By Heather George Myers

I am honored to be selected to chair the GP, Solo & Small Firm Section over the next two years. I have been a member of the GP, Solo & Small Firm Section since I became a State Bar Association member in 2009. My first real involvement with the section was attending the Solo & Small Firm Conference held in French Lick, Indiana in 2013. I was excited to take a break from the practice of law and network with other solo and small firm attorneys in beautiful southern Indiana. I enjoyed the conference so much that I decided to join the Solo & Small Firm Planning Committee where I became the Marketing Chair and currently serve as the Programming Chair.

I am a graduate of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, Indiana and in 2009 I received my J.D. from Capital University Law School. I have been a solo practitioner since I became licensed in 2009. My office is located in Greenwood, Indiana where I focus on family law, business law, and estate planning. I also serve as a public defender in Johnson County on Children in Need of Service cases, adoption matters, and mental health cases. I recently became a domestic relations mediator and look forward to expanding that part of my practice. I have also served as the President of the Johnson County Bar Association and continue to serve as the Scholarship Committee Chair and to provide CLE opportunities to our members.

I reside in Greenwood with my husband, Zach Myers, and our two children. I serve on the Board for the Center Grove Education Foundation, volunteer at my church, Mount Pleasant Christian Church, and lead my son’s scout den. I also enjoin serving as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. 

My goal over the next two years is to continue to provide tangible benefits to our membership. We currently have an active list-serve and a wonderful conference held each June. Our council will continue efforts to engage interaction among members and to exchange information across the section. Please continue to check Res Gestae for feature articles on practice tips, wellness information, and updates to the law.

It is now my pleasure to introduce you to the 2020 GP, Solo and Small Firm Section Council Members.


Jason M. Massaro, GP, Solo & Small Firm Section Chair-Elect is the owner of The Massaro Legal Group in Indianapolis, Indiana, a boutique litigation firm, focusing primarily on complex business, commercial, contract, and real estate litigation as well as appellate work. His experience ranges from counseling individuals as well as businesses of all sizes ranging from small to Fortune 500 companies in a variety of matters including litigation, contract issues, real estate matters, closely-held and minority shareholder disputes, Limited Liability Company (LLC) and partnership disputes, negotiations, corporate and partnership structuring, and corporate compliance. Jason has been in practice for over 23 years and is consistently recognized for both his legal ability and ethics. He has earned an AV® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, is a Super Lawyer Top Rated Business Litigation Lawyer, is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, and is also listed as one of Indiana's Top-Rated Lawyers.
 
Jason received his B.S, with distinction, in Economics from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Valparaiso University School of Law. Jason is also active in various Indiana bar associations currently acting as current Executive Committee Member for both the Litigation Section and the Business Law Section of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) where Jason had served as past Chair of the Litigation Section of the ISBA, past Chair of the Business Litigation Section of Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI), and past Chair of the Trial Tactics Section of DTCI.

John “J.T.” Funk, GP, Solo & Small Firm Section Vice-Chair is a partner at Tate Bowen Daugherty Funk Spandau LLC where he practices in construction, real estate, and estate planning. J.T. earned his Juris Doctor from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2016. 
 
Upon opening his own firm after graduation, J.T. saw the impact that involvement in the State Bar Association has on lawyers not just as advocates for their clients, but as conscientious citizens as well. J.T. is a member of the ISBA Solo & Small Firm Conference Planning Committee. J.T. serves as the Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee for the SSFC Planning Committee. J.T. is involved in the ISBA because of the community involvement, CLE offerings, and ample opportunities to learn from and network with other members of the bar both young and seasoned.

J.T. resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Sarah, and their three children. He is a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Parish, and is the Head Coach of his son’s Junior Fuel travel hockey team. Prior to becoming an attorney, J.T. was a high school English teacher. J.T. also plays guitar in a band called The Tamarindo Rock Band which raises money to help send young adults from El Salvador to college.

Paraskevi “Patty” N. Xidias, GP, Solo & Small Firm Section Secretary/Treasurer focuses her practice primarily on estate planning and immigration. Prior to becoming an attorney, Patty worked in the Marion County court systems as both an employee and an intern. Patty uses this experience to assist her clients through the litigation process. Patty believes that the more options an attorney can help their client identify, the better their opportunities will be for the long term. Xidias believes that her job is to not tell a client what they want to hear, but to tell them what they need to know to make an informed decision. Patty loves to practice law because she loves to help people plan and find the pathway that leads them to where they can be successful, happy, and just enjoy life. 

Patty joined the GP, Solo and Small Firm Section council after becoming a member of the Solo and Small Firm Planning Committee. Patty feels being a part of the GP, Solo & Small Firm Section gives the opportunity to work with other attorneys and to improve and grow the legal profession. In her free time, Patty loves to travel and learn about other cultures. Patty’s favorite place to visit is Greece. Xidias’s father’s family originates from Greece and she regularly travels back there to visit family and to enjoy her family’s birthplace.

GP, Solo & Small Firm Council Members:
Immediate Past Chair – Dana Zivkovich, Zivkovich Law Offices, Highland 
Solo & Small Firm Conference Chair – Ann Marie Waldron, Waldron Law, Indianapolis
District 1 – Jacquelyn Pillar, Crist, Sears & Zic, LLP, Munster 
District 2 – Natalie Fierek, Law Office of Natalie M. Fierek, North Webster 
District 3 – Dianna L Cole, Cole Law Firm, LLC, South Bend 
District 4 – Bryce Owens, Attorney at Law, Pendleton 
District 5 – Vacant
District 6 – Carrie Cloud, Cloud Legal, Rushville 
District 7 – Daniel C. Cyr Jr., CarminParker, PC, Bloomington 
District 8 – Vacant 
District 9 – Thomas E. Scifres, Thomas E. Scifres, PC, Salem 
District 10 – James E. Millikan, Millikan Law Office, New Castle 
District 11 – David Frangos, Frangos Legal, LLC, Indianapolis 
Young Lawyers Section Representative - Ben Spandeau, Tate Bowen Daugherty Funk Spandau LLC, Indianapolis

There are currently district representative vacancies for Districts 5 and 8. For purposes of determining eligibility, a section member’s primary business office location shall be deemed the member’s county of residence. District 5 includes Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Tippecanoe, Warren, and White counties. District 8 includes Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Martin, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

If you are interested in being the Representative for District 5 or 8, please contact me at HGeorgeMyers@gmail.com.