Joshua A. Claybourn is a business and public-law attorney known for careful preparation and practical results. Clients turn to him when law, government, and commerce intersect—whether testing a statute against constitutional limits, protecting a brand, structuring a deal, or navigating regulatory complexity.
Claybourn leads the firm's intellectual property and licensing practice group. He builds, protects, and monetizes brands and other IP assets across business, banking, entertainment, and publishing. World IP Review has recognized him as a trademark "Leader," a distinction reserved for top practitioners worldwide.
His clients range from startups and closely held companies to large public corporations and local governments. He handles entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and major economic development projects. He structures public-private partnerships and state and local incentive arrangements, and advises municipalities on utility, annexation, reorganization, funding, and budget matters.
Claybourn has briefed and argued high-profile appeals in state and federal courts on constitutional, statutory, and regulatory issues for both private and governmental clients.
He also brings deep experience in utility law. Before private practice, he served in-house at a large publicly traded energy company, learning firsthand how utilities plan, invest, and operate. He now advises renewable energy developers, municipal water and sewer utilities, and industrial consumers on supply agreements, contract disputes, leases, bond financings, zoning and land use, and rate cases. His work has included rate proceedings for some of Indiana's largest and smallest utilities.
The Indianapolis Business Journal named Claybourn one of Indiana's 250 most influential business leaders in that list's inaugural year. Indiana Lawyer recognized him as an "Up and Coming" attorney in its first statewide awards. He has authored and edited books on Lincoln and American history, supports several historical nonprofits, and has appeared in national television documentaries.
