Ladene Mendoza

Ladene I. Mendoza

Partner

A product liability and mass tort defense attorney, Ladene I. Mendoza is dedicated to finding a path to resolution that realizes favorable results to her clients.

Ladene focuses primarily on defending product liability and toxic tort matters for manufacturers, distributors and sellers of consumer products, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, particularly in mass tort and multi-district litigation in various jurisdictions around the country.

Her experiences include managing cases with high potential damages with several plaintiffs and significant risks to product lines. Through this work, she has deep experience performing factual investigations and efficient discovery in preparation for trial and case resolution, drafting dispositive motions, and taking fact witness, party, and expert depositions.

As a proud Mexican-American, Ladene is co-chair of BTLatinx, Barnes & Thornburg's Hispanic and Latino talent resource group and is a member of the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Ladene is dedicated to supporting and creating initiatives and programs that create opportunity for everyone.

Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg full-time, Ladene was a summer associate in the firm's Indianapolis office. She also gained substantial legal experience as an extern for the in-house corporate counsel of Eli Lilly and Company. Previously, she was as an intern for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office and as a summer law clerk in the Office of the Indiana Attorney General.

During law school, Ladene was the president of the Hispanic Law Society; a research assistant to Professor Frank Sullivan, Jr., a retired Indiana Supreme Court Justice; an ambassador for the Office of Admissions; and a mentor in the IU-McKinney mentor program. As a first-generation American and college student, Ladene is passionate about mentoring and speaking to minority students about education.

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The summer associate program helped facilitate my transition into the firm as an associate attorney by providing extensive training, mentor guidance and exposure to the practice of law through meaningful assignments. The social events during the summer were helpful in learning about the firm’s culture and allowed me to meet and get to know the attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg. It was nice to see all the friendly faces when I came back to the firm as an associate; it made my return welcoming. The first couple of assignments I received as an associate attorney were from my summer mentor and attorneys I had met or worked with during the summer.
Credentials

Education

  • Indiana University-Bloomington, B.A., 2011
  • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D., corporate and commercial law graduate certificate, 2016, cum laude, executive managing editor for the Indiana Health Law Review

Bar Admissions

  • Indiana

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
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