News
Vivek R. Hadley
- E vhadley@taftlaw.com
- T (317) 713-3546
- F (317) 715-4546
Summary
Vivek is a litigator’s litigator with deep and substantial experience in every aspect of litigation, from trial through appeal. Vivek began his career clerking for John G. Baker of the Indiana Court of Appeals. He took from that opportunity a passion for legal writing, the most important aspect of judicial persuasion. Since joining private practice, he has expanded on that writing base with extensive experience in high-stakes trial settings.
Vivek has litigated four trials, including one federal jury trial that he first chaired. He was trial counsel for the former Mayor of Portage, James Snyder. After a first trial, which saw Snyder acquitted of one count of bribery, Vivek authored the successful motion for retrial that overturned the jury’s verdict on the other count of bribery. Vivek second chaired the Snyder retrial and was responsible for drafting the statutory construction argument that was subsequently adopted by the United States Supreme Court in Snyder v. United States, 144 S. Ct. 1947 (2024), thereby overturning decades of precedent on the federal government’s most-prosecuted charge.
Vivek has been involved with other major wins in other high-stakes trial court litigation, most of which occurred at the motion to dismiss or summary judgment stages, long before the client had to face trial expenses. Those wins include defeating all fraud and securities fraud claims—and then winning over $1 million in counterclaim damages—in a bet-the-company family dispute in Indiana state court. He has also been involved in several victories for clients facing claims under section 1983, discrimination, and Title IX theories. Other high-stakes trial court victories include several time sensitive wins in the preliminary injunction setting.
Vivek has found equally impressive success in the appellate arena. He was the lead author—and presented oral argument—in the Seventh Circuit on a case the panel described as “a complex contractual dispute arising out of multiple agreements between two sophisticated parties,” as it affirmed the district court win Vivek also helped obtain. He was also the lead author of an amicus brief in a recent constitutional challenge to Indiana’s primary election system heard by the Indiana Supreme Court; the Court sided 3-2 in adopting Taft’s client’s view, with the majority citing the amicus brief throughout its opinion.
Vivek is a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and has served as a court-appointed representative for pro bono clients on multiple occasions. Those efforts have been recognized by courts, including the Southern District of Indiana issuing a published opinion thanking Vivek and a colleague “for serving as recruited counsel and for their conscientious representation of” one pro bono client.
Vivek graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and summa cum laude from Ball State University with a B.S. in economics and history. During law school, he was an extern for Justice Mark S. Massa at the Indiana Supreme Court. He is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he serves on the board of Classical Music Indy.
Awards
Honoree, Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch,” Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2021 – present)
Taft Pro Bono Honor Roll Award
(2022)
Honoree, Indiana Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Business Litigation
(2022 – present)
All Service Areas
Education
- Indiana University Maurer School of Law (2015)
- Ball State University (2011)
summa cum laude
B.S.
Admissions
- State - Indiana
News
One Hundred Thirty-Six Taft Attorneys Selected to Best Lawyers® "Ones to Watch" 2025 News
Taft Wins Significant Dismissal for Public Hospital Client News
Supreme Court Sides with Former Portage Mayor in Latest Ruling Limiting Public Anti-Corruption Laws News
Taft Win Returns Millions of Dollars to Municipal Client
Past Events
Professional Affiliations
- Indianapolis Bar Association
Member
- Indiana Air & Waste Management Association
Member
- Sagamore American Inn of Court
Member
- Environmental Law Institute
Member
- United Way of Central Indiana's Leadership United
Graduate, 2019
Community Involvement
- Classical Music Indy
Member, Board of Directors
- Taft Pro Bono Committee
Member