Reed S. Schmitt

Mr. Schmitt has twenty seven years of experience in the areas of estate planning and administration, corporate law, and commercial litigation. Mr. Schmitt’s estate planning practice includes drafting of simple estate and lifetime planning documents to more complex trust arrangements. He has been involved in complex estate administration matters including will contest litigation and contested guardianship proceedings. His corporate practice includes representing small, family-owned businesses to much larger multi-state corporations. Mr. Schmitt has been involved in the formation of numerous business entities and in the acquisition and reorganization of business entities, and has been involved in the process of funding start-up businesses. Mr. Schmitt has been involved in the administration of a public offering. Mr. Schmitt has successfully argued two cases before the Indiana Court of Appeals, and has established Indiana law regarding the transfer of closely-held stock in a decedent’s estate, and defining trade secrets in non-competition agreements.

Bar Admissions

• State of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
• U.S. Tax Court

Areas of Practice

Estate Planning and Administration; Corporate, Business, and Banking Law; Commercial and Injury Litigation.

Education

Purdue University, B.A. Political Science and History, 1981; Indiana University School of Law, J.D. 1984.

Memberships

• Founding Director, Chairman, and General Counsel of the Evansville Commerce Bank
• Indiana State Bar Association
• Evansville Bar Association
• Evansville Estate and Financial Planning Council
• Energy and Mineral Law Foundation

Publications

• Presenter for the ICLEF seminar - The Process of Probate Practice
• Speaker at the fourth annual EBA Estate and Business Planning Institute
• Presenter at Probate Practice for the Lorman Institute
• Speaker at Ivy Tech State College for Advance Directives and Lifetime Planning as well as a number of smaller seminars relating to estate and lifetime planning

Community Involvement

• Past President Evansville Bar Association
• Recipient of the Doran Perdue/EBA Service Award
• Recipient of EBA President’s Award
• Past President of the Vanderburgh County Law Library Foundation
• Past President of the Evansville Estate and Financial Planning Council
• Barrister in the Brooks American Inn of Court
• Founding Director and Past President of the John L. Sanders/Evansville Bar Foundation
• President St. Paul’s UCC Foundation, Inc.
• Evansville Parks - Recreation Aquatics Committee
• Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Board of Directors of Youth Resources of Southwest Indiana, Inc.

Past Community Involvement

President and director of The Good Samaritan Home, Inc., President of St. Paul’s UCC Church Council, Board Member of the Evansville Youth Coalition; Founding Director and Past President of the John L. Sanders/Evansville Bar Foundation; Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 373 Boy Scouts of America; Board member of Raintree Council Girl Scouts of America; Board member of Vanderburgh County Humane Society; Coach F.J. Reitz High School Swimming and Diving Team; Past President, Elder and Deacon St. Paul’s UCC.