Brandon Tate is a Member of Waldron Tate Bowen Land LLC, a law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana, specializing in litigating cases including personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, real estate and construction, and business and corporate services. Brandon’s focuses on personal injury, wrongful death, corporate litigation, constitutional violation claims, and life insurance denials. Notably, Brandon helped secure a record-breaking $159 million jury verdict for a client catastrophically injured by a drunk driver, marking the largest reported jury verdict in Indiana history. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers from 2027 through 2025.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [2:12] How Indianapolis offers unique legal community experiences
• [4:29] Brandon Tate’s path to a thriving law firm with his partners
• [6:35] Proactive versus reactive approaches to firm success
• [9:49] Overcoming public speaking fears through practicing relentlessly in the courtroom
• [13:01] The importance of storytelling in trials
• [21:31] Unique challenges when trying different types of legal cases
• [24:53] Inside Indiana’s largest jury verdict: emotional trials and strategies
• [31:50] Key advice for aspiring trial lawyers from a seasoned attorney

In this episode…

How can professionals navigate a significant career transition and emerge successful in a competitive field? By fostering a growth mindset and remaining open to new experiences, professionals can pivot effectively and seize opportunities as they arise. Learn how a personal injury attorney made this seemingly improbable leap and excelled in his legal career.

Initially drawn to Indiana for its vibrant legal community, Brandon Tate’s journey was marked by strategic planning and the pursuit of practical experience over academic excellence. Together with his partner Kevin Bowen, they meticulously planned to establish a law firm while still in law school, focusing on gaining courtroom experience through criminal and family law to eventually transition into personal injury law. Their proactive approach and willingness to adapt allowed them to build a reputable practice from the ground up, defying the odds of failure often associated with new law firms.

In this episode of Circle City Conversations, Alex Limontes chats with Brandon Tate, Member of Waldron Tate Bowen Land LLC, about the intricacies of building a law practice. Brandon reflects on his team’s journey to establishing themselves in the legal field, discusses the importance of storytelling in trials, how to overcome public speaking challenges, and the nuances of different legal cases, including qualified immunity and the value of human connection and authenticity in the courtroom.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Alex Limontes: LinkedIn | Bio | Facebook
• Hurst Limontes LLC
• Brandon Tate on LinkedIn
• Waldron Tate Bowen Land LLC

Quotable Moments:

• “To be a trial lawyer, you have to do trials, obviously. And to learn to do trials, you have to again do trials.”
• “It’s about what has impacted your client or, if you’re on the other side, obviously lessening that impact.”
• “The most impactful moment is the moment a lawyer goes off script. The human side instead of being that robotic trial lawyer.”
• “I think everyone should try a lot of cases. I mean, I think that’s what should make a trial lawyer.”
• “It’s not a PowerPoint. It’s not your final exam. You’re a human that’s talking to other humans.”

Action Steps:

1. Develop a proactive mindset: Planning and continuously learning can set you apart from others who take a reactive approach. Proactively seeking knowledge and building connections can help aspiring trial attorneys gain valuable insights and experiences.
2. Practice public speaking: Engaging in public speaking exercises can help you overcome nervousness and improve courtroom performance. This addresses the common fear of public speaking among new lawyers and helps build the confidence needed to connect with juries.
3. Tell compelling stories: Focus on storytelling in your cases to connect with jurors on a human level. This method helps present the facts in a way that resonates emotionally, which can be more persuasive than simply listing evidence or oral arguments.
4. Seek mentorship and collaboration: Learning from experienced attorneys and collaborating with them on cases can provide invaluable practical knowledge. Working with seasoned lawyers helps in gaining insights into different case types and improves trial skills.
5. Gain courtroom exposure through diverse case types: Early-career lawyers should take on various types of cases, such as criminal and family law, to build confidence and refine their litigation skills before specializing.

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Hurst Limontes LLC — a personal injury law firm based in Indiana.

Founded in 1981, Hurst Limontes LLC is one of the few firms whose practice focuses exclusively on victims of negligence and their families.

With more than 116 years of combined experience among our attorneys, you can trust us to handle your cases with valuable and extensive expertise. We have the knowledge to handle any case — from automobile accidents to construction site accidents, firearm discharge accidents, slips and falls, and more.

No matter how complex the case or how significant the injury is, we aim to make the process as stress-free as possible for clients.

Our attorneys have represented thousands of injured clients and obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.

Have you or a family member been a personal injury victim in Indiana? Contact our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers at hurstlimontes.com or email alimontes@hurstlimontes.com.