Taft is pleased to announce that Rick Kissel, Sam Swafford, and Chasity Thompson Osborn have been selected as 2024 Leadership in Law honorees by The Indiana Lawyer. Kissel has been named a Distinguished Barrister, Swafford has been named an Up and Coming Lawyer, and Thompson Osborn has been named a Legal Support Star. They were recognized at an awards event on May 30.

The Indiana Lawyer annually honors Indiana attorneys and professionals who make meaningful contributions not only to the legal profession but to their communities and beyond. The Distinguished Barrister, Up and Coming Lawyer, and Legal Support Star Awards honor such members of the legal community.

Kissel is the co-chair of the Private Client and Estate Planning practice groups. He has been practicing in the field of estate planning for over 35 years. He focuses his practice on the areas of estate, business succession, and charitable planning and gifting as well as tax, corporate transactions, buy-sell agreements, and other matters affecting closely-held businesses. Kissel has advised corporate executives, owners of closely-held businesses, and other individuals on a variety of domestic and international tax issues. He has also been involved in the creation of numerous publicly supported charities and private foundations. Kissel is a Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Lawyer, as certified by the Trust and Estate Specialty Board, and is the Indiana Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He is recognized by Indiana Super Lawyers for estate planning and probate and by Best Lawyers in America® for closely held companies and family businesses law. Kissel is also ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law in Indiana.

Swafford is a partner in Taft’s Real Estate practice group. Swafford’s versatile real estate practice focuses on land acquisition and disposition, land development, land use and zoning, economic incentives, due diligence, and leasing. His experience also includes rezoning, annexations, subdivisions, variances, and right-of-way vacations.

As director of attorney learning and development, Thompson Osborn oversees firm-wide attorney training and development in partnership with leaders across the firm. This includes identifying and addressing training and development needs, developing and implementing associate programming, managing Continued Learning Education (CLE) related functions, collaborating with firm leaders on recruitment initiatives, and leading overall design and implementation of attorney training activities across the firm.