Richard James Dawson

Overview Experience News & Events Professional & Civic Summary Jim is a member of Tafts litigation practice team. He concentrates his practice in the area of commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on landlord/tenant and creditors and debtors rights litigation, including the prosecution and defense of commercial collection actions, commercial mortgage foreclosures, and litigation involving sales, negotiable instruments, banking, and secured transactions. Jim also has extensive experience in higher education litigation. He has served as counsel to a public university in many different areas, including civil rights, tort claims, and breach of contract. In addition, he is counsel to three of the largest owners/developers of shopping centers in Indiana, providing representation in both landlord/tenant and construction cases. In 2008-2009, Jim served as in-house counsel to Automotive Finance Corporation, a company providing floorplan secured financing to automobile dealers nationwide. From 1999-2002, he served as in-house general counsel to the After Bankruptcy Foundation, a not-for-profit organization providing financial counseling and services to individuals in bankruptcy. Jim is honored by Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation-Real Estate and Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law and was selected as the 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the Indianapolis market for Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law and 2020 Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Real Estate. He is a frequent lecturer on creditors and debtors rights and landlord/tenant seminars. Awards Honoree, Best Lawyers in America (2017 - present) Honoree, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers®, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law (2021) Honoree, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Litigation (2020) All Service Areas All Practices Creditors Rights Employment and Labor Litigation Commercial Litigation Secured Creditors Real Estate Litigation All Industries Construction Litigation Construction Education Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (1997) Indiana University (1993) Admissions Federal - Northern District of Indiana Federal - Southern District of Indiana State - Indiana News 08/15/2024 News Three Hundred Sixty-Three Taft Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers in America® 2025 08/17/2023 News Three Hundred Six Taft Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® 2024 08/18/2022 News Two Hundred and Forty-Three Taft Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® 2023 04/14/2022 News Morgan Quoted in IBJ Article Discussing Tafts Representation of Indianapolis in Apartment Complex Lawsuits Commercial Litigation Show More Professional Affiliations American Bar Association Member Indiana State Bar Association Member Indianapolis Bar Association Member Experience