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Paul D. Refior (“Rafe”)

Attorney

Warsaw, Indiana Office:

347 N. Buffalo St Warsaw, IN 46580*
Phone: 574-269-6649 Fax: 574-269-7487 Cell: 574-527-0466 https://refior.com/

CAREER SUMMARY

Rafe is a man who loves his Lord, and he loves his wife and family, his church, his ministries and his work. A diligent and experienced attorney with extensive estate planning, litigation, trust management, probate, business/corporate, employment law, construction law, nonprofit entities law and real estate law experience. A disciplined man of convictions, determined to achieve a high standard of excellence and to minister to the legal, personal and spiritual needs of clients. A balanced and joyful lifestyle and a successful family man. Admitted to practice law in Indiana and Florida. By way of summary, Rafe started his legal career in 1975 as a Navy JAG lawyer. Then Rafe practiced a couple of years in the mountainous area of Pinedale, Wyoming (1978-80) before a year’s sabbatical for missionary service with TEAM in Japan (1980-81). In 1981 Refior Law Office was established in Warsaw, Indiana. Since then he has also been admitted to practice in Florida (2001). He was admitted to practice in Iowa in 1975 and in Wyoming in 1978. Rafe and Precious Pam reside in both Warsaw and Carmel each week.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

November 1981 to the Present – Refior Law Office in Warsaw, Lafayette and Carmel, Indiana
My law practice at Warsaw, Lafayette and Carmel, Indiana is limited to litigation, estate planning, probate, trust administration, business/commercial/corporate related matters, employment, construction, nonprofit entities and real estate. Refior Law Office represents Plaintiffs and Defendants in the following types of lawsuits in federal and state courts: Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Personal Injury, Civil Rights, Contract Disputes, Employment disputes, Construction disputes, Commercial/Business disputes, Real Estate disputes and Probate or Trust Disputes. Clients include manufacturing companies, large and small businesses, churches and other nonprofit entities, professionals, and individuals.
When we moved to Warsaw, Indiana in 1981 to “hang a shingle” and begin solo law practice we did not have any clients, or even own a car or any law office equipment, furniture or books. Over the years the law practice grew and prospered.

June 1981 to October 1981 – Special Assignment Deputy Prosecutor, Ottumwa, Iowa.
Upon our return from Japan, I turned down an offer to return to the law firm in Wyoming because we wanted to move back to the Midwest. My wife, Precious Pam, is a native Hoosier so we decided to settle in Indiana. I faced a minimum of four months for my application for admission to practice law in Indiana to be processed, and I needed to provide for my family in the interim. A law school friend of mine, who was aware of the fact that I had considerable jury trial experience, was the prosecuting attorney in Ottumwa, Iowa. When he learned that I would be available, he asked if he could hire me for a short time to prosecute several criminal jury trials for him. During that period of time, I worked in Ottumwa during the week and commuted 7 hours each way to spend precious time with my family in Kokomo, Indiana.

1980 to 1981 – The Evangelical Alliance Mission, Takamatsu, JAPAN.
We accepted the invitation from career TEAM missionaries Ralph and Stella Cox to minister in Japan by filling in for them as best we could while they would be back in the United States for one year of furlough. When we arrived in Japan, a different career missionary declared, “We appreciate your decision and sacrifice to come to Japan, but because you do not know the language, and you have not been to seminary, and you do not know Japanese culture, your time here will not be productive or fruitful … but thanks for coming anyway.” Despite such lack of encouragement, we knew why we were there and we continued to expect significant results and fruit with very simple faith and a simple plan: love the people, find ways to share the Bible truths with them in their own language and pray a lot. Our duties at the beginning were to teach English conversation classes and assist at some small Japanese churches. Things developed rapidly to the point that we were having multiple Bible studies and activities in our home, and by the time we left I was preaching four times each Sunday in Japanese churches, with the assistance of an interpreter. I served for many years as a member of the international board of directors of TEAM.

1978 to 1980 – Mason & Refior, P.C., Pinedale, Wyoming.
At the time I completed my military service, I turned down a number of job offers from large and medium-sized law firms to join Gerald Mason’s firm in beautiful Wyoming. Gerald was an outstanding attorney (Gerald graduated to Heaven in 2005). Eventually I became a 50% stockholder of the busy trial law firm. Although Pinedale is nestled at the foot of the spectacular Windriver Mountain Range of the Rocky Mountains, both of us attorneys had a pilot’s license and there were two airplanes, which allowed for us to engage in representation and cases throughout Wyoming and northern Colorado. Legal work included significant water rights cases and the legal aspects of the oil and natural gas industries. While practicing law in Pinedale, we received a very unusual invitation to undertake missionary work in Japan. Even though it seemed to make no sense, after significant prayer, Precious Pam and I agreed that the Lord was indeed leading us to take a sabbatical from the law practice and to accept the one-year assignment in Japan.

