CCHA: 145 Years of
Law, Legacy, and Love for Noblesville
Proof that justice and community are best served locally.
By Ariane Haile
If you’ve ever walked along Ninth and Conner, you’ve likely passed the brick façade of Church Church Hittle & Antrim, or simply “CCHA,” as that tidy logo seems to appear on every community banner, festival sign, and philanthropic plaque around town. What you may not realize is that behind those doors sits not just a law firm, but a living timeline of Noblesville itself. A family tree rooted deep in justice, service, and a love for this city that predates the automobile.
A Beginning on Horseback
The story begins in 1880, when a young Quaker named Joseph A. Roberts rode into Noblesville on horseback, tied his reins to the courthouse rail, and opened his first law office inside. There were no paralegals, no copy machines; just a man with a mind for the law and a heart for his community. In time, his sons Roger and Justin joined the practice, carrying forward both their father’s name and his ideals. Justin, in particular, became known for his moral clarity and courage, as he played a key role in the D.C. Stephenson trial, the case that exposed the corruption of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan and brought its reign to an end. It’s a story that still echoes through Noblesville’s civic DNA today: that when faced with hate, decency has the louder voice.
A Family Practice in Every Sense
As the decades turned, the Roberts family continued to grow both their practice and their presence in the community. Generations passed, the firm grew, changed names, and added partners — each one adding new stories to its tapestry. In 1953, Manson Church joined the firm, followed by his nephew Doug Church. His leadership, alongside that of his partners Jack Hittle and Mike Antrim, would help shape CCHA for the next half century. Eventually, Doug’s daughter Julia joined the practice — a loving wife, mother of two sons, volunteer titan, accomplished attorney, and Jeopardy! champion— and she carries that legacy forward, marking three generations of the Church family devoted to both law and local life.
Ask anyone at CCHA what defines them, and they’ll tell you it’s not just law — it’s people. Doug once called it “the family practice of law,” meaning that the firm takes care of whatever life brings: starting a business, buying a home, navigating loss. For CCHA, clients are neighbors, not numbers. That simple philosophy: “do what’s right, for the right reasons” has become part of the firm’s cornerstone and a living example of what happens when integrity and compassion lead the way.
From County Seat to National Presence
Today, CCHA has grown far beyond its brick-and-mortar beginnings. With more than 60 attorneys and offices in Noblesville, Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville, Fort Wayne, Tipton, and Crown Point, and clients across the United States, CCHA is a full-service law firm providing legal counsel in business services, personal injury, family law, estate planning, school law, higher education, and sports law, and so much more.
And that’s just the day job. Beyond the courtroom, CCHA’s influence reads like a blueprint of Noblesville’s progress. Conner Prairie’s independence? Doug Church helped guide the legal transition that saved it from being dissolved. Forest Park Pool? When county funding ran dry, the firm’s team helped rally support to keep it afloat…literally. The Nickel Plate Trail? CCHA was instrumental in securing the abandoned rail line and transforming it into the beloved trail we now walk, run, and bike. You can see their fingerprints on everything from beautification projects to historic preservation, from school initiatives to cultural celebrations. They don’t just represent Noblesville and Hamilton County — they invest in it.
It’s not hyperbole to say Noblesville would look very different without their advocacy. Yet, despite their reach, CCHA’s roots have never wavered. Walk their Noblesville office as I had the pleasure to do, and you’ll see it in framed courthouse paintings, community photos, and hand-signed thank-you notes from local nonprofits. You’ll feel it in how they talk about “home” with a reverence that makes clear why they never left it.
A Culture Worth Keeping
In conversation, Doug and Julia radiate the same humility that has carried the firm for generations. Doug, who has served as City Attorney, Chamber President, and even State Bar President, speaks of leadership not as a title, but as a duty. “We’ve always believed,” he says, “that being a good lawyer means being a good neighbor.” Julia’s work on the Noblesville Schools Education Foundation, her national legal career, and her continued mentorship at CCHA show that the family’s ethos —integrity in service — hasn’t skipped a beat. As I sat across from them, I was struck by how seamlessly their firm’s history mirrors the story of Noblesville itself: humble beginnings, deep convictions, and an ever-evolving sense of purpose.
Their warmth is contagious. Their respect for each other is palpable. Watching father and daughter share a workspace, you sense that CCHA isn’t just a law firm; it’s a living inheritance. In an age of sprawling law conglomerates, CCHA remains intentional about how it grows. Doug jokes, “We’ll be too big when I don’t know everyone’s name.” The firm hires slowly, trains thoroughly, and teaches its new associates not just the history of the law, but the history of the firm itself, ensuring that every new generation carries the story forward with pride and purpose. That’s the kind of leadership that keeps roots strong even as branches grow.
That culture is what keeps CCHA not just successful, but significant. It’s what makes them more than a name on a plaque or a sponsor on a banner. It makes them part of the architectural soul of Noblesville.
A Legacy That Still Leads
As Noblesville continues to grow faster, taller and busier, it’s grounding to remember that some institutions grow deeper.
CCHA has stood witness to the town’s transformation from a modest Quaker settlement to a vibrant county seat to a flourishing city of nearly 80,000. Through it all, they’ve remained steadfast: advising, serving, protecting, and giving back.
They are proof that legacy isn’t about standing still, it’s about standing for something.
Full Circle Author’s Note
When I first began writing for Noblesville Main Street, I said I wanted to tell the stories of the people who built this city’s “soft infrastructure”... the goodness, the fairness, the humanity that live behind its brick façades. CCHA is that story come to life. As I listened to Doug and Julia speak about Noblesville, I found myself unexpectedly emotional. I’m not from here originally, but I’ve come to feel the deep sense of integrity and community that seems to live in the very bricks of this town. Those familiar Noblesville bricks that line our streets and tell quiet stories of those who came before us. There’s a goodness baked into this place, built by people who cared about the common good and one another. No place is perfect and there will always be room to grow, but my children are growing up here now, and my husband and I are proud to call this city home. Not just because of what it is, but because of people like the Churches and countless others who helped (and continue to help) build it. Speaking with Doug and Julia reminded me that Noblesville’s strength has always been its people, past and present, laying the groundwork so families like yours and mine could belong. So next time you see that small blue “CCHA” logo printed on a banner or festival sign, remember: it’s not just sponsorship. It’s stewardship. It’s the quiet, consistent heartbeat of a firm that has spent 145 years proving that justice and community truly are best served locally.