Christopher Bayh is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg's Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. offices. He is a member of the Litigation Department and the Government Services and Finance Department. Chris focuses his practice in business litigation, appeals, government law, and higher education.
Since 2017, Chris has been named to the Indiana Super Lawyers 'Rising Stars' list for his work in business litigation. In 2018, he was honored with the Indiana Lawyer's'Leadership In Law: Up and Coming Lawyer' award.
Business Litigation
Chris focuses his practice in representing clients in complex commercial disputes, serving as trial counsel in federal court, state court, arbitration tribunals, and administrative proceedings. His experience in business litigation spans a wide range of claims, including breach of contract, construction, corporate fraud, tortious interference, and unfair competition.
Appeals
Chris has significant appellate experience, including a federal appellate clerkship and cases before state and federal appellate courts. He is a member of the firm's Appellate and Critical Motions Practice Group, is active in the Central Indiana appellate bar, and regularly lectures on appellate practice.
Government and Constitutional Litigation
Chris practices in many aspects of government law on behalf of both private and public entities. He advises corporate clients in many areas of government business, such as contractual relationships, regulatory compliance, and investigation and enforcement actions. He also brings and defends constitutional challenges to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. His constitutional experience includes litigation of the Commerce Clause, due process, equal protection, full faith and credit, federal preemption, sovereign immunity, abstention, comity, habeas relief, and the First, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as related state constitutional provisions.
Higher Education
Chris works with colleges and universities of all sizes, ranging from small colleges with enrollment in the low hundreds to major state universities with enrollment over 40,000. He represents and counsels these clients in diverse areas of law. These include civil defense, investigation and enforcement actions, financial responsibility, Title IV student financial aid litigation and compliance, and Title IX litigation and compliance.
Community Engagement
Chris is active in the Central Indiana community. He sits on the executive committee for the Indianapolis Bar Association's Appellate Practice Section. He serves on the IUPUI Board of Advisors, a group composed of local government, business, and civic leaders appointed by the IU Board of Trustees.
Chris is also committed to battling homelessness. He serves on the board of directors of Horizon House, an agency that provides vital services for Indianapolis residents experiencing homelessness. He also works as a volunteer attorney with the Indianapolis Bar Association's Homeless Shelter Project.
