Caring for the Community in More Ways Than One: Church Church Hittle + Antrim
by Christy Heitger-Ewing
Navigating legalese when you’re not well-versed in law can be confusing, frustrating and unsettling. Thankfully, however, you don’t have to go it alone as there are local trusted legal advisors who can help you navigate whatever issue you’re facing. One such firm is Church Church Hittle + Antrim, which has been around since 1880. The full-service law firm, who is committed to providing innovative and practical solutions for their clients, employs 60 attorneys spread across seven offices, three of which are located in Hamilton County. Their offices are in Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Tipton and Merrillville.
“We represent individuals, companies, school corporations, and municipalities,” says Eric Douthit, a partner in the firm’s Business Practice section. They offer a full range of legal services from real estate development to personal injuries to wills, trusts, estates, business law, bankruptcy, and contracts. They also handle administrative law, appeals, sports law, criminal law, guardianships, labor & employment, mediation, tax, and worker’s compensation.
“There’s nothing we can’t do,” says Douthit. “Clients can feel good knowing that we’re working to protect your best interests.”
Douthit, who splits his time between the Westfield and Noblesville offices, joined the firm in 2003. His favorite aspect of his career is helping a client navigate a legal issue or opportunity that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to handle on their own.
“Moreover, I love reaching that conclusion in such a way that we get them the best possible result!” says Douthit. “Our ultimate job is to handle it for them and reach that successful result.”
The firm has been a member of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce since the beginning. Douthit began regularly attending meetings shortly after joining the firm when his family moved to Westfield in 2005.
“When I initially joined, I felt there was an obligation to go to the meetings, but now I go to them because I like catching up with all of my friends, clients, and colleagues,” he says. “It’s a good chance to meet them at the lunches and catch up with folks whom I wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to see.”
Everyone at the firm is committed not only to helping individuals in the community but also to organizations that are important to Westfield. A number of local organizations meet the firm’s charitable and community goals. For instance, they have folks involved in many Westfield organizations, including the Westfield Chamber of Commerce, the Westfield School Boosters Association, Student Impact of Westfield, and the Downtown Westfield Association. They also partner with the Basile Westfield Playhouse, the Westfield Youth Assistance Program, the Westfield Education Foundation, and the Westfield YMCA project.
“We think it’s important to give back to the communities in which you live,” Douthit says.
The firm supports nonprofits in the community such as the Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville, the OneZone Chamber of Commerce, Isaiah 117 House, and the O’Connor House. The OneZone Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to serve as a collective voice to drive solutions for a thriving community and to create a healthy business environment. Isaiah 117 House offers foster children a safe place to go after they are removed from their homes and before getting placed with a family. The O’Connor House helps transform the lives of homeless pregnant women and their children.
Douthit notes how much fun it has been to watch the city grow and change over the last 20 years.
“It’s crazy to see the evolution in the time I’ve been a resident and actively involved in the Chamber,” he says. “When you think of how we used to gather at the Old Country Buffet for Chamber meetings to where we are now—at the Bridgewater Club or Chatham Hills—it’s been very interesting.”
The numbers have changed substantially, too—having grown from a couple dozen people to now regularly hosting between 50 and 100 people at each meeting.
“It’s great to see!” Douthit says.
Church Church Hittle + Antrim is located at Two North Ninth Street, Noblesville, IN 46060. For more information, call 317-773-2190 or visit cchalaw.com