Our Firm

Tom Vetne is a partner in our South Bend, Indiana office. He has more than 25 years of experience as a trial lawyer, with considerable experience defending auto-accident, premises-liability, professional-malpractice, bad-faith, construction, and breach-of-contract claims. He defends insurance companies and their insureds in all phases of state, federal, and administrative proceedings, including trial, appeal, mediation, arbitration, and administrative hearings.

Practice Emphasis

• Appellate 
• Employment Law
• Insurance Services
• Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Professional Liability

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Indiana State Bar Association
• United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
• Appointed by then-Chief Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to a four-year term on the Northern District of Indiana’s Local Rules Advisory Committee
• Appointed by former Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to serve on the local rules restyling subcommittee
• South Bend/Mishawaka Leadership Class of 2003
• Former Secretary, Fischoff National Chamber Music Association

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• Supreme Court of the United States
• United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• United States District Courts, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana

Education

• University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1993
• Valparaiso University, J.D., 1996

Additional Experience / Awards

• Indiana’s most prolific civil trial attorney, 2022
• Indiana’s most prolific civil trial attorney, 2018
• Indiana’s most prolific civil trial attorney, runner-up, 2011
• AV peer-review rating—Martindale-Hubbell
• Client Distinction Award—Martindale-Hubbell
• The Best Lawyers in America© Litigation – Insurance
• AVVO Superb rating (10.0)
• ClearMark Award, Center for Plain Language, Washington D.C.

Reported Cases

• Progressive Southeastern Ins. Co. v. Brown, 182 N.E.3d 197 (Ind. 2022)
• Kramer v. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Inc., 32 N.E.3d 227 (Ind. 2015)
• Rose v. Martin’s Supermarkets, llc, 120 N.E.3d 234 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019)