Cerro Gordo County Estate Planning Lawyers

Sam practices primarily in Estate Planning (including wills and trusts), probate law, succession planning and business law. In addition to being a lawyer, he is also a certified public accountant. Sam received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration-Accounting from the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) in 1978, and his Juris Doctorate at Drake University in 1981. Sam is licensed to practice law in all courts within Iowa, as well as the following Federal Courts: Northern and Southern District of Iowa, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Tax Court. Sam is a member of the...

Josh is an Iowa native and grew up on a farm outside Sac City, Iowa. He attended Drake University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with honors. In 2014, Josh received a Juris Doctorate with honors from Drake University Law School. Josh was admitted to the Iowa State Bar and United States District Court, Southern and Northern Federal Districts of Iowa, in 2014. Josh serves on both the Board of Governors and Defense Update Board of Editors for the Iowa Defense Counsel Association. In 2018, Josh was awarded the Iowa Defense Counsel Association’s Rising Star Award....

Lee M. Rankin is a partner at Willson & Pechacek, PLC, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mr. Rankin primarily practices in the areas of taxation, corporate law, estate planning, real estate, and trust and probate administration. He represents clients in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Monona County and throughout Southwest Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. Lee was born in Omaha, NE and received his BSBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in accounting in 1998. He received his Nebraska license as a Certified Public Accounting in 2001. In 2002, Lee returned to school, attending the University of Nebraska College of Law where...

Law school doesn’t just teach you about the law. It also teaches you to never give up. While it was probably the hardest thing I ever did, the lessons I learned there are why I can stand up for clients at some of the hardest times of their lives. I graduated from Drake Law School in 2004 and have ten years of experience in the courts of Iowa standing up for people’s rights, whether as a private attorney, a prosecutor or a child protection attorney.

Tom was born and raised in Iowa City. He received his BA degree from Harvard University in 1975 and then returned home to attend the University of Iowa College of Law. After completing law school in 1978, Tom joined the law firm where he has been a partner since 1983. Tom represents individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of legal matters principally in areas of business and transactional law, including contracts, real estate, business and non-profit entities, estate and gift planning, administration of trusts and estates, healthcare, and charitable foundations. In addition to his legal practice, Tom has...

Born and raised in southern Iowa (don't hold that against me) on a farm just outside of Centerville. (Big Reds and Pancake Day). Undergraduate degree from THE Iowa State University. I still bleed cardinal and gold, but I can find a place to help even Hawkeye fans. Drake University to get the degree that allows me have the law license. I spent my initial 16 years at a local medium-sized law firm honing my skills before jumping out of the nest and starting my own firm in 2013. I said this when my girls were younger and...

Gary has been working with individuals and families to help with their estate and tax planning for almost thirty years. He has a robust tax practice, preparing both individual and fiduciary returns. With this background, he also advises his clients on their estate planning, bringing his areas of expertise together to draft comprehensive plans that accomplish their goals. Gary also facilitates trust and estate administration, and so further helps families carry out their plans. In his career, Gary has worked with multiple generations, providing guidance and counsel on issues relating to finances, taxes, wealth transfer, and almost everything in between.

Originally...

Chad grew up in Ames, Iowa. Prior to his career as an attorney, Chad was a minister for 10 years in local churches and denominational administration. Chad lives in West Des Moines with his wife, Sarah, and two boys, Walker and Max. Chad’s practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, and non-profit/charitable organizations. He is a licensed mediator for elder law matters. He has provided quality representation to a spectrum of clients including individuals, families, charities, municipalities and professional sports teams. Along with his work as an attorney, Chad routinely speaks at churches and other charitable organizations across the country...

Kimberly (Schroeder) Kuchel is an associate attorney at Bauerly & Langel P.L.C. She went to Morningside College to obtain her undergraduate degree in business administration. She graduated with her law degree from the University of St. Thomas in 2018 and upon graduation, worked for Corbett Anderson Law Firm in Sioux City, Iowa. In November 2019, she began working for Bauerly & Langel PLC. She is also licensed in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Dave Patton has practiced law for over 35 years, initially in private practice in a suburban law firm in Des Moines, Iowa; then as staff attorney for a small state agency (the Iowa Governor’s Office of Planning and Programming), followed by a move to Richmond, Virginia, where he became a partner in a boutique law firm engaged in business and environmental litigation almost exclusively in federal courts, before returning to his hometown to raise his four boys and engage in the general practice of law, limited to marital, custody, and property disputes, estate and probate matters, real estate and business...

A northeast Iowa native, Thad grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of West Union, Iowa. After graduating from the University of Iowa College of law, he practiced for three years in Davenport, Iowa and has practiced since 2003 in Dubuque, Iowa. He has also maintained an office in Davenport since 2007. Currently practicing out of the Pioneer Law branch in Dubuque, Thad focuses on estate planning, elder law, Social Security disability and veterans disability. When not spending time with his wife and two daughters, Thad enjoys speaking with other attorneys and professional groups. In the past Thad...

Daniel is committed to competent advising, responsive communication, and value-based service for clients. With a background and continued involvement in his family's farm, Daniel P. Fischer understands the legal needs and planning techniques best suited for individuals, farms, and businesses in southwest Iowa. Daniel studied Agricultural Business and Economics at Iowa State University, where he graduated summa cum laude and served as the Student Body President. At the University of Iowa, Daniel earned his Juris Doctor, with distinction, and was published in the Iowa Law Review for his note on the taxation of agricultural bankruptcies. Following law school,...

ABOUT US Pearson Bollman Law (http://www.pearsonbollmanlaw.com) routinely counsels families in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, probate/trust administration, elder law/Medicaid planning, and VA pension eligibility. Attorney Matthew Bollman Matt grew up in northeast Iowa. Upon graduating from the University of Denver, College of Law in 2000, he moved to Seattle, Washington and then to Phoenix, Arizona. Matt and his family moved back to Ankeny in 2008 to return to the family environment Iowa provides. Matt joined Phyllis Pearson in her practice January 1, 2011. In 2010, Matt became a VA Accredited Attorney. Matt's practice focuses on estate planning, probate/trust administration and elder law. He...