Annette is sought after by her fellow practitioners for her rather unique ability to dig into any case, deal or matter, figure out what’s happening, and help strategize and work toward a resolution. Her biggest strength is in her ability to craft poignant and tailored, written arguments – in the form of briefs, motions, depositions and the like – to best advocate for her clients.
The extent of Annette’s extensive experience ranges from handling workouts and loan restructurings, to representing secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases, with consumer protection statutes and the like, to guiding clients through internal and government investigations and commercial and civil litigation.
Respected by her clients and colleagues alike, Annette is reliable and trustworthy and has become indispensable for certain matters. That is not only for the caliber of work she provides, but also for her knowledge of the in-house environment, having taken secondments with two global firm clients.
Finance and Bankruptcy
Annette regularly handles sophisticated high-exposure cases, defending multinational banks, national loan originators and servicers against claims arising under federal and state consumer protection statutes, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and Truth in Lending Act (TILA).
Additionally, she represents financial institutions in cases involving commercial lending disputes, priority of security interests, commercial loan workout litigation and defense of mortgage fraud claims, as well as receivers in commercial foreclosures and special servicers throughout the United States.
She also assists secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings, real estate foreclosures, repossessions, prosecution of commercial collection actions, consumer protection statutes, landlord/tenant litigation, and mechanic’s lien foreclosures, as well as with workouts and loan restructurings.
Litigation and Government Investigations
Annette skilled in counseling clients through the challenging process of internal and government investigations, including with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and she advocates for her business clients when they are facing civil, commercial and even certain white collar litigation issues. She also regularly litigates breach of contract claims.
Additionally, Annette counsels companies regarding risk management as well as litigation avoidance and dispute resolution strategies.
Business and Contracts
In addition to her extensive litigation practice, Annette advises clients on purchasing and procurement issues and assists with the drafting and negotiating a wide range of M&A and other contracts.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Annette gained targeted experience – which has been beneficial throughout her tenure at the firm – as a Deputy Attorney General in for the Indiana Attorney General's Office. In that role, she was responsible for representing various state agencies in virtually all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution.
Professional and Community Involvement
Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Member, IndyBar
Volunteer, IndyBar's Ask a Lawyer Program
Honors
The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2025