1974 to 1978 – United States Navy, Judge Advocate General’s Corps
I was commissioned as a naval officer in December, 1973. In 1974 I had Navy training in Newport, R.I. In 1975 I completed Naval Justice School – again in Newport, R.I.- and then I proceeded with orders to Norfolk, Virginia. As a Navy JAG lawyer I was stationed at the Naval Legal Services Office, Naval Station, Norfolk. I was engaged in extensive trial work in criminal cases as a prosecutor and as a defense counsel, including case of murder, rape, armed robbery, bank robbery, counterfeiting, and other serious felony cases. I maintained a very high caseload and achieved regular success in jury trials. The experience also provided outstanding training as a Naval Officer, and in leading and coordinating subordinate attorneys and staff. [Received Navy Commendation Medal and National Defense Service Ribbon; honorably discharged.

EDUCATION

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PROFESSIONAL

  • Admitted to practice in the courts of the following:
  • State Courts of Indiana – 1981
  • State Courts of Iowa – 1975 (voluntarily moved to “retired status” in 2018)
  • State Courts of Wyoming – 1978 (voluntarily moved to “retired status” in 2018)
  • State Courts of Florida – 2001
  • The Supreme Court of the United States – 1997
  • United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit – 1992
  • United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit – 2006
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces – 1975
  • United States Tax Court – 1987
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana – 1982
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana – 1997
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan – 1990
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming – 1978
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida – 2004
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida – 2005

ASSOCIATIONS

  • The Florida Bar
  • Iowa State Bar Association
  • Wyoming State Bar Association
  • Kosciusko County Bar Association

PERSONAL

  • Age 72 (my plan is to continue to practice law until I am at least 85, Lord willing)
  • Gloriously married to Precious Pam for 52 years
  • Two daughters, Nikki Lambeth (married to Jonathan with three adult sons) and Laura White (married to Brian with three daughters and identical twin sons.)
  • Actively involved members of Harvest Church, Carmel, Indiana https://harvestindy.org/
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of Lakeland Child Evangelism Ministries http://www.lakelandcem.com/, Winona Lake, Indiana, a nonprofit corporation with ministries in the local area, as well as significant worldwide involvement through the production and distribution of evangelistic action films and videos which are translated into multiple languages for evangelistic use throughout the world.
  • Founder and Chairman of West Japan Mission
  • Board of Directors of Accrescent, an International for-profit company using business as a means to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  • Author of It’s Your CHOICE – A Happy & God-honoring Marriage (presently being revised and updated), and RAFEHAND – A System for Speedwriting; and some published articles.
  • An avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan (especially football and wrestling) …. Go Hawks!
  • Rafe enjoys loving his gorgeous and outstanding wife, Precious Pam, being a happy and involved dad and grandpa, family travel, family activities, sports of all kinds, woodworking, writing (e.g., articles and books on Christian topics, children’s stories), bicycling, woodcarving, art, graphics, studying, teaching, meditating and applying the Bible, speaking at seminar classes and retreats, and swimming.

The Personal Side of Rafe

People ask me why I go by the name “Rafe.” It is pretty simple. My last name is pronounced “Ray-fee-or” so “ “Rafe is just the first syllable of my last name. People started calling me “Rafe” in elementary school and it simply stuck.

I think the best way to share my personal side is to provide copies of The Refior News Bulletin. I realize that most will not be interested but if someone is interested, they can follow the life of my family going back into the 1970s. When it started out I sent out The Refior News Bulletin more frequently, and in more recent years I do a Bulletin every 2 to 4 years or so. The most recent one attached is from 2019. Quite a bit has transpired since then so I need to do a Bulletin in 2022 – and when I do that, I will post it here on this website. The October, 1985 Bulletin explains in detail how I became a Christian back on January 19, 1975. These Bulletins provide our family reports and photos put together back when it was happening.

The Refior News Bulletin

INTRODUCING RAFE REFIOR

Paul D. Refior (my friends call me “Rafe” and my last name is pronounced “Ray’-fee-or”) was born in 1950 in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and I was raised in Iowa and Wisconsin, graduating from Whitewater High School in 1968.

paul highschool images

The morning after my high school graduation I left on a great adventure – off to Europe at a time of high political tension over there with the Paris Peace Talks and huge protests of the war in Vietnam. My Candadian buddy, BJ, and I hitchhiked in the Netherlands, Belgium, West Germany, the corridor through East Germany to West Berlin, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Liechtenstein, France and Spain. While traveling, I made a collect call to my father who informed me that I had been awarded a full-ride s scholarship to play football at Iowa Wesleyan College.

