Our Team

The legal team at Kiley, Harker & Certain take great pride in the personal relationship we develop with each of our clients, and always hold ourselves to the highest level of ethical standards. As a result, the firm has garnered a prestigious “A-V” rating, the highest allowed, from Martindale-Hubbell.*

We invite you to learn more about each member of the firm and their practice areas. We are confident you will find we have the knowledge, experience, and personal insight to assist you with the most important matters in your life.

Firm Attorneys
Albert C. Harker
H. Joseph Certain
Martin A. Harker
Thomas R. Hunt

Of Counsel
Jules S. Walker

* Martindale-Hubbell has been rating lawyers for over a century. It is the most widely recognized peer-review rating of lawyers in the legal field. Lawyers are rated in two categories: "Legal Ability Ratings" are: "C" (from Good to High), "B" (from High to Very High), and "A" (from Very High to Preeminent); "General Ethical Standards Rating" is: "V" (Very High) or not assigned.

Michael J. Kiley

Partner

Practice Areas

• Business & Banking
• Commercial Real Estate
• Environmental Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Administrative Law

Michael J. Kiley is devoted to serving individuals, corporations, banks, and other related organizations. Mr. Kiley has served on the board of directors of Bank One and Salin Bank and Trust Company and has specialized in Real Estate Law, having represented the Marion Area Board of Realtors, and many of its individual members for over 35 years.

Mr. Kiley is an AV Rated Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and a Certified Civil Mediator. A pioneer in the area of Environmental Law, he served on the Indiana Natural Resources Commission for 28 years, and was its chairman for 15 years.

Mr. Kiley served as Municipal Judge in the City of Marion, Indiana from 1964 through 1971 and was awarded an American Bar Association Commendation for Efficiency in the administration of his court. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Indiana State Bar Association, as well as the Indiana Bar Foundation.

In the fall of 1959, Mr. Kiley joined the predecessor of the firm as an associate, and has practiced with the firm through a succession of name changes since that time.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association (Member, Board of Managers, 1976-1978
• Indiana Bar Foundation (Board of Directors)
• American Bar Association

Education & Experience

• Certified Civil Mediator
• City Judge, Marion, 1964-1971
• Chairman, Indiana Natural Resources Commission, 1990-2005
• United States Capitol Police Force, Washington, DC, 1956-1959
• University of Notre Dame (A.B.,1956)
• Georgetown University (J.D., 1959) - Member of Staff, Georgetown Law Journal, 1957-1958

Albert C. Harker

Partner

Practice Areas

• Civil Trial and Appellate Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Estate Planning and Administration
• Health Care
• Family Law

Albert C. Harker’s career is founded in 45 years of general practice. He has served clients in diverse matters including defense of civil lawsuits as well as with real estate, family law, estate planning and administration, guardianships and business and corporate problems. He has been counsel for Grant-Blackford Mental Health, Inc. for 35 years; Marion Public Library for 20 years; and currently is the attorney for Marion General Hospital. As a registered domestic relations mediator, he serves as mediator in family law and other cases.

During his 40 years of litigation experience he has successfully concluded hundreds of cases before the Court or jury. Extensive discovery work includes participation in numerous depositions of both lay and expert witnesses. This volume of experience enhances his ability to counsel his own clients as well as other litigants in mediation about the trial of lawsuits and the inherent risks of litigation. He joined the predecessor of the current firm, Batton, Harker, Kiley & Osborn, in 1962 as an associate, and has practiced law there since.

He serves as counsel for: Grant-Blackford Mental Health, Inc.; Marion Public Library and Marion Public Library Building Corporation; Marion General Hospital; STAR Wealth Management; Regions Morgan Keegan Trust Company; ANPAC; and Motorists Mutual Insurance.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. Court of Claims
• U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Cox-Ratliff American Inns of Court (Master Barrister)

Education & Experience

• Registered Family Law Mediator
• Indiana University (B.A. Political Science,1958)
• U.S. Army Reserve (1959)
• University of Virginia Law School (L.L.B., 1962)
• National Institute of Advocacy Advanced Trial Attorneys (1981)

H. Joseph Certain

Partner

Practice Areas

• Commercial Litigation
• Commercial and business law (both public and private sector)
• Employment practices
• Contract disputes
• Commercial real estate development
• Estate planning and Probate administration

H. Joseph Certain has more than 30 years experience in a variety of areas of law, including litigation, estate planning and probate administration. He currently concentrates his practice in commercial and business enterprises in both public and private sector. Joe’s experience includes employment practices, contract dispute, commercial real estate development and litigation.

When issues cannot be otherwise resolved, Joe is no stranger to the courtroom. His litigation experience spans more than 30 years and he has recently been profiled by “Indiana Business Magazine” (2006 and 2007) as being recognized by his peers as one of Indiana’s Best Lawyers in the field of commercial litigation.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• Indiana Supreme Court
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana
• U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• The Florida Bar

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association

Education & Experience

• Loras College (B.A. in Accounting, 1966)
• Indiana University (J.D. 1969)
• U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps (1969-1973) (Staff Judge Advocate; legal advisor to the Blue Angels)

Martin A. Harker

Partner

Practice Areas

• Civil Trial and Appellate Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Probate and Estate Planning and Administration
• Real Estate Law
• Family Law
• Criminal Defense
• School Law
• Collection Law
• Creditor’s Rights

Undergraduate Education: B.A from the University of Cincinnati, 1997, with Honors in Political Science. Member of the Varsity Men’s Tennis Team from 1993 to 1997. Academic All-Conference for 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997. Member of Golden Key National Honor Society, Phi Alpha Delta, and President of the Pi Sigma Alpha national Political Science Honor Society, University of Cincinnati Chapter.

