Jo Ellen Whitney

Colleen MacRae practices with the firm's Business, Finance & Real Estate team. She represents both buyers and sellers in the negotiation and closing of mergers, asset purchases, and stock acquisitions. Colleen provides advice to businesses regarding formation, organization, restructuring, and contract negotiation. Colleen also regularly represents real estate developers, purchasers, and sellers in a variety of commercial real estate transactions. She assists landlords and tenants in lease...

Megan Kennedy Marty is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates. Megan Kennedy, who practices law in Des Moines, Iowa, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Megan Kennedy is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dennis VanDerGinst Dennis VanDerGinst is a personal injury attorney, trial lawyer, and the Founder & CEO of VanDerGinst Law PC. He represents injured individuals and families throughout Illinois, Iowa, and other jurisdictions. For more than 30 years, Dennis has focused his practice on helping people navigate serious injury claims and complex litigation during challenging periods of their lives. Dennis handles a wide range of plaintiff-side personal injury matters, including car accidents,...

Amy’s practice includes corporate law, banking law, mergers and acquisitions, business formations, e-commerce, intellectual property law, and publishing law. Amy also assists clients with intellectual property, e-commerce law, and software licensing agreements. She serves as chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group and currently serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. Amy earned her B.S. from the University of Minnesota in 1999 and her J.D. from Pepperdin...

Regular Speaker and Presenter for Continuing Legal Education on Estates, Trusts, Elder Law, Medicaid and Long Term Care Planning; Faculty for Iowa State Bar Association Bar Review Course On Probate, Estates and Trusts from 2000-Present Adjunct Professor Des Moines Area Community College Legal Assistant Program 1982-1984 Trust officer and bank counsel 1978-1980 Member, Iowa State Bar Association Section on: Probate

Nicole Proesch is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Education Law and Employment Law - Management. Nicole, who practices law in Des Moines, Iowa, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicole is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. With over 20 years of experience, Attorney Nicole Proesch has a practice that focuses on Employment L...

Kevin is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. Kevin has been listed in the Best Lawyers of America since 2008 and Chamber's USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2006. He was named "Des Moines Construction Lawyer of the Year" in 2015 and 2017 by Best Lawyers of America.Kevin maintains a trial practice in the area of professional negligence, in the defense of physicians, attorneys, architects and engineers, as well as ...

Todd was born in Storm Lake, Iowa and he has been a resident of the Des Moines area for approximately 40 years. Todd maintains his litigation practice in the areas of transportation, products liability, commercial, premises liability, legal malpractice and property rights. Todd has received defense verdicts in courtrooms throughout all parts of Iowa. Todd is recognized as a leader in Iowa in the defense of railroads and trucking companies. He is one of the only few railroad litigators whose o...

Justin LaVan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Justin, who practices law in Des Moines, Iowa, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Justin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David advises clients, including small business owners and professionals, in a broad range of business and tax areas including corporate and business mergers and acquisitions, tax and employee benefits counsel and estate succession planning. This includes the preparation of wills, trusts and related documents. He also assists owners, professionals and executives in the formation and structure of their businesses including contract and compliance matters, and formation of corporations, limited...