

I have a broad range of experience in many matters with a concentration in commercial bankruptcy. I have been involved in the largest bankruptcies in the state of Indiana over the past 20 years so my knowledge of this area of law is good. As well, I have handled many commercial transactions and have litigation experience. Finally, I also have a certification as a public accountant that gives me confidence in dealing with financial matters including cash flows, valuations and certain accounting and tax issues.

By far the most rewarding aspect of my job is when we reach the point in the case where my experience, hard work and determination lead to a positive outcome for my client. That is the point where I know that this person or people or entity have received access to justice in one of its many forms and are better off as a result of my participation in consulting and advising on the legal issues involved. Sometimes this rises to the level of protecting the client against all future claims or resolving a current one. Sometimes it is relieving a person from crushing debt or giving them hope for a better future. Sometimes it is advising them of things known only to a few that comes with experience and developing relationships with other lawyers, court personnel or members of the broader community.

I love to spend time with my family. I love to sail our small sail boat in the summer, read and be wtih our two dogs. I like to play cards, watch really good movies, play golf and work in our yard to keep the weeds down and the flowers blooming.

I have been involved in the Indianapolis community for many years. In addition to helping this law firm succeed and remain a viable entity for future generations, I have served on the board of our church, a legal clinic, a school foundation, participated in blood drives, community wide charitable campaigns as well as the local and state bar associations. I serve on cases every year on a pro bono basis and support access to justice for all people regardless of race, color or creed.