Lewis Wagner is proud to announce that partner John C. Trimble has received the 2021 Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award. The Award was presented during the Defense Research Institute’s Annual Meeting on October 15, 2021, in Boston. This national honor is presented each year on behalf of DRI and recognizes one individual who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism and service to the legal profession, fosters respect and trust among lawyers, and preserves decorum and integrity of the judicial process.
“I cannot think of anyone who has demonstrated these qualities the way John has throughout his career,” said Lewis Wagner co-founder, Robert F. Wagner. “He has gone above and beyond in professional achievement, and he’s done so with integrity and dignity. It has been an honor to work alongside John all these years.”
In addition to defending clients in cases of catastrophic injury, complex litigation, and wrongful death claims, John is also one of Indiana’s most sought-after mediators and trusted legal voices. He has contributed his expertise to countless articles, legal briefs, and newsletters. Most recently, together with Frank Ramos, Jr., John coauthored the book Strategic Planning for Law Firms for the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.
John is often named among the top lawyers in state and local publications and been named in Indiana Super Lawyers® since 2004, consistently ranking in the Top 10 attorneys in Indiana. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of insurance law, mediation, and personal injury litigation (defense) each year since 2010 and has been named Best Lawyers’ Indianapolis “Lawyer of the Year” five times over the past decade. In 1999, John received the Fred H. Sievert Award for Outstanding Defense Bar Leader, and in 2019 he was named the recipient of the Richard H. Krochock Award for his exemplary leadership to the DRI Young Lawyers Committee. In recent years, he has chaired DRI’s Law Practice Management Committee—serving as spokesperson for the defense bar on best practices.
John devotes a substantial amount of time to serving the legal community. He has served as President of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Board of Visitors Chair at I.U. Robert H. McKinney School of Law, President of the Board of the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, and Chair of DRI’s national Judicial Task Force—lending his expertise and legal prowess to guide and preserve the legal profession.
“John’s humility and integrity foster such great admiration and regard from his fellow attorneys,” says Lewis Wagner managing partner Jason Lee. “There truly is no one who demonstrates more respect for the law and the judicial process than John Trimble, or anyone more deserving of this award.”
John has always remained dedicated to his work and the firm, but he says his greatest achievements have been as a husband to his wife Ann, and father to his two daughters, Laura, and Marie. Marie chose to follow in her father’s footsteps and is now practicing law in the San Francisco Bay area and serving on the DRI Employment Law Steering Committee.
John is the third attorney in Indiana and first in Lewis Wagner history to receive this prestigious award.
