About HKM Employment Attorneys LLP · Indianapolis
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP is a nationwide employee-side employment law firm with an Indianapolis office at 320 N. Meridian Street, Suite 506. Founded in 2007 (per co-founder Donald Heyrich's bio) and incorporated as a Limited Liability Limited Partnership, the firm is recognized as one of the largest plaintiff-side employment practices in the United States, representing workers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower, wage-and-hour, FMLA, and contract matters. The Indianapolis team includes attorneys Kathleen 'Katie' Bensberg, Natalie Dickey, and Benjamin C. Ellis.
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP operates as one of the largest employee-side employment law firms in America, with 39 offices across the country including its Indianapolis location in downtown Indianapolis at 320 N. Meridian Street, Suite 506. The firm was founded in 2007 by three former Perkins Coie / King County colleagues — Daniel Kalish, Donald W. Heyrich, and Patrick McGuigan (the 'HKM' in the firm's name) — initially handling management-side work for clients such as Qwest Communications before pivoting to represent individual workers and consumers in employment disputes. HKM reports having recovered more than $500 million for clients since 2003, and its attorneys litigate hundreds of cases in state and federal courts covering wage theft, discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, and other workplace-rights violations. The Indianapolis office offers representation for employees across Indiana in matters such as Title VII discrimination, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, Equal Pay Act, ERISA, sexual harassment, whistleblower claims, severance negotiation, non-compete agreements, executive compensation, and employment contract review. The Indianapolis attorneys listed on the firm's site include Kathleen (Katie) Bensberg, Natalie Dickey, and Benjamin C. Ellis. The firm emphasizes a non-traditional structure in which attorneys have no billable-hour requirement and significant autonomy. TrustAnalytica lists HKM at 4.9 stars across roughly 30 reviews, with clients frequently praising attorneys Benjamin Ellis and Aaron Williamson for clear communication and professional, customized counsel.
- In business
- Founded 2007 (per co-founder Donald Heyrich's biography); law.com also cites '2009' as the firm's operating start with Kalish as one of the partners. The firm notes it 'has won over $500 Million for our clients since 2003.'
- Owner
- Co-founders: Daniel Kalish (Managing Partner), Donald W. Heyrich, and Patrick McGuigan (the letters 'HKM' stand for Heyrich–Kalish–McGuigan).
- Serves
- Indianapolis and the state of Indiana; the firm also operates 39 offices across the United States serving clients nationwide.
- Rating
- 4.9 stars on TrustAnalytica (approximately 30 reviews) and 4.9/5 referenced by Limburi (27–60 reviews depending on source). No Google Business rating was confirmed in the searches performed.
Indianapolis Employment Law Practice
HKM's Indianapolis office represents employees in every form of employment matter under federal and Indiana law. According to the firm's Indianapolis page, the practice group handles workplace discrimination (against sex, race, age, and religion), wrongful termination, sexual harassment, whistleblower protection, employment contracts, severance negotiations, non-compete and restrictive-covenant disputes, FMLA compliance, and executive compensation review. The firm states it 'has won over $500 Million for our clients since 2003.' Call 317-779-3537 to schedule a consultation.
- Address: 320 N. Meridian Street, Suite 506, Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Phone: 317-779-3537
- Website: https://hkm.com/indianapolis
Indianapolis Attorneys
The Indianapolis office team listed on hkm.com/indianapolis/indianapolis-attorneys/ includes attorneys Kathleen (Katie) Bensberg, Natalie Dickey, and Benjamin C. Ellis. The attorneys serve employees across all industries and positions — from public- and private-sector workers to healthcare professionals, engineers, and public-sector employees — handling discrimination, harassment, wrongful-termination, retaliation, and contract cases.
- Kathleen (Katie) Bensberg
- Natalie Dickey
- Benjamin C. Ellis
Founding and National Footprint
HKM was founded by Daniel Kalish, Donald W. Heyrich, and Patrick McGuigan, whose initials give the firm its name. According to Law.com and Heyrich's attorney biography on hkm.com, the firm started in management-side employment defense — initially serving clients like Qwest Communications — before transitioning to employee-side representation. Today HKM operates roughly 39 offices across the United States and is described by its leadership as one of the largest employee-side law firms in the country.
- Co-founders: Daniel Kalish, Donald W. Heyrich, Patrick McGuigan
- Structure: Limited Liability Limited Partnership (LLLP)
- Offices nationwide: ~39
Employee Counseling and Contract Review
HKM's 'Employee Counseling' service in Indianapolis covers pre-hire contract review, new-position offer review (including executive compensation, restrictive covenants, non-competes, severance, and salary terms), independent-contractor agreements, and ongoing counseling once an issue arises. The firm walks clients through whether to file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and through COVID-era Indiana Department of Labor guidance.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974)
- Equal Pay Act of 1963
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act of 2008
- Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
Indianapolis employees can turn to HKM for claims under Title VII and parallel state statutes — including sex, race, age, religion, national-origin, disability, and pregnancy discrimination — as well as sexual-harassment hostile-work-environment claims and whistleblower/retaliation claims. The firm pursues both individual claims and class actions and represents clients in ethics investigations, ERISA-benefit disputes, and FMLA denial litigation.
- Sexual harassment
- Whistleblower / retaliation
- Ethics investigations
- ERISA benefit disputes
- FMLA denial
Religious Discrimination Counsel (Indiana Workplace)
Although HKM is a secular firm, its religious-discrimination practice is highly developed and relevant to Catholic employees. The firm's 'Workplace Religious Discrimination Can Affect Anyone' article explains that Title VII protects Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, atheists, and others with sincerely held moral or ethical beliefs, and that employers must provide reasonable accommodation for Sabbath observance, religious holidays, dietary practices, dress/grooming (e.g., head coverings, religious jewelry), and prayer breaks. The Boulder religious-discrimination page notes the inverse problem for Catholic-school workers: 'it might count as religious discrimination if you applied for a job teaching at a Catholic school, but the school did not hire you because you are not Catholic.' HKM attorneys can advise Catholic workers on EEOC filings and reasonable-accommodation disputes.
- Title VII protection of sincerely held religious beliefs
- Reasonable accommodation: Sabbath, holidays, dietary, dress, prayer
- EEOC claim filing guidance
Client Reviews and Reputation
Third-party review aggregator TrustAnalytica lists HKM Employment Attorneys LLP at 4.9 stars across approximately 30 reviews. Recurring client themes include clear communication, professionalism, patient explanation of legal jargon, and customized advice. Reviewers most frequently name Benjamin Ellis and Aaron Williamson. Limburi reports between 27 and 60 reviews across Indiana sources with a 4.9/5 average. HKM's own Indianapolis reviews page emphasizes that 'Our clients — from healthcare professionals to engineers and public sector employees — praise our attorneys for being attentive, proactive, and laser-focused on protecting their employment rights,' while noting that testimonials 'do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.'
- TrustAnalytica: 4.9 stars (~30 reviews)
- Limburi: 4.9/5 (27–60 reviews)
- Frequently praised attorneys: Benjamin Ellis, Aaron Williamson
How to Engage HKM's Indianapolis Office
Potential clients can call 317-779-3537 or use hkm.com/indianapolis to request a consultation. The Indianapolis office is in Suite 506 of 320 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (downtown Indianapolis). According to the firm's reviews page, clients are matched with attorneys experienced in Indiana employment law and the firm's national class-action resources. Initial consultations focus on case viability, EEOC filing options, and the immediate steps to preserve rights.
- Phone: 317-779-3537
- Indianapolis office address: 320 N. Meridian St., Suite 506, Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Website: https://hkm.com/indianapolis