Charles W. Ritz, III
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765.482.0110 Ext: 156
317.269.2509 Ext: 156
Capital Center South
201 North Illinois Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Chuck Ritz has practiced with the firm since 1978, concentrating in the areas of utility law, labor law, employment law, employee benefits, complex litigation, estate planning and estate administration. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Ritz served on active duty as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy where he was the senior defense counsel and senior trial counsel of the Pensacola Naval Legal Service Office.
Mr. Ritz has tried numerous court martials, state and federal civil trials, administrative hearings before state and federal agencies, including the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board, and labor related arbitrations.
Mr. Ritz has served as a utility counsel in two major bankruptcy proceedings involving cooperatively organized electric generation and transmission entities, and as the lead attorney in charge of discovery in a case involving more than a million documents for review, analysis and retention. Mr. Ritz represents several Indiana rural electric cooperatives, the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, and the Indiana Statewide Group Insurance Trust as their general counsel. He also represents several Indiana electric cooperatives as their labor relations counsel.
Education
J.D., Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis, 1974
cum laude
B.A., Butler University, 1971
Appearances/Publications
Mr. Ritz has made presentations throughout the United States on electric utility law, labor relations, employment law and technology to utility attorneys, utility executives and other professionals through the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., the Tri-State Managers Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Electric Cooperative Bar Association, and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. Mr. Ritz has also made presentations on estate planning and estate administration.
Appointments/Memberships
Mr. Ritz is the past president for the Electric Cooperative Bar Association and the Boone County Bar Association, a member of the Energy Bar Association, the Boone County Bar Association, and Indiana State Bar Association.
Active in civic affairs, Mr. Ritz is a past president and current board member of the Lebanon Educational Foundation. He is the communications coordinator and support coordinator for the Boone County Emergency Management Agency and serves on the Boone County Emergency Management Advisory Council. Mr. Ritz is general counsel for the Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home, Inc. and is a member of the Finance Committee of the Boone County Senior Services Foundation, Inc.
Honors/Awards
Mr. Ritz received the Navy Commendation Medal for his services in training judge advocates newly assigned to the NLSO Pensacola in trial practice, court martial procedure, and evidence. He also received a written commendation from the Boone County Emergency Management Agency for preparation of training materials on local government duties and responsibilities in the event of a civil emergency and was a recipient of the David S. Richey Award for service to the Lebanon Educational Foundation.