Jordan Slusher – FBT Gibbons

A courtroom can feel a lot like a machine shop to Jordan Slusher. Both environments demand precision, discipline, and the ability to make sense of complicated moving parts under pressure. Long before he represented manufacturers in product liability disputes, Slusher was a high school student sitting quietly in a courthouse in northern Indiana, watching hearings unfold and realizing that the law was less about television drama and more about strategy and preparation.

Jordan Slusher | FBT Gibbons | Managing Associate

That early exposure changed the trajectory of his career. Originally interested in law enforcement, Slusher became fascinated by how attorneys could distill complex facts into compelling narratives. The experience pushed him toward shadowing lawyers while still in high school, then toward Indiana University and later the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Today, Slusher serves as managing associate at FBT Gibbons, where he focuses on defending product liability and warranty claims and counseling on recalls, regulatory matters, and recent tariff developments for manufacturers across the healthcare and medical device, automotive, and heavy machinery sectors. FBT Gibbons is a full-service law firm that advises businesses, manufacturers, healthcare organizations, and institutions across a broad range of litigation and corporate matters. Within the firm, Slusher has become part of a technical, team-oriented product liability practice focused on helping manufacturers navigate increasingly complex legal and operational risks.

“Seeing legal advocacy in action at a young age made me realize this was the direction I wanted to go,” Slusher says.

Finding his lane

Slusher’s professional path was not entirely linear. Early in his legal career, he spent time in a prosecutor’s office and initially believed criminal law might be his long-term future. But after gaining firsthand experience, he realized civil litigation provided a better fit for both his personality and professional interests.

That transition ultimately led him into product liability defense work, where he discovered a practice area that combined litigation strategy, technical problem-solving, and business counseling. After spending roughly four years with Kightlinger & Gray, he joined FBT Gibbons in 2021 and was elevated to Managing Associate in 2024.

What appeals to Slusher most about the work is the complexity. Product liability matters often require mastering technical concepts and complex regulatory frameworks and simplifying them for judges and juries with no technical background.

“I figured out pretty quickly that I loved litigation the first time I had a jury trial,” Slusher says.

His role extends well beyond reacting to lawsuits after they are filed. Slusher and his team work with manufacturers on the front end as well, helping them evaluate risks related to warranties, warnings, and product instructions, investigating and resolving potential claims before they become litigation, counseling on regulatory matters, and assessing broader exposure tied to products and operational decisions.

At FBT Gibbons, his team operates within a collaborative structure tailored specifically to the needs of manufacturer clients. Each matter is staffed by a team of attorneys, paralegals, and support professionals whose experience aligns with the matter’s complexity. This approach allows the team to develop long-term familiarity with both clients and their products, strengthening efficiency and consistency across engagements.

“The way we operate is very team-driven,” Slusher says. “We try to keep the same lawyers on matters, so we really understand the clients, their businesses, their products, and goals.”

He also emphasized that the firm includes engineers within its product liability practice group, giving clients access to teams capable of evaluating not only litigation exposure but also the underlying design and manufacturing realities that shape these disputes.

Navigating uncertainty

One of the most timely areas of Slusher and FBT Gibbons’ current work is tariff-refund counseling for manufacturers navigating rapidly evolving federal policies and recovery procedures. The work has become increasingly important for companies facing uncertainty tied to import costs and reimbursement opportunities.

The challenge, according to Slusher, is that manufacturers are being forced to make strategic decisions without clear answers from regulators or policymakers. Companies are trying to determine whether tariff-related funds can realistically be recovered, how aggressively to pursue reimbursement efforts, and whether tariffs could ultimately be reinstated through alternative legal mechanisms.

“It’s changing every day,” Slusher says. “Clients are looking for practical guidance in an environment where there isn’t always certainty about what the next step from the government will be.”

That type of work highlights one of Slusher’s defining characteristics. While he is comfortable moving aggressively when needed, he also recognizes the importance of collaboration and knowing when to pull in additional expertise. He regularly works alongside lawyers from multiple offices and practice areas as the firm continues expanding following a recent merger.

The work also reflects a larger trend in his career. Slusher is steadily positioning himself as a lawyer who can help manufacturers not only defend claims but also anticipate problems before they escalate into full-scale litigation. His practice increasingly sits at the intersection of legal strategy, technical analysis, and operational business risk.

Communication under pressure

For Slusher, one of the most important skills in litigation has little to do with legal terminology. It is communication.

Many of the cases he handles involve dense technical material that can overwhelm jurors if not presented carefully. His job, he explained, is to reduce a complicated dispute into a concise and persuasive narrative that people can understand clearly.

That process often involves extensive use of visual evidence, including animations, simulations, photographs, and expert-supported graphics, to simplify technical concepts and product performance issues.

“You have to be able to explain complicated issues in a way a jury can actually follow,” Slusher says.

He has also watched artificial intelligence begin reshaping parts of the legal profession, though he approaches the technology cautiously. At FBT Gibbons, AI is used with careful oversight and appropriate safeguards, primarily for controlled functions such as document review and summarizing large datasets. Slusher underscores that the firm’s priority is safeguarding client interests and maintaining professional integrity, and he remains hesitant to rely on AI for substantive legal advocacy without robust safeguards and meaningful human review.

“It can be useful as a starting point, but it doesn’t replace human emotion and the strategic component to it,” Slusher says.

That balanced perspective reflects the broader philosophy guiding his career. He views preparation, credibility, and intentional growth as the foundation for long-term success.

Building toward the future

As Slusher continues building his practice, he is also approaching a pivotal stage in his career. He is on his way to making partner, a transition that will involve more than a title change. Slusher understands that advancing within a law firm requires balancing legal work with leadership, internal networking, and client development. He regularly visits different offices, organizes lunches with colleagues, and works intentionally to strengthen relationships across the growing firm.

“There’s a lot you have to do to stand out, and you have to be intentional about it,” Slusher says.

Outside the office, he stays active through running and fitness, often spending time on Indianapolis trails or at the gym. He is also an avid basketball fan who closely follows the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever.

Even as his responsibilities and momentum within the firm grow, Slusher’s mindset remains grounded in the same curiosity that first drew him into a courthouse years ago. The cases may now involve multinational manufacturers and evolving regulatory issues, but the core challenge remains understanding people, simplifying complexity, and earning trust under pressure.

For Slusher, that combination remains what makes the work meaningful.