INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP (PSRB) is pleased to announce that 18 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® lists. In addition to individual listings, three PSRB partners received top honors as 2027 Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” recipients. This designation is awarded to a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan region who receives the highest overall peer-feedback ratings.

PSRB’s 2027 Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” Honorees:

• Greg Gotwald – Insurance Law (Indianapolis)
• Thao Nguyen – Insurance Law (South Bend)
• Amy Romig – Environmental Law (Indianapolis)

For 26 consecutive years, partners George “Corky” Plews and Christopher Braun have been recognized among The Best Lawyers in America^®. Selected by their peers for exceptional professionalism, leadership, and integrity, this milestone honors their deep expertise in environmental law and insurance litigation.

Plews Shadley Racher & Braun has a long history of attorneys recognized by The Best Lawyers in America^®, as “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis. Below is a list of those honored, along with the practice area and year of recognition:

• George M. Plews – Insurance Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis in 2014, Environmental Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis in 2015 and 2019, and Environmental Law and Insurance Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2024 
• Peter M. Racher – Environmental Law – Litigation, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2021
• Christopher J. Braun – Environmental Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2020 
• Jeffrey D. Featherstun – Insurance Law – Litigation, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2021
• Amy E. Romig – Environmental Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2023
• Gregory M. Gotwald – Litigation – Insurance Law, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2026
• Tonya Bond – Insurance Litigation, Indiana “Lawyer of the Year” in Indianapolis, 2021

These recognitions reflect the firm’s consistent excellence across multiple practice areas, with some attorneys receiving the honor multiple times in different fields. The firm is also proud to celebrate a debut for partner John Moriarty, who made his first appearance on the prestigious list this year, recognized for his exceptional work in Litigation in Indianapolis. Sydney Casteel also marked her debut on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® list in Indianapolis, earning recognition for her work in Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants.

“We are incredibly proud of our attorneys and the deep legal expertise they bring to our clients every day,” said Thao Nguyen, Managing Partner at PSRB. “To have 18 of our lawyers peer-recognized—including three named ‘Lawyer of the Year’—underscores our firm’s long-standing reputation as a trusted leader in environmental law, insurance coverage, and complex litigation across Indiana.”

Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers^® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Ratings are compiled through exhaustive peer-review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

Indianapolis, IN

• Tonya J. Bond (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2014)
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Insurance
• Christopher J. Braun (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2001)
  • Agriculture Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Real Estate Law
• Sydney R. Casteel (Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America since 2027)
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Jeffrey D. Featherstun (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013)
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Insurance
• Gregory M. Gotwald (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2020)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Insurance
  • Indiana “Lawyer of the Year”, Insurance (Indianapolis)
• Sean M. Hirschten (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2021)
  • Insurance Law
• Christopher E. Kozak (Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America since 2025)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
• Ryan T. Leagre (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2021)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Insurance
• John D. Moriarty (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2027)
  • Litigation – Environmental
• George M. Plews (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2001)
  • Environmental Law
  • Insurance Law
• Peter M. Racher (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2003)
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
• Amy E. Romig (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019)
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Indiana “Lawyer of the Year”, Environmental Law (Indianapolis)
• Mary Ann F. Saggese (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013)
  • Environmental Law
• Joanne Sommers (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2023)
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Insurance
• Kyle D. Steinbrueck (Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America since 2025)
  • Environmental Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
• Alexandra S. Sylvia (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2016)
  • Real Estate Law

South Bend, IN

• Jeffrey D. Claflin (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013)
  • Litigation – Environmental
• Thao Nguyen (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2024)
  • Insurance Law
  • Indiana “Lawyer of the Year”, Insurance Law (South Bend)

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