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Paul Place Images

Places

In 1968 I returned to Mt. Pleasant to play football and to attend Iowa Wesleyan College, where I met and married my sweet, fantastic, exciting, and beautiful wife, Precious Pam. Our first child was born during our college years. Precious Pam really scrambled to catch up and graduate together with me in May 1972. After a summer of work it was off to Law School.

College Years

While at the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City, Iowa, I was elected president of the Iowa Student Bar Association. I was awarded his Juris Doctor degree, With Honors. After passing the Iowa Bar Exam, I was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Iowa on June 6, 1975.

Law School

University

Following law school graduation, I served as a Navy JAG lawyer. After completing Naval Justice School in Newport Rhode Island, I was stationed at the Naval Legal Service Office, Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia. My primary duties involved criminal trial work, both as a defense attorney and as a prosecutor. My large caseload included murder, armed robbery, bank robbery, rape, counterfeiting, narcotics and other illegal drugs, theft, and a variety of other criminal matters, with many jury trials and bench trials in Norfolk, San Diego, Panama, and Italy.

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Paul Navy Years

In 1978 I began my civilian law practice. I joined a law firm in the small cowboy town of Pinedale, Wyoming, which is a beautiful, authentic western town at an elevation of 7,200 feet at the foot of the towering Rocky Mountains of the Wind River Range. Both my law partner, Gerald Mason, and I had a pilot’s license and we carried on a trial practice which covered Wyoming and parts of Colorado.

Wyoming

Places
Paul old images

Paul Old Images

In late 1979, Precious Pam and I received an unexpected invitation from Ralph and Stella Cox, missionaries in Takamatsu, Japan, to move to Japan and serve as short-term missionaries under The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). After much prayer, it was decided that it was the will of God for the Refiors to accept the call to go to the great nation of Japan as missionaries. We were blessed to see much fruit during our 13+ months of missionary service.

Paul in Japan

From Japan we then moved back to the States, deciding to settle in the State of Indiana, which is Precious Pam’s home state. In the fall of 1981 I was admitted to practice in Indiana and I opened Refior Law Office in Warsaw. In September of 2001, after more than 25 years as a lawyer, I studied for and passed the Florida bar exam and so I was admitted to practice law also in the State of Florida.

Images about Paul Images about Paul

Images about Paul Images about Paul Images about Paul Images about Paul

Precious Pam and I have two outstanding daughters—Nikki Lambeth and Laura White. Our daughter Nikki is married to Jonathan Lambeth, who is the principal of Faith Christian Elementary School. They have three adult sons. Grandson Luke graduated from Grace College, and he will begin his seminary studies in August, 2022. Grandson David graduated in the spring of 2022 at Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering. David’s wife works as an RN. Grandson Stephen has one more year at Ball State where he is studying business management with the intention of then going on to law school. Nikki and Jonathan reside in Lafayette, Indiana where they are active at Faith Church-North, including Jonathan serving as a deacon, and Nikki being involved in women’s Bible studies. Our daughter Laura is married to Pastor Brian White. They live in Noblesville, Indiana, and they have five children: Granddaughter Karis is a sophomore in the nursing program at Cedarville University. Grandchildren Jocelyn, Samuel, and Nathan are all in high school, while Molly is in the sixth grade – all four at Heritage Christian School, in Indianapolis. Brian is the Lead Pastor of Harvest Church in Carmel, Indiana, and he serves on the Board of Trustees of Cedarville University. Laura is in charge of women’s ministries at Harvest Church and she is active in teaching women’s Bible classes and seminars.

I enjoy loving my gorgeous and outstanding wife, Precious Pam (more than 52 years of marital bliss – we truly are still on our honeymoon), and being a happy and involved father and grandpa. Precious Pam and I enjoy family travel, family activities, attending school events of our grandkids (choir, band, theater, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, etc.), cheering for the great Iowa Hawkeyes, woodworking, writing (e.g., articles and books on Bible teachings and other Christian topics, children’s stories), woodcarving, art and graphics, studying, meditating and applying the Bible, teaching and speaking at seminars and retreats, and swimming in our lap pool. All of these blessings are from the Lord, and we are eternally grateful. Indeed, I know of no person who is more blessed than we are.

Extravaganza 2020

White Family