Lacona Lawyers

Gary has been working with individuals and families to help with their estate and tax planning for almost thirty years. He has a robust tax practice, preparing both individual and fiduciary returns. With this background, he also advises his clients on their estate planning, bringing his areas of expertise together to draft comprehensive plans that accomplish their goals. Gary also facilitates trust and estate administration, and so further helps families carry out their plans. In his career, Gary has worked with multiple generations, providing guidance and counsel on issues relating to finances, taxes, wealth transfer, and almost everything in between.

Originally...

Carolyn (“Dazi”) Russell Wallace was born and raised in Iowa City. She left to attend college in North Carolina, returned to Iowa City for law school, and began practicing at the firm in October 2013.

Carolyn maintains a general law practice that includes both transactional and litigation components. On the transactional side, Carolyn assists clients with estate planning, real estate matters, reviewing and negotiating contracts, and other general transactional issues. Carolyn’s litigation practice focuses on defending physicians in medical malpractice cases. Carolyn particularly enjoys legal research and writing, and she routinely assists clients with appellate matters.

In her free time, Carolyn likes...

Tom was born and raised in Iowa City. He received his BA degree from Harvard University in 1975 and then returned home to attend the University of Iowa College of Law. After completing law school in 1978, Tom joined the law firm where he has been a partner since 1983. Tom represents individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of legal matters principally in areas of business and transactional law, including contracts, real estate, business and non-profit entities, estate and gift planning, administration of trusts and estates, healthcare, and charitable foundations. In addition to his legal practice, Tom has...

Will was born in raised in the Iowa City area and obtained his undergraduate degrees and his law degree from the University of Iowa. He was admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 2005 and has successfully argued cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. He is also admitted to practice in all federal courts in Iowa. His diverse practice includes business litigation, real estate litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, divorce and child custody litigation, landlord-tenant law, business formation and acquisition, and representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings.

Will lives in Iowa City...

Bruce is proud to have actively participated in a wide range of professional and volunteer groups throughout his career, including The American College of Trial Lawyers (State Committee), Iowa Defense Counsel (President), Defense Update Magazine (Board of Editors), American Board of Trial Advocates (member), and The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (Midwest Regional Membership Chair & Board of Directors). Bruce is a past president of the Iowa State Bar Association and continues to serve on the administrative committee. He is also a member of the Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and serves as the chair of the Language Access...

Dean grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Iowa City, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and focuses on pre-death estate planning and post-death trust/estate administration. His practice includes (i) establishing revocable (living) trusts to avoid probate and facilitate privacy, (ii) creating wills, trusts and retirement-account beneficiary designations with customized provisions to accomplish family-specific goals, such as delaying inheritances for immature beneficiaries, (iii) implementing powers of attorney for finances and for healthcare/medical directives (living wills), and (iv) administering probate estates and trusts and filing the necessary tax returns.

Pope grew up in Iowa City and, after attending college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and working in the technology industry in San Francisco, California, returned to Iowa to pursue a career in law. After graduating with his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2003, he started his legal practice at Phelan Tucker Law Offices, where he continues his successful litigation practice. He primarily practices in the field of medical malpractice defense, health care law and represents the interests of healthcare professionals. He is admitted to practice in the State of Iowa and is a...

Charles Kenville was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. He graduated from Fargo South High School and attended North Dakota State University in Fargo where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology in 1995. He received his Juris Doctorate from Drake Law School in 1999. After being admitted to practice in Iowa, Charles started his career with the Polk County Attorney’s Office in Des Moines as an Assistant County Attorney. As a prosecutor Charles tried several felony jury trials. Charles went into private practice after serving as a...

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (top 1%) Past President, Iowa State Bar Association Past President, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers (250) Past V.P., Iowa Association for Justice (f.k.a. Iowa Trial Lawyers) Founding Board of Directors, American Academy of ADR Attorneys Past Chair, Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission Past Member, Iowa Supreme Court Nominating Commission Top Great Plains SuperLawyers (top 5%) Board of Directors, Iowa Defense Counsel Association Board of Directors, Iowa Law School Foundation AVVO rating 10/10

Dan was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 2004, and has been practicing law in Iowa and throughout the United States since then. Shortly after graduating from law school, Dan had his first felony jury trial, which resulted in an acquittal on a forgery charge in Johnson County, Iowa. Two years later, Dan represented a woman facing child endangerment charges and gained valuable jury trial experience on a case that he argued all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court (State v. Mitchell, 757 N.W.2d 431, Iowa 2008).

Dan’s next appearance before the Iowa Supreme Court resulted in...

Patton Legal Services, LLC provides affordable legal services, passionate representation, and access to justice. The firm seeks to address the unmet legal needs of persons who cannot afford legal services. The firm provides affordable legal services to low-income and moderate-income central Iowans in Ames, Boone, Des Moines, Jefferson, Marshalltown, and Webster City. The firm focuses on criminal law, juvenile law, family law, postconviction relief, and administrative law cases, appeals, powers of attorney, living wills, and wills. The firm utilizes a sliding fee scale based on income, flat fees in selected cases, and limited scope services.

