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.

Kirsten recently earned her Certified Claims Professional (CCP) and Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designations. Her other accomplishments include winning Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s Professionals of the Year Awards in the Outside Defense Counsel category and being recognized by her peers in the 28th Edition of Best Lawyers in America for the third consecutive year, ranked among the top 5% of private practice attorneys nationwide. Kirsten has also been selected to the Indiana Super Lawyers Rising Star list from
2017-2021, an exclusive list recognizing no more than 2.5% of lawyers in Indiana.

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. For the 2025 year, Kirsten was elected President of the Valpo Pop Warner Executive Board to lead the largest Pop Warner program in Northern Indiana.

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.

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 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.

• Education:

  • J.D., Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana 2008
  • B.A., Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 2005

• 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:

  •  “Amputations and How to Pay – Indiana v. Illinois – Time for Change?” Lake County Board of Commissioner’s Worker’s Compensation Seminar, December 2024
  • “Navigating Relationships for Success,” CLM Claims College, September 2024
  • “We’re Going to Trial & Trial & Jury Deliberation,” CLM Claims College, September 2024
  • “Introductory Worker’s Compensation Fraud,” CLM Claims College, September 2024
  • “Orlando, We Have a Problem,” Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, August 2024
  • “Mission to M.A.R.S,” Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, August 2024
  • “Indiana Forms: Taking a Claim From Start to Finish,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2024 
  • “Strategies to Undermine Employees Prosecuting Workers Comp & Employment Claims at the Same Time,” CLM Alliance Annual Conference, April 2024
  • “Bending, Flexing and Rotating: Defending Shoulder, Elbow, & Wrist Claims”, Downey & Lenkov Clients January 2024
  • Omaha Educational Seminar, September 2023
  • “Common Mistakes in Defense Strategy”, Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2023
  • “Indiana Forms: Taking a Claim From Start to Finish,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2023
  • “Breakout on Multi-State Workers’ Compensation Laws,“ Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute Conference, December 2021
  • “Tips From The Trenches,” Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, April 2021
  • “COVID Claims, Compensability and Vaccines, Oh My!,” Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, February 2021
  • “How To Get A Zero,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2020
  • “Indiana Forms: Taking a Claim From Start to Finish,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2020 
  • “Bending, Flexing & Rotating: Defending Shoulder, Elbow & Wrist Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, November 2019
  • “Workers’ Compensation Seminar,” South Bend Orthopaedics, June 2019
  • “Aggressive Claims Handling,” CLM Workers’ Compensation Conference, May 2019
  • “Indiana Forms: Taking A Claim From Start To Finish,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, April 2019
  • “Top Reasons Why Plaintiffs Retain Counsel,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, February 2019
  • “Key Differences in Illinois & Indiana Workers’ Compensation” Downey & Lenkov Clients, August 2018
  • “The Red Zone: Indiana Workers’ Compensation,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, November 2017
  • “Top Employer Mistakes in Indiana,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, November 2017
  • “Top Employer Mistakes in the Claims Process,” CLM & Business Insurance Workers’ Compensation Conference, May 2017
  • “Indiana Forms: Taking A Claim From Start To Finish,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, September 2016
  • Merrillville High School Mock Trial Competition Judge, February 2016
  • “Crossing The Border: Top 5 Issues In Illinois & Indiana WC,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, November 2015
  • Merrillville High School’s Career Day, April 2015
  • “Workers’ Compensation Claims: Initial Investigation Strategies,” Beyond Safety & Reliability Conference & Expo, March 2015
  • “Strategies & Tactics For Defending Indiana Workers’ Compensation Claims,” February 2015
  • Indiana High School Regional Mock Trial Competition Judge, February 2015
  • “Resolve Ethical Issues in your Practice,” October 2013

• Articles & Publications:

  • “Indiana Legislative Update,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, November 2020 – Present
  • “Hazards At Home: Mitigating the Dangers of an At-Home Workplace,” CLM Magazine, September 2020
  • “Indiana COVID-19 Claims,“ Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, April 2020
  • “Dear Kirsten: Indiana Perspective,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, August 2019