Martinsburg Lawyers

Ed Cox practices in agricultural law, estate planning, and real estate and handles general practices matters. Prior to private practice Ed worked as staff attorney at the Drake University Agricultural Law Center. He has written several publications on agricultural law issues and has given numerous presentations on the topic across the country. Ed is licensed to practice law in Iowa and Missouri.

H. Edwin Detlie has practiced law in Ottumwa since 1982; before that, he was an Administrative Law Judge with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission for several years. Mr. Detlie is a former President of the Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, and is Chair of the Iowa State Bar Association's Law Practice Management Committee. He has spoken at national, regional and State conferences on workers' compensation and Social Security Disability, and is a member of the Larson's National Workers' Compensation Advisory Board for LexisNexis, the world's largest legal publisher.

Mark Thompson practices criminal defense law in Iowa City and the surrounding areas in Eastern Iowa. He has been operating his own firm, practicing in criminal law, since 2005. He has represented clients in over 2,000 criminal cases, with a majority of these cases being OWI / DUI. Mark has also handled contract defense cases for the Iowa State Public Defender, served as defense counsel for the Johnson County Drug Treatment Court, and served as a Judicial Magistrate. Now he focuses solely on his private criminal law practice.

Melvin O. Shaw is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law (2004). He has a Master’s in journalism from the UI, and a B.S. in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Melvin has been a solo practitioner since he opened his law firm in 2006. Melvin will serve a one-year term as president of the Iowa State Bar Association starting June 2024. He is Chair of the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission and has served on the JQC since 2018. Melvin was appointed to the Lawyers Trust Account Commission 2024-2027 under an order of...

Attorney George B. Jones is the founder and owner of the The Law Office of George B. Jones, PLLC, in Lamoni, Iowa. A top-rated, award-winning trial lawyer with more than 35 years of legal experience, Mr. Jones devotes his practice primarily to personal injury, including car wrecks, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, work injuries, medical negligence, wrongful death, slip and fall, and other injury cases. During his extensive career he has tried hundreds of cases, and taught law courses at Graceland University, and trained prosecutors, judges and attorneys in trial practice techniques. No matter the issues his clients are facing or how...

Craig Nierman mediates and arbitrates complex insurance, tort, and healthcare claims. His quarter-century of litigation experience includes representing plaintiffs and defendants—including hospitals, individuals and families, insurers, domestic and international businesses, as well as government entities—in jury trials, appeals, and arbitrations. His insurance experience includes: First party claims; Third party cases; Extracontractual damages; Agent/broker errors and omissions; ERISA; Subrogation; and Carrier/producer disputes. His health law practice has involved complex reimbursement and revenue cycle issues (e.g., experimental, medical necessity, and exclusion questions), medical malpractice and devices, primary and secondary payor conflicts, provider contracts, and HIPAA compliance. He previously taught Insurance Law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law....

Restoring hope, one client at a time. As an Iowa disability lawyer, I am driven by that one goal; it has been my personal and professional mission since I first began representing disabled Iowans in 1996. Prior to that, I worked for the Social Security Administration, as one of their attorneys in NYC. I have seen first-hand how a large government bureaucracy can frustrate and confuse even the most determined claimant. I am driven to restore hope to disabled Iowans as I guide them through Social Security disability process.

Jessica Malott is the owner and managing partner of Malott Law, PLC, and practices primarily in immigration. Jessica earned her Juris Doctor, with honors, in 2006 from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. During law school, she worked as an intern at the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) and was Editor-in-Chief of the Drake Law Review. Since graduating, Jessica has worked as a law clerk, federal government attorney, law school career advisor, and private practice attorney.

In her current practice, she focuses primarily on removal defense in Immigration Court and family-based immigration; however, she also takes an assortment...

As an Iowa City native, Parker attended the University of Iowa for his undergraduate education where he majored in Marketing Management, along with attending the University of Iowa College of Law for his legal education. During law school, Parker competed in various mock competitions including Iowa's Intramural Mock Baseball Salary Arbitration Competitions in 2023 and 2024, along with Iowa's Mock NCAA Infractions Competitions in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additionally, Parker competed in the National Mock NCAA Infractions Competition in 2023 and 2024, where in 2024 he achieved runner-up in the hearing portion of the competition, and won the writing portion of the...

Thomas D. S. Farnsworth was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. Thomas received a Bachelor of Business Administration, in Finance, from the University of Iowa and the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. During Thomas' undergraduate experience he clerked at a local law firm and worked as a pretrial interviewer for the Sixth Judicial District of Iowa. In 2004 Thomas began the accelerated program in at the University of Iowa College of Law and graduated in December of 2006. While in law school Thomas was licensed by the Iowa Supreme Court to work as a prosecuting legal intern. Thomas...

