Firm History
1878
The firm traces its roots to 1878, when a Lafayette attorney named John Coffroth, a friend and trusted legal advisor to John Purdue who had helped establish Purdue University in 1869, joined Thomas A. Stuart to form the law partnership of Coffroth and Stuart in Lafayette, Indiana. Stuart & Branigin is proud to have represented Purdue and its associated foundations ever since in a full range of legal matters.
In his practice, Thomas assisted his brother Charles B. Stuart, who had recently succeeded their father, former Indiana Supreme Court Justice William Z. Stuart, as Indiana counsel for the Toledo and Wabash Railroad Company (known today as Norfolk Southern Railway Company). The Stuart family's connection with Toledo and Wabash Railroad marked the beginning of our firm's long history of service to railroad clients, which today include Norfolk Southern, CSX, Amtrak, Canadian Pacific Railway, and many others.
Left to right: Thomas A. Stuart, Charles B. Stuart, William V. Stuart
1890
Thomas and Charles joined with a third brother, William V. Stuart, in 1890 to form the firm of Stuart Brothers. (View 1890 announcement) The brothers practiced together in Lafayette until Thomas' death in 1892, after which Charles and William partnered with former Indiana Supreme Court Justice and Purdue trustee Edwin P. Hammond in 1892. Both Charles and William went on to serve as chairmen of the Purdue Board of Trustees.
Charles's and William's nephew, Allison E. Stuart, joined his uncles and Justice Hammond in the practice in 1910. Allison would later serve as general counsel to Purdue University from 1925 until 1940, and thereafter became a trustee of the University.
The Lafayette Life Building
1919
The firm moved into its current location in the Lafayette Life Building in the Spring of 1919 shortly after the building's construction was completed. (View 1919 announcement) The firm has practiced from the corner of Third and Main Streets in Lafayette since that time, purchasing the building in 1982. The firm's location is adjacent to the United States District Court and across the street from the Tippecanoe County Courthouse, and has long given Stuart & Branigin a perfect location from which to serve its clients' legal needs.
During this period, the firm continued its history as a key player in the economic development of Lafayette. The firm helped organize Rostone Corporation in 1928, and Lafayette National Bank in 1933.
1938
Another important milestone for the firm occurred in the Spring of 1938, when Roger D. Branigin—then General Counsel for the Farm Credit Administration in Louisville, Kentucky—joined the firm as a partner. (View 1938 announcement) Branigin would leave the firm at the onset of World War II to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Department, rising to the position of Head of the Army's Transportation Corps. He returned to Lafayette after the war and continued his practice of law at the firm, becoming a pivotal figure in the Lafayette business and legal community. He served as a trustee of Purdue University, and as a director of the Lafayette Life Insurance Company. Branigin was also instrumental in the establishment of National Homes, Inc. in 1940, serving as that company's general counsel and as director.
Roger Branigin
1964
In 1964, Roger Branigin was elected the 42nd Governor of the State of Indiana. Highlights of Governor Branigin's term include the elimination of the poll tax and personal property tax on household goods, repeal of the state's "right to work" law, creation of the state's department of natural resources, and the construction of the Port of Indiana on Lake Michigan. Following his term, Branigin again returned to his corporate law practice at Stuart, Branigin, Ricks & Schilling in 1969.
Left to right: Doug Branigin, Thomas Ryan, and Russell Hart
1982
In 1982, the firm changed its name to "Stuart & Branigin" in recognition of Allison Stuart's and Governor Branigin's integral roles in the shaping of the firm. Continuing in the tradition of both men, the firm expanded right along with the Greater Lafayette community. Stuart & Branigin has represented, and continues to represent, local, and national leaders in transportation, higher education, manufacturing, healthcare, banking, and technology.
8888 Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis
1999
Stuart & Branigin expanded its practice to Indianapolis in 1999, allowing it to more conveniently serve its railroad and other clients. Today, the firm's offices at Keystone at the Crossing continue to serve those clients, and serve as the hub for Stuart & Branigin's Design and Construction practice group.