L. Edward Cummings

Ed grew up in Freelandville, Indiana, and graduated from North Knox High School in 1964.  He graduated from Indiana University in 1968 with an A.B. degree in history.  After teaching for two years, he joined the National Guard. He then graduated from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1973 and joined the law firm of Kimmell & Funk in Vincennes which later became Kimmell Funk & Cummings.  In 1995 that firm merged with Hart, Bell, Ewing, & Stuckey which eventually became Hart Bell.

Ed has been a member of the Knox County, Indiana State Bar, and American Bar Association throughout his professional career. His areas of practice include civil trials including construction litigation (honored as a Top Rated Lawyer in Construction Law by Martindale-Hubbell), real estate, probate, personal and business planning, municipal and school law.

He was admitted to practice in Indiana in 1973 and to the District Court for Southern Indiana in 1973, the United States Tax Court in 1996, the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in 1999, and the United States Supreme Court in 2000.

Reported Cases

Among his reported cases are:

• City of Evansville v. Verplank Concrete & Supply, Inc., 400 N.E.2d 812 (1980)
• State ex rel. Indiana-Kentucky Elec. Corp. v. Knox Circuit Court, 422 N.E. 2d 1247 (1981)
• Slutsky-Peltz Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc., v. Vincennes Community School Corp., 556 N.E. 2d 344 (1990)
• Bicknell Minerals vs. Tilly, 570 NE 2d 1307 (1991)
• In re Court Reporter Salaries in Knox Circuit and Superior Courts, 713 N.E.2d 280 (1999)
• Daugherty v. Robinson Farms, Inc., 858 N.E. 2d 192 (2006)

Personal

Ed’s wife Brenda recently retired as CEO of the Vincennes YMCA.  They have three adult children and five grandchildren.  He is active in St. John’s United Church of Christ, the Vincennes Rotary, and the Vincennes YMCA.  He enjoys his family, reading, golf, physical exercise, and travel and believes a great vacation involves all of such activities.  His most memorable trip was as a member of the first lawyer delegation with the People-to-People organization to visit Israel.