Thomas M. Patton

Jill Jensen-Welch practices primarily in employment law and civil litigation. She serves clients ranging from small start-ups to large national companies in a wide variety of industries. Jill’s 16 years of human resources experience before law school informs her counseling of clients in contracts and restrictive covenants, policies and practices, employee relations matters, leaves, job analysis, pay structures, discipline, terminations, and training. In employment litigation, she handle...

Connie is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and is currently serving as the President of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. In addition to healthcare litigation trials, she frequently appears before the Iowa Board of Medicine, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals and the Office of Inspector General on issues related to licensing, EMTALA, HIPAA, Medicare/Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. She has also represented both facilities and professionals on issues of credentialing and...

Joel B. Templeman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Joel B., who practices law in West Des Moines, Iowa, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joel B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christine Bestor Townsend is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Christine, who practices law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David practices primarily in the area of taxation. He provides a broad range of tax counsel to small businesses on topics including federal and state income tax planning, taxation of employee benefits, equity structure and mergers, and succession planning. He also counsels and advises clients with respect to the management of their wealth to minimize estate and inheritance taxes through the use of asset protection trusts, grantor trusts, powers of appointment, lifetime gifts, QTIP trusts and ...

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...

Jack is an elected member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. For more than 35 years his practice has focused on the defense of hundreds of civil cases in areas including: product liability, automobile liability, wrongful death, aircraft crash liability, defamation, premises liability, professional liability, drug and device liability, employment law, commercial liability and trustee and fiduciary liability. This exposure has resulted in more than 100 civil jury trials throughout the St...

Jeffrey Kappelman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Health Care. Jeffrey, 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 Jeffrey is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

L. Lars Hulsebus is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Lars, 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 Lars is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. At Dickinson Bradshaw, Lars advocates for clients in high-stakes disputes of all kinds. Over more than a decade as a civil liti...

Howard Hagen practices primarily in banking law. For over 25 years he has counseled banks in virtually every Iowa county on such issues as regulation, acquisitions and various corporate and shareholder matters that have confronted banks in both good and troubled times. Howard also has served as counsel to the Community Bankers of Iowa for more than 20 years. He currently serves as a member of the American Bar Association Banking Law Committee. Earlier in his career, Howard served in the publi...