I'm an attorney that knows the struggles of working out on the farm. We know that at times there are shortages of labor, and that you might need legal immigrant workers. We can help get H-2A and H-2B and many other agricultural visas when workers are hard to find.

Derek Hong is a founding partner of Hong Law, PLC. At Hong Law, PLC, the attorneys are dedicated in providing bankruptcy litigation. Derek attended the University of Iowa, where he received his J.D. Whether you are looking for assistance with the Means Test or debt negotiations, the attorneys at Hong Law, PLC know what it takes to get you through this challenging time. Contact us today at (319) 632-1400 to speak to a member of our team.

Thomas Williams has spent most of his adult life in and around Iowa. A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, Thomas spent several years working in a management development program for a company in the Quad Cities providing services to businesses across Eastern Iowa. After graduating with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law, Thomas practiced corporate litigation in the State of Delaware, primarily focused on claims related to director and officer duties to shareholders and the corporation. He and his wife later returned to the Iowa City area where Thomas spent several years practicing transactional...

Nick has tried over 100 contested cases to conclusion and has been recognized for his legal skill and professional achievement. Nick is a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers which is open to membership for only 225 of the over 20,000 lawyers in Iowa. Membership is by appointment only. Nick is also Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. To obtain certification, the lawyer must pass a difficult examination, have demonstrated the requisite ski in your field to the examiners' satisfaction, have a clean ethical record, submit samples of your legal writing and submit recommendations from...

Licensed Business and Tax Attorney (Iowa). Ms. Blessing graduated from the University of Iowa: College of Law in 2014 and then spent the next 8 years serving as an awarded business, economics, finance, and law professor with American universities abroad. She returned to the United States in 2021 and is currently a small business consultant with Blessing Associates, LLC. Blessing Associates is a business consulting firm offering services to Americans at home and abroad. We specialize in small business solutions, working with business owners from start-up to wind-down. Services include (but are not limited to): - Taxation (Domestic,...

John Hathaway is an immigration and criminal defense attorney. He graduated from University of Iowa Law School, with distinction, in 2016. He initially worked at the immigration and criminal defense firm, Kasaby and Nichols, LLC, in Omaha Nebraska, then returned to Iowa City, Iowa to practice at Vondra & Malott, PLC, and now Malott Law, PLC. He practices before state district and appellate courts in Iowa, the Norther Federal District of Iowa, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, various immigration courts, USCIS, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. His focuses in removal defense, criminal defense, affirmative...

Nebraska and Iowa Divorce and Child Custody trial lawyer who primarily handles divorce and child custody cases around Omaha and Elkhorn, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa and surrounding areas. Over 40+ domestic trials and countless contested hearings appearances for clients. Advocate for parents seeking to preserve their access to their children and their parental rights. Trained Nebraska Parenting Plan Mediator. Brad is a local attorney, trained mediator, dedicated father, and relentless advocate for clients with experience before most area Nebraska and Iowa judges and attorneys.

Attorney Tim Bottaro is a graduate of Creighton University (B.A. 1981) and the University of Iowa (J.D. 1983 With Distinction). He is admitted to practice law in the United States Appellate Court (8th Circuit) and United States Federal Court, as well as Iowa state courts. Tim handles primarily personal injury cases, such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents, semi accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian injury accidents, wrongful death claims, construction accidents, dram shop suits (vs. establishments who serve alcohol), slip and falls, and animal bites. He also handles insurance litigation and general litigation matters. With Tim, your consultation is always free! Tim became...

Mindi Vervaecke is an Attorney at Law for Wertz Law Firm, P.C. Her practice focuses on Workers' Compensation. Mindi joined the firm in 2021 and is committed to representing injured workers throughout the state of Iowa. As a 1996 graduate of the University of Iowa Law School with distinction, Mindi has been a member of the Iowa Association of Justice Workers' Compensation Core Group, Continuing Education Committee, Iowa Supreme Court Nominating Commission. Mindi currently serves as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education, in addition to her memberships with the Iowa Association of Justice and Iowa Association...

Attorney Colby M. Lessmann was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and is a graduate of Sioux City North High School. Colby graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Business (B.S., 1996) and School of Law (J.D., 1999). During his law school education, he published a casenote in the South Dakota Law Review (1998) and was both the Managing Editor and the Production Editor for Volume 44 of the South Dakota Law Review (1998-1999). After graduating from Law School, Colby clerked for Justice Robert Amundson of the South Dakota Supreme Court in Pierre, South Dakota. In August...

Attorney Dean Fankhauser was raised in Chadron, Nebraska and is the son of former business owners who still reside in Chadron today. After graduating from Chadron State College, Dean studied at The University of South Dakota School of Law and graduated in 2014 with a Juris Doctor. While in law school, Dean had many great experiences, including advancing to the Elite 8 of the Sam Masten Appellate Advocacy Competition and completing an internship at the Federal Public Defender’s office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dean moved to the Siouxland Community after law school and shortly began working as an associate attorney....