William A. "Bill" Boatwright

William A. "Bill" Boatwright


Dentons Davis Brown

Recognized since 2007

Des Moines, Iowa

Practice Areas

Nonprofit / Charities Law

Tax Law

Trusts and Estates

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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Nonprofit / Charities Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Nonprofit / Charities Law
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Bill’s practice is focused on helping charities and other tax-exempt organizations with all their legal and business needs. Over the course of his 25-year career at the firm, Bill has helped form nearly 200 non-profit organizations and secured tax-exempt status for them. His practice also involves assisting established non-profits with the full range of their various business matters.

Clients

Bill’s tax-exempt clients are located throughout Iowa and range from small start-up charities to large hospitals and university-related organizations. They include private foundations, trade associations, amateur athletic organizations, churches, consumer credit counseling organizations, publicly financed and other government-related entities and specialized health insurance trusts.

Tax-Exempt Advocacy

Tax-exempt organizations often have complex structures that require careful analysis and planning to ensure compliance with all requirements necessary to maintain their exempt status and to minimize their exposure to unrelated business income tax. Bill works with these organizations to learn about their activities and business plans to best advocate on their behalf before the IRS, the Iowa Legislature, and various governmental agencies.

Non-Profit Organization Operations

In addition to assisting new organizations with their formation, Bill also advises non-profits on a variety of operational matters, including real estate, contract preparation and review, employment matters, regulatory compliance, and representation before the Iowa courts and other governmental agencies. He regularly works with an organization’s tax accountants to ensure that its federal and Iowa compliance requirements are satisfied.

Contact & Links
Location
  • 215 Tenth Street, Suite 1300
    Des Moines, IA 50309
Education
  • The University of Iowa, JD, graduated 1989
  • Drake University, BA, graduated 1985
Bar Admissions
  • United States, American Bar Association
  • Illinois, Illinois Bar Association
  • Iowa, Iowa State Bar Association
  • Iowa, Polk County Bar Association
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court – Southern District of Iowa
  • U.S. Tax Court

Dentons Davis Brown

Des Moines, Iowa

1 The Best Lawyers in America® award

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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Nonprofit / Charities Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Nonprofit / Charities Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Trusts and Estates, Des Moines (2022)
  • Nonprofit / Charities Law, Des Moines (2019)
  • Nonprofit / Charities Law, Des Moines (2013)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
  • Nonprofit / Charities Law
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts and Estates
Special Focus:
  • Nonprofit Organizations and Charitable Giving
  • Probate
  • Tax
  • Tax-Exempt Organizations
  • Trust Administration
Awards:
  • AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell. The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards.

    The Best Lawyers in America© 2021: Ranked in Non-Profit/Charities Law and Trusts and Estates. Bill has been ranked since 2007.

    Best Lawyers© 2019 and 2013 Non-Profit/Charities Law “Lawyer of the Year” in the Des Moines metro.

Publications

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