Christopher A. Parker

Despite being born in Augusta, Georgia, Christopher Parker is a Hoosier (though only as a resident of the State and not as a fan of the school in Bloomington). He has resided in Indiana since 1990, when his parents moved to the state to be closer to his mother’s family.

After graduating from high school in 2001, Mr. Parker took the long route on his path to a legal career. He attempted—and failed—at college several times, despite excelling in journalism as the Editor-in-Chief of his college newspaper and receiving a Pulliam Internship. After a series of interesting jobs, he found himself unemployed and dissatisfied with the choices he had made in his young life thus far.

In an attempt to gain clarity, Mr. Parker spent some time visiting a friend in Washington, D.C. While he was there, Mr. Parker spent his days soaking in the history in our nation’s capital, visiting museums and famous sites. He was face-to-face with the history of people who had done something in their lives that made an impact. He decided that while he might not make the impact they did, it was time to do something meaningful with his life. He returned to Indiana determined to give college another shot.

Refreshed and with a renewed perspective, Mr. Parker obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Purdue University in 2010. While at Purdue, Mr. Parker took several classes that planted a seed about becoming a lawyer. After taking a practice Law School Admission Test on a whim during his junior year, he was confident that he could meet the academic challenge of law school and subsequently began the law school application process.

He was admitted to the Maurer Law School at Indiana University in Bloomington in the fall of 2010. Prior to his matriculation, Mr. Parker took a month to do a solo motorcycle tour of the United States. He covered over 6,000 miles during this time, exploring the west and the pacific coast. “When you are alone on a motorcycle for long stretches of time and away from family and friends it puts your life in focus,” said Mr. Parker. “I knew that I would probably not have an opportunity to take such a trip again until I retired and so I cherished every moment of the experience.”

In law school, Mr. Parker realized that he was much more interested in the real-world practice of law than in theorizing about the law.  Halfway through his degree, Mr. Parker took an internship at the Hendricks County Prosecutor’s office. “That’s when I could apply what I was learning,” he said, “and I realized how much I enjoyed it.” There had been no lawyers in his family or circle of friends, so this career choice was a calculated leap of faith. Working actual cases and understanding the needs of the people involved cemented his belief that he had picked a worthwhile career.

After graduating, passing the Indiana state bar exam and getting married all in the same year, Mr. Parker went to work in Hendricks County as a deputy prosecutor under Prosecutor Pat Baldwin. He learned quickly and was given increasing responsibility. It was also during this time that he tried multiple jury trials to verdict as the first chair attorney. “There is no experience more defining for an attorney than jury trial,” said Mr. Parker. “It forces an attorney to be ultra-focused on a single case and quickly teaches you to evaluate evidence and testimony. Jury trials make better lawyers, it is as simple as that.”  Although Mr. Parker enjoyed his time as a deputy prosecutor, when an opportunity arose to work at Kendall Wood Lowry & Kessinger, he jumped at the chance to leverage his skills in the private sector.

“Kendall Wood Lowry & Kessinger gave me the opportunity to be part of a firm with a good history,” he said. The firm was a place he could work independently side-by-side with other attorneys to participate in different areas of law—and was a place where he could dictate his time and control caseload. “I liked that I was responsible for my own practice,” he said.

Private law practice fits his personality; Mr. Parker’s casework focuses primarily on litigation in criminal, family, and contractual business disputes. “I am a problem-solver,” he said. “We get to think and work through all the details, identifying possible solutions and considering creative strategies to get my clients a resolution to their advantage.” He works intensely for the victories because of how important they are to his clients and that motivates him to continue working every day. “It is one best feelings in the world when you have fought hard and kept your client out of jail or reunited them with their children,” he said.

According to Mr. Parker, being a great attorney and counselor at law means having the ability to listen and identify what is important to clients. “Law is not working a mathematical equation,” Mr. Parker said. “I meet clients where they are and strive to understand what they want and need. I may spot important issues under the law or financial considerations that impact the case.” As an attorney he understands the law but takes a client-focused approach to his practice and ensures what matters to the client is the core of their case. He values and protects the trust his clients have in him.

Mr. Parker is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Hendricks County Bar Association. He currently serves as a board member on the Danville Rotary Club and the Danville Chamber of Commerce.

As focused as Mr. Parker is on meeting his clients’ needs and contributing to the community, he puts the same energy into his leisure time activities with a work hard, play hard approach. He enjoys snow skiing, sailing, mountain biking and traveling to places where he can do those things. At the end of the vacation, though, Mr. Parker is eager to return to the office in a firm with colleagues he values and respects and clients he can fight to help.