Category Trial Law

Courthouse Contagion: How COVID-19 is Affecting Your Cases, Hearings, and Proceedings

Over the last two weeks, the Iowa Supreme Court has issued several Supervisory Orders affecting courthouse schedules and proceedings across the state in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These Orders can be found on the Iowa Judicial Branch website. Every Monday morning (or as circumstances require), the Judicial Branch will be providing summaries... Read More

Iowa Supreme Court Confirms Employers May Use Same Decision Defense in Discrimination and Retaliation Cases

The Iowa Supreme Court recently issued an important decision for employers in employment discrimination cases. The Court confirmed that employers are entitled to raise the “same decision” affirmative defense, which states that even if a discriminatory factor played a motivating role in a decision to terminate an employee, the employer may avoid... Read More

The Admissibility of Criminal Records in a Civil Case

What if you find out your opponent has a criminal record? Can their criminal record be used against them in a civil case? Generally, a criminal record is not relevant to a civil action for such things as breach of contract or to defend an action for wrongful termination in an employment context. However, there are exceptions to this rule and ways... Read More

Attorney Fees: Does my Opponent Have to Pay if I Win?

Clients often ask if they can get the other side to pay their attorney fees. The answer is usually no. In courts in the U.S., the general rule is that each party pays their own attorney fees regardless of who wins and who loses. However, there are exceptions. The most common exceptions are:1) a contract between the parties shifts the burden of... Read More

BrownWinick Law Firm Ranked in U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2020 "Best Law Firms" List

BrownWinick has been included in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® 2020 "Best Law Firms" rankings[i]. The tenth edition of the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® released the 2020 "Best Law Firms" rankings on November 1, 2019. Firms included in the 2020 "Best Law Firms" list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently... Read More

BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2020 Best Lawyers List

BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 24 lawyers have been included in the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers® has published their list for more than three decades, earning the respect of the... Read More

BrownWinick Attorneys Featured in 2019 Great Plains Super Lawyers and Great Plains Rising Stars

Eleven BrownWinick attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2019 Great Plains Super Lawyers online listing: William Brown – Tax Elizabeth Coonan – Employment and Labor Michael Dee – Business Litigation Alice Helle – Employee Benefits Thomas Johnson – Business/Corporate Ann Holden Kendell – Employment and Labor James Pray – Environmental Brian... Read More

BW Wins Defense Verdict in Disability Discrimination Trial

Following an eight-day jury trial in Linn County, Iowa, BrownWinick attorneys Michael Dee and James White won a defense verdict in a case involving claims of disability discrimination and retaliation. BrownWinick represented a large national energy company and two of its employees who were sued by a former employee alleging the company terminated... Read More

Chambers USA Names BrownWinick Law Firm and 11 of its Attorneys "Leaders in Iowa"

BrownWinick, a Des Moines based law firm, has been recognized as a “leading law firm” in Chambers USA 2019 — America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the areas of Corporate/M&A, Labor & Employment, and Litigation: General Commercial. Additionally, 11 BrownWinick attorneys were selected for inclusion in Chambers USA 2019, being recognized as... Read More

BrownWinick Law Firm Ranked in U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2019 "Best Law Firms" List

BrownWinick has been included in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers® 2019 "Best Law Firms" rankings. The ninth edition of the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers released the 2019 "Best Law Firms" rankings on November 1, 2018. Firms included in the 2019 "Best Law Firms" list are recognized for professional excellent with persistently impressive... Read More