Kirsten’s practice encompasses workers’ compensation and general liability. Kirsten takes an aggressive approach, moving cases quickly towards closure through an extremely efficient litigation style. Kirsten guides her clients throughout all phases of litigation and frequently lectures regarding unique case handling techniques.

As a highly decorated practitioner, Kirsten’s accolades include winning the prestigious Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s Professional of the Year Award in the Outside Defense Counsel category. She also received the 2025 Influential Woman of the Year in Law Award at the Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association.

Additionally, she has been recognized by her peers as a Best Lawyers in America over several years, placing her among the top 5% of private practice attorneys nationwide. Consistently honored for her advocacy, Kirsten was named an Indiana Super Lawyers® Rising Star, before being selected to the Super Lawyers® rankings—an honor reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in the state.

She also holds both the Certified Claims Professional (CCP) and Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designations.

She has successfully tried and argued numerous cases before all of the Administrative Law Judges of the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board and the Social Security Disability Administration. In addition, Kirsten has tried general liability, medical malpractice and criminal cases before the Indiana trial courts.

Kirsten has an extensive background in criminal defense representation ranging from misdemeanor to felony offenses, and specializes in operating while intoxicated charges and criminal record expungements. Kirsten is experienced in mediation and subrogation matters, including ERISA, Medicare and Medicaid and serves on numerous occasions as Judge Pro Tempore for the Honorable Judge Cantrell in Lake Superior Court.

Kirsten frequently volunteers her time with various non-profit organizations in Indiana, such as assisting with fundraising for Jacob’s Ladder, a pediatric rehabilitation facility, and Hannah’s Hope, an organization that provides developmental equipment for children with special needs and assistance to their families. Kirsten is also passionate about assisting the local animal shelters and has performed Pro Bono legal services for these rescues.

In 2024, Kirsten served on the Board for Valparaiso Pop Warner as the Scholastics Director, where she helped ensure that all athletes were academically eligible to participate in the season. She also identified and assisted athletes in applications to earn college scholarships for All-American Scholar recognition for excelling in school and on the football field. In 2025 Kirsten was elected President of the Valpo Pop Warner Executive Board to lead the largest Pop Warner program in Northern Indiana. In her first year as President, Valpo Pop Warner had a record number of Flag Football, Competition Cheer, Fall Tackle and Sideline Cheer registrants with over 650 athletes in the program through the year.  The association also had a record number of sponsors and best year of fundraising allowing the purchase of necessary safety equipment and gear for the athletes.  The program also had the top number of All American Scholar athletes in Northern Indiana and in program history, along with the highest number of State Champion and Regional Champion football teams in program history.  Kirsten was unanimously re-elected to serve as President of Valpo Pop Warner for the 2026 season.

On any given Sunday between August and October, you will find Kirsten on the sidelines of the football field serving as Team Mom for her son Jack’s football team. Kirsten is also a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan and tries to make it to Lambeau Field once a year for a home game for her beloved Packers.

In her spare time, Kirsten enjoys traveling with her husband, Brian, and son, Jack as well as being his biggest fan at various sporting events. She also loves spending time with their two rescue pitbulls, Meatball and Fiona.

• Education:

  • J.D., Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, IN
  • B.A., Ball State University, Muncie, IN

• Professional Memberships & Associations

  • Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association
  • Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
  • Indiana State Bar Association
  • Lake County Bar Association
  • Porter County Bar Association
  • Women Lawyers Association of Indiana

• Seminars & Presentations:

  • The Medicare Makeover: From Meh to Must Know, CLM Work Comp Conference, May 2026
  • Compassionate Claims Management: Supporting Recovery While Managing Risk, CLM Annual Conference, April 2026
  • Risk Taking, CLM Women’s Summit, December 2025
  • Proactive Strategies in Workers’ Compensation: Preventing Claims and Litigation, Indiana ASBO Human Resources Seminar, October 2025
  • We’re Going to Trial & Trial & Jury Deliberation, CLM Claims College, September 2025 & 2024
  • Introductory Workers’ Compensation Fraud, CLM Claims College, September 2025 & 2024
  • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, August 2025
  • Only the Good Claims Close Early, Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, August 2025
  • Indiana Forms: Taking a Claim From Start to Finish, May 2025
  • Resolving Workers’ Comp Claims Involving Challenging Claimants, CLM Annual Conference, April 2025
  • Navigating New Trends and Risks in Work Comp Cases, CLM Focus Conference, February 2025
  • Navigating Relationships for Success, CLM Claims College, September 2024
  • Orlando We Have a Problem, Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, August 2024
  • Mission to M.A.R.S, Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, August 2024
  • Strategies to Undermine Employees Prosecuting Workers Comp and Employment Claims at the Same Time, CLM Annual Conference, April 2024
  • Bending, Flexing and Rotating: Defending Shoulder, Elbow, & Wrist Claims, January 2024
  • Common Mistakes in Defense Strategy, June 2023
  • Cracking the Case in Your State, Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, June 2022
  • The First 48 Hours: How To Investigate A Red Flag Workers Compensation Claim, CLM Workers Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, May 2022
  • DEI Workshop – Gender Equity in Law Firms: Female Leaders and Their Journey to Success, CLM Annual Conference, March 2022
  • Miscommunication Matters: How to Talk to Injured Workers, CLM Annual Conference, March 2022

• Articles & Publications:

  • Border War: Key Differences Between Illinois & Indiana Medical Care, Downey & Lenkov Workers’
    Compensation Newsletter, August 2021
  • Indiana Legislative Update, Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, November 2020 – June 2021
  • Hazards At Home: Mitigating the Dangers of an At-Home Workplace, CLM Magazine, September 2020
  • Indiana COVID-19 Claims, Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, April 2020
  • Dear Kirsten: Indiana Perspective, Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, August 2019
  • Resolve Ethical Issues in your Practice, October 2013