Legal Education: J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law, 2000. Member of the 1998-99 and 1999-00 Law School Trial teams. National Finalist in the 1998 National Institute for Trial Advocacy Tournament of Champions Trial Competition. Winner of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in the Study of Legal Ethics. Member of the Who’s Who Among American Law Students for 1999.

Community Activities: Member of the Marion Kiwanis Club. Prior Board Member for the Grant County Young Professional Network. Current Board Member for the Community Foundation of Grant County, Inc. Current Board Member for the Community School of the Arts, Inc. Current Board Member of the Minnetrista Cultural Center, Inc.

Professional Affiliations: Grant County Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, Ratliff and Cox American Inns of Court.

Counsel for: Mississinewa Community School Corporation; Grant County Election Board, Marion General Hospital, Grant-Blackford Mental Health Center, Gillum Facial Plastic Surgery, P.C., Marion Services, LLC, Raven-Choate Funeral Home, Harrison-Metzger-Rans Funeral Homes, Conestoga Title Insurance Company, Major League Recycling, Inc., STAR Financial Bank, STAR Wealth Management, KIM Hospitality, Inc., Pekin Insurance, Allied/AMCO Insurance, Motorists Mutual Insurance, Bell’s School Services, Inc.

Marty currently enjoys spending his free time working out, playing tennis and golf, and spending time with his family and friends.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association
• Ratliff and Cox American Inns of Court

Education & Experience

• University of Cincinnati (B.S. in Political Science, 1997)
• University of Akron (J.D. 2000)

Thomas R. Hunt

Partner

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning and Probate Administration
• School Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation/Private Judge
• Business Organization
• Commercial Litigation

Thomas R. Hunt, is a Marion native who served Grant County as Circuit Court Judge for over 26 years. He presided over nearly 300 jury trials and countless numbers of bench trials involving personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, complex business and contract related issues, as well as several of Grant County’s most memorable criminal cases.

Judge Hunt brings a vast store of knowledge and experience to his clients, and a keen understanding of the law that his business clients find particularly valuable. His understanding of the judicial process places him in high demand as a mediator.

He attended law school at Indiana University, Indianapolis where he was Associate Editor of the Indiana Law Review and worked as a law clerk to Judge Paul Buchanan of the Indiana Court of Appeals. He joined the firm in 1973, and in 1980 he was appointed by Governor Otis Bowen to the bench of Grant Circuit Court and served in that capacity for the next 26 years.

During his years on the bench, Judge Hunt graduated from Indiana Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana and obtained his Mediation Certification in July 2006. He is certified as a mediator in civil cases and is registered in Indiana to act as a private judge. Judge Hunt retired from the bench on January 1, 2007, and returned to the law firm of Kiley, Harker, & Certain to resume the practice of law concentrating in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, estate planning and probate administration.

Judge Hunt is currently corporate counsel for Marion Community Schools, serves as Senior Judge in several Indiana Trial Courts and is Master Barrister of Ratliff-Cox Inn of Court, a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Grant County Bar Association and Indiana Judges Association.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association
• Indiana Judges Association
• Ratliff-Cox Inn of Court

Education & Experience

• Certified Civil Mediator
• Indiana University (B.S. in Business, 1970)
• Indiana University School of Law (Indianapolis) (J.D. 1973, Cum Laude)
• Graduate, Indiana Judicial College

Of Counsel

Jules S. Walker

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Real Estate

Jules S. Walker earned his J.D. at the Indiana University School of Law in 1969, and was a professor at Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan) from 1970 to 1995, where he taught business law, commercial law, criminal law, personal law and economics. He used put his abilities to work in the local community, teaching special classes conducted for the local Sheriff and Police Departments relating to law.

Mr. Walker provides his clients with a detailed understanding of the law and its application, and focuses his practice on matters dealing with estate planning and wealth preservation, including residential real estate transactions and ERISA pension plans.

Licensing & Admissions

• State Bar of Indiana

Memberships & Associations

• Grant County Bar Association
• Indiana State Bar Association

Education & Experience

• Professor at Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan) (1970-1995)
• Wabash College (B.A. 1954)
• Indiana University (M.S., 1956)
• Indiana University School of Law (Bloomington) (J.D. 1969)

The Indiana attorneys at the law offices of Kiley, Harker, & Certain serve clients throughout Indiana, including the communities of Marion, Fairmount, Gas City, Jonesboro, LaFontaine, and Upland. We serve the following counties in North-Central Indiana: Grant County, Blackford County, Delaware County, Hamilton County, Huntington County, Madison County, Miami County, Wabash County, and Wells County. We are also qualified and do represent clients in the state of Florida.