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...

Will was born in raised in the Iowa City area and obtained his undergraduate degrees and his law degree from the University of Iowa. He was admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 2005 and has successfully argued cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. He is also admitted to practice in all federal courts in Iowa. His diverse practice includes business litigation, real estate litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, divorce and child custody litigation, landlord-tenant law, business formation and acquisition, and representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings.

Will lives in Iowa City...

Dean grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Iowa City, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and focuses on pre-death estate planning and post-death trust/estate administration. His practice includes (i) establishing revocable (living) trusts to avoid probate and facilitate privacy, (ii) creating wills, trusts and retirement-account beneficiary designations with customized provisions to accomplish family-specific goals, such as delaying inheritances for immature beneficiaries, (iii) implementing powers of attorney for finances and for healthcare/medical directives (living wills), and (iv) administering probate estates and trusts and filing the necessary tax returns.

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...

Jessica maintains a civil litigation and trial law practice dedicated to defending hospitals and medical professionals. She also represents licensed health care professionals and medical institutions in connection with administrative investigations and complaints. Jessica has extensive trial experience having done more than two dozen criminal and civil jury trials. She has also handled criminal and civil appeals to the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court.

Jessica was born and raised in Iowa City. She attended the University of Oklahoma for her undergraduate studies and then returned to Iowa for law school. After receiving her JD, Jessica practiced for...

Dick was admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 1975. He has spent the last 40 years as a trial lawyer focused on representing health care professionals and institutions in medical malpractice litigation and regulatory proceedings. He has also successfully argued cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. In recognition of his skills as a trial lawyer and the respect he has among lawyers on both sides of lawsuits, Dick has been elected by his peers to membership in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Dick was...

Bruce is proud to have actively participated in a wide range of professional and volunteer groups throughout his career, including The American College of Trial Lawyers (State Committee), Iowa Defense Counsel (President), Defense Update Magazine (Board of Editors), American Board of Trial Advocates (member), and The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (Midwest Regional Membership Chair & Board of Directors). Bruce is a past president of the Iowa State Bar Association and continues to serve on the administrative committee. He is also a member of the Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and serves as the chair of the Language Access...

Carolyn (“Dazi”) Russell Wallace was born and raised in Iowa City. She left to attend college in North Carolina, returned to Iowa City for law school, and began practicing at the firm in October 2013.

Carolyn maintains a general law practice that includes both transactional and litigation components. On the transactional side, Carolyn assists clients with estate planning, real estate matters, reviewing and negotiating contracts, and other general transactional issues. Carolyn’s litigation practice focuses on defending physicians in medical malpractice cases. Carolyn particularly enjoys legal research and writing, and she routinely assists clients with appellate matters.

In her free time, Carolyn likes...

Pope grew up in Iowa City and, after attending college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and working in the technology industry in San Francisco, California, returned to Iowa to pursue a career in law. After graduating with his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2003, he started his legal practice at Phelan Tucker Law Offices, where he continues his successful litigation practice. He primarily practices in the field of medical malpractice defense, health care law and represents the interests of healthcare professionals. He is admitted to practice in the State of Iowa and is a...

Derek Hong is a founding partner of Hong Law, PLC. At Hong Law, PLC, the attorneys are dedicated in providing bankruptcy litigation. Derek attended the University of Iowa, where he received his J.D. Whether you are looking for assistance with the Means Test or debt negotiations, the attorneys at Hong Law, PLC know what it takes to get you through this challenging time. Contact us today at (319) 632-1400 to speak to a member of our team.

Thomas Williams has spent most of his adult life in and around Iowa. A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, Thomas spent several years working in a management development program for a company in the Quad Cities providing services to businesses across Eastern Iowa. After graduating with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law, Thomas practiced corporate litigation in the State of Delaware, primarily focused on claims related to director and officer duties to shareholders and the corporation. He and his wife later returned to the Iowa City area where Thomas spent several years practicing transactional...

Nick has tried over 100 contested cases to conclusion and has been recognized for his legal skill and professional achievement. Nick is a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers which is open to membership for only 225 of the over 20,000 lawyers in Iowa. Membership is by appointment only. Nick is also Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. To obtain certification, the lawyer must pass a difficult examination, have demonstrated the requisite ski in your field to the examiners' satisfaction, have a clean ethical record, submit