Michael W. Thrall

Michael Thrall is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and practices in the area of commercial litigation; life, health, and disability insurance litigation; ERISA litigation; railroad litigation; and complex tort defense.

Michael is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in the categories of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and ERISA Litigation. He is a Fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the National Association of Railroad Trial Attorneys. Michael is a past President of ABOTA's Iowa Chapter, a past President of the Iowa Defense Counsel Association, and is a former DRI State Representative.

Michael serves on the Defense Research Institute’s Life, Health, and Disability Committee and is a member of DRI’s Data Management and Security Committee and DRI's Commercial Litigation Committee.

PRACTICE AREAS
Litigation
Professional Malpractice
Product Liability
Personal Injury and Tort Defense
Life and Disability Insurance Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation
Insurance Coverage and Conduct
Health Care Litigation
ERISA Litigation
Construction and Real Estate Litigation
Class Actions
Business and Commercial Litigation
Banks and Financial Institution Litigation
Appellate Practice
Administrative Hearings, Arbitrations, and ADR
Data Breach and Information Security
Estate, Trust, and Fiduciary Litigation

EDUCATION
Iowa State University (B.S., 1977)
University of Iowa (J.D., with high distinction, 1980)

BAR ADMISSIONS
Iowa, 1980
Admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Iowa, the Western District of Wisconsin, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, the Court of Claims, and the United States Supreme Court. Admitted pro hac vice in numerous state and federal courts across the United States.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Law Clerk, Hon. Harold D. Vietor, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa, 1980-1982