From Stable to Statute: Navigating Modern Issues in Equine Law

From Stable to Statute:

Navigating Modern Issues in Equine Law

2 CLE - Tuesday, June 9

9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

Live Webcast

Overview:

The horse industry continues to evolve through new legislation, regulatory oversight, and emerging risk management concerns. This two-hour ICLEF program, presented by Gregg S. Gordon and Peter J. Sacopulos, offers attorneys a practical and insightful update on key developments shaping equestrian law in Indiana. Whether you represent owners, trainers, farms, insurers, or racing interests, this session will equip you with the latest legal insights affecting this unique and complex field area of practice.

Peter and Gregg will present a focused analysis of the following six topic areas:

• Indiana Equine Activity Statute, examining recent interpretations, liability protections, and drafting considerations for waivers and contracts.

• Equine estate planning, highlighting strategies for valuing, transferring, and managing horses and related business interests as part of a comprehensive plan.

• Equine liens, including statutory frameworks, enforcement challenges, and disputes that can arise among veterinarians, boarding facilities, and lenders.

• Administrative adjudication process for disputes involving the Indiana Horse Racing Commission.

• A discussion of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act and pending constitutional challenges that could potentially reshape the regulatory landscape.

• The program will conclude with an examination of equine insurance focusing on coverage and concerns from the horse owner’s perspective and similar concerns for the owner/boarding facility.

Faculty:

Gregg S. Gordon

Nickloy, Albright, Gordon, & Siebe, Noblesville

Gregg S. Gordon is a partner with the Noblesville, Indiana, law firm of Nickloy, Albright, Gordon, & Siebe.While Mr. Gordon’s practice is focused largely on litigation involving wills and trusts, he also has extensive experience in general business litigation and providing professional legal services in the area of equine law.

Mr. Gordon is a military veteran having served in the United States Air Force from 1980 through 1989 first with the Air Force Security Police (1980-1984) and then as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (1985-1989).

Peter J. Sacopulos

The Sacopulos Law Firm, Terre Haute

Peter Sacopulos is a graduate of Tulane University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction. He also holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law-Indianapolis. He is admitted to practice in both Indiana and Illinois.

After graduating from law school, he joined former United States Supreme Court Justice Abraham Fortas’ law firm, Fortas, Prokop and Hardman, in Washington, D.C. For more than 30 years, he has practiced law before administrative agencies, and in both state and federal courts. He is a senior partner in The Sacopulos Law Firm located in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Mr. Sacopulos is both a registered civil mediator and a family law mediator. He has represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants in mediations and arbitrations as well as served as a selected and court-appointed mediator in hundreds of mediations.

Pete has represented clients in both state and federal court civil litigation on matters including personal injury claims, contract disputes, commercial transactions, and general litigation. He has done so in trial courts in Indiana and Illinois and before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court as well as in federal district courts.

Pete represents licensees before state agencies and regulators in Indiana and Illinois in both the administrative and judicial processes. His clients have the distinction of being the only successful Indiana litigants, adverse to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. In addition to representing those in the racing industry, he has and continues to represent clients in a wide range of equine matters including liveryman liens, foal share agreements, syndication of stallions, and insurance and contractual disputes, as well as

representing various veterinarians, trainers, owners, and track officials.

ICLEF • Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Indianapolis, IN • Premier Indiana CLE