Winamac attorney disbarred for sexual misconduct with clients

A Winamac attorney was disbarred by the Indiana Supreme Court recently after he was found to have engaged in multiple sexual relationships with clients, violating legal ethics. 

According to reports, on Feb. 14, 2025, the court found former attorney Nathan Pearson to have displayed a pattern of “predatory behavior” in his conduct with several of his clients between 2016 and 2018. According to court records, Pearson reportedly exploited three “highly vulnerable” clients with specific weaknesses including a history of drug use, sexual abuse and other trauma. 

Pearson had previously practiced law at an office on North Market Street in Winamac under Pearson Law LLC. After closing his business, Pearson began practicing at another local law office as an attorney specializing in criminal defense and family law cases.

The first accusation was placed on Pearson by an 18-year-old client who had a known history of sexual abuse and addiction in 2016. Pearson had been the young woman's public defender and arranged for the client to meet late at night in his home office. The victim stated Pearson had offered her alcohol before initiating sexual contact. She later testified in court that although the sexual exchange had not been forced, she “felt compelled” because of the situation Pearson had put her in. 

In early 2018, a second victim came forward claiming Pearson had groomed her as she battled addiction and had been facing charges for drug possession. The second woman reported Pearson pressured her into sexual acts after cornering her in a meeting room. The incident was later reported to the woman's probation officer, prompting further investigation into Pearson's misconduct.

The third victim, who had a known history of addiction and sexual abuse, eventually came forward later about her relationship with the Pearson, despite her retaining him as her attorney in 2017. The victim said she had initially believed Pearson had hinted about the encounter being a form of payment for his services. The client stated she was surprised to receive a bill in the mail requesting more than $700. According to a court ruling, the client confronted Pearson about the bill, stating to him that she believed the fees had been written off as an exchange for sexual intercourse. 

According to court documents, the victim stated one evening while meeting Pearson after hours at his home she had blacked out after drinking liquor. The woman stated when she awoke the following morning, she found herself to be in Pearson's bed, with little memory of what had occurred the night prior. 

The court’s Disciplinary Commission began investigating Pearson in July 2023. The state’s high court determined Pearson's misconduct with his clients violated multiple Indiana Professional Conduct Rules. 

The court relied its final decision for Pearson on the disciplinary commission's report on a Indiana Professional Conduct Rule for attorneys that “categorically forbids sexual relations between an attorney and a client unless an intimate relationship already existed prior to the representation.” The rule further states that an attorney beginning a sexual relationship with a client during their representation is inherently exploitative.