Collaboration and Community Access: Discovering Indy with Brian Garrison

Faegre Drinker’s roots run deep in the Hoosier State, with our original presence in Indianapolis beginning 160 years ago. The firm’s name and footprint may have changed over time — but as Partner Brian Garrison illustrates, our connection to the community remains as strong and consistent as ever.

When Brian Garrison joined our predecessor firm two decades ago, the Indianapolis office was the hub of a stalwart statewide presence.

“20 years ago we were an Indiana firm,” Brian said. “We had Indiana offices and one office in China, and now we have offices throughout the country and offices internationally as well. So the culture and things have really remained the same, but the scope and the complexity and the profile of our work has really increased over time.”

With particular strength in practices including corporate, M&A, product liability and mass torts, intellectual property, labor and employment, and business litigation, our attorneys serve a wide variety of clients and markets.

“But historically,” Brian added, “some of the  client focuses that we’ve been strong in have been in industries that typically have a strong presence here in central Indiana: manufacturing, life sciences, and agribusiness industries.”

Brian is proud of the collaborative and collegial atmosphere in our Indianapolis offices, including the strong personal relationships between colleagues and the interest in involvement that our professionals show by taking on leadership roles in the greater community.

“Faegre Drinker has a long history of community involvement, leadership, Brian commented. “And I think that is really built into our DNA here and permeates the culture of the firm.”

Prominent community partnerships include our relationship with Riley Children's Foundation, including sponsorship of the Riley Red for Kids Gala, and our consistent involvement in the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award. Faegre Drinker also supports the community through pro bono programs, including will creation initiatives through Eli Lilly and the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis.

“Our pro bono coordinators provide great accessibility for our lawyers,” Brian remarked, “no matter what their practice is day to day, to engage and perform pro bono work on a variety of different levels.”

While Brian isn’t originally from Indy, spending 20 years in the area has turned him into one of the city’s great cheerleaders. He says if he could encapsulate Indianapolis in one term, it would be “accessibility” — not only geographically, but from an involvement perspective.

“When I came here in 2005, I really wanted to take leadership roles in the community at an early age, and our community is very accessible on that,” Brian articulated. “You've seen that many of the people who have been involved in building things here in Indianapolis have been lawyers at our firm. And that's because the city is accessible and welcoming to folks who want to take initiative and want to be leaders in the community, and the firm has been supportive of that as well.”

Brian says one thing that really sets Faegre Drinker apart in Indy is that when colleagues from other offices within the firm or people from other firms visit us, they feel the unique culture that arises from the genuine connections between our lawyers and staff . And that culture comes from colleagues from all departments within our offices collaborating with each other to deliver excellent client service.

“And that really, at the end of the day, is what Faegre Drinker is all about,” Brian concluded. “And [I’m] really proud to believe that we are emblematic of that here in our Indy offices.”

Learn more about Faegre Drinker’s Indianapolis presence.