Our Team
Stephen M. Wagner
Co-founder & Partner
30+ years of experience
trying cases to juries in state and federal courts all over the country, receiving 7-figure verdicts in Texas and Indiana
$200+ million recovered
for his clients during a 30 year legal career handling significant personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights, product liability, and mass tort cases
Recognized by his peers
as the Trial Lawyer of the Year in Indiana (2006), a Top 50 Personal Injury Attorney by Super Lawyer magazine (2018-2024), a Distinguished Fellow by the Indianapolis Bar Foundation (2021), and as one of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Civil Plaintiff.
Legal Expertise and Recognition
Mr. Wagner practices exclusively in the areas of plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights violations, police brutality, jail death, product liability, medical malpractice, and mass torts.
For more than 20 years (2004, 2006-2025), Mr. Wagner has been selected by his peers as an “Indiana Super Lawyer”, an award presented to the top 5% of practicing attorneys in Indiana as published in the Indianapolis Monthly and Super Lawyer magazines. From 2018-2025, he was named one of the “Top 50 Personal Injury Attorneys in Indiana” by Super Lawyer. In 2006, Mr. Wagner was also selected by the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association as the “Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year” for his work on the high-profile police action shooting case of Leaf v. Sheriff of Marion County.
Mr. Wagner has also been named a “Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation” for his significant contribution to the legal profession and leadership within the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Wagner is a frequent lecturer in the areas of civil litigation, civil rights violations, and work injuries, and has published numerous articles in both national and local legal publications regarding the interaction between work comp claims and third party litigation, police brutality and jail death cases, and various other civil litigation topics. Mr. Wagner has taken numerous cases to a jury trial in Indiana and across the country, including auto and truck accident cases, medical malpractice cases, civil rights cases, and premises liability cases, and has obtained numerous 7-figure and several 8-figure recoveries for clients.
Educational Background and Legal Beginnings
Stephen M. Wagner grew up in Indianapolis and attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School where he graduated as a valedictorian in 1987. Mr. Wagner graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1991 with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and received his J.D. cum laude from the Indiana School of Law – Bloomington in 1994. After being accepted to the U.S. Attorney General’s Honors Program, Mr. Wagner attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, before working for the Department of Justice in 1994-1995 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1996 Mr. Wagner returned to Indianapolis to practice with the prestigious law firm of Riley Bennett & Egloff. In June, 1997 Mr. Wagner left Riley Bennett to found the Wagner Law Firm, P.C. In June 2000, Mr. Wagner brought in partner Jason R. Reese to form Wagner Reese, LLP, a firm dedicated to representing injury victims throughout Indiana and nationwide.
Motivation, Community Involvement and Personal Life
Highly competitive with a strong sense of justice, Mr. Wagner is motivated to help the “Davids” of the world defeat the “Goliaths” of the world. He relishes handling cases on behalf of those most at-risk in our society who need someone to fight for them against big corporations and government. He loves the fact that all parties are equal once they set foot in a court room. Because of his experience handling cases in the news, he is frequently sought out by the media for commentary in high profile legal cases involving police brutality, daycare negligence, and fraternity hazing. Mr. Wagner and his wife, Courtenay, have four adult children. Outside of work, he enjoys volunteering at his church, playing blues harmonica, acting in community theatre, cooking on the grill, rooting for the Colts/Pacers/Irish, and working out.
Stephen M. Wagner’s Practice Areas
Case Results
Indiana’s Most Successful Personal Injury Case Results
These aren’t just numbers - they’re real families we’ve helped.
Media Features
Meet Stephen Wagner
“For the past 27 years I’ve had the honour of representing heroes who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one due to someone else’s wrongdoing.”
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