Education
Indiana University School of Law—Indianapolis
Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1976 – 1979
Activities and Societies: Graduated with Honors, member of Phi Delta Phi(Legal Fraternity) Winner of the Merchant’s National Bank Estate Planning Award ( 1979)
Purdue University
Krannert School of Business: Bachelor of Science, Business 1972 – 1976
Activities and Societies: President of Beta Gamma Sigma (Business Honorary), Theta Chi Social Fraternity, Graduated Cum Laude top 5% of Class.
Joseph M Forte
Joe has a multi-faceted practice representing clients with civil litigation, workers’ compensation and business law, as well as corporate transaction matters in addition to his experience serving as a mediator. He also represents clients in adoptions, probate estates in estate planning, and drafting of wills and trusts.
For more than 34 years, Joe has involved in both general corporate matters and also has been litigating workers’ compensation, products liability, medical and legal malpractice, construction, premises liability, automobile accident, errors and omissions, contract disputes, trucking, will contests, property law matters, liable actions, and employment law matters. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of Medicare Set-Aside matters.
Joe has also served as a mediator in civil litigation and workers’ compensation cases since 1992. He brings experience, depth, wisdom and wit to the table as a mediator and has a extremely high success rate in getting cases settled in mediation.
Joe has represented businesses involved in manufacturing, publishing, professional corporations, medical supply, health care providers, health care, engineering, computer technology, investments, the service industry, landscaping and tree care, and construction. He has drafted and negotiated contracts ranging from daily business activities to employment and severance agreements, real estate sales and leases, and merger and acquisition contracts ranging from small asset purchases to contracts to purchase of stock for an $18 million dollar sale to a publicly traded company. As general corporate counsel he has overseen compliance programs and litigation matters around the country as well as dealing with governmental regulatory agencies on behalf of his corporate clients.
Joe is a frequent lecturer to attorneys, union representatives, insurance adjusters, human resource managers and is also an author on Indiana Workers' Compensation and employment law topics. His article entitled, “Lilly Ledbetter Has Made Some Changes – Will You”, was published in Indiana Employer magazine in 2009. He has conducted client webinars on Medicare set-asides and Worker’s compensation. Additionally, Joe has served physicians and medical laboratories as general corporate counsel in contractual, business, and employment law matters, as well as in business litigation.