Remembering Partner and Friend Luke Martin
We mourn the passing of our partner and friend, Luke Martin, who passed away on October 4, 2021, after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Despite enduring multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy, Luke never lost his sense of humor and his ability to inspire those around him in the service of our clients. Luke was born in Valparaiso, Indiana, and he grew up working on his family’s farm raising hogs and growing corn, soybeans and wheat. No stranger to hard work from his upbringing, Luke achieved high honors at the University of Indiana before excelling at the University of Virginia School of Law. Luke joined the firm in 2006, and quickly became a highly sought after member of the Construction Practice Group. Among other things, Luke successfully arbitrated multimillion-dollar cases arising out of a radar facility construction project in Taiwan and a liquified natural gas pipeline in Mexico. While in the midst of his intense battle with cancer, Luke served a lead role on a $250 million international arbitration that required multiple extended trips to South America. During this time he simultaneously led a team of Bradley lawyers in a multi-year international dispute for another Fortune 50 client. Luke was a gifted writer and brilliant tactician as a lawyer. But, it was his humility, kindness, and abiding faith that made him an inspiration to all who knew him. He patiently and thoughtfully mentored many younger lawyers in the Construction Practice Group, and his impact on their development will carry on for many years.
Luke overcame every obstacle placed before him with a grace and quiet determination inspired by his deep faith. Above all else, Luke was an amazing husband to the love of his life, Kristina, and father to their three wonderful children. Joy, Ethan, and Ellie exhibit Luke’s best qualities, as they are kind, humble, loving and bright. Aside from his many accolades and his reputation as a rising star in construction law, Luke’s greatest achievement and legacy is his family.
We have lost our dear friend much too soon, but his example will live on in our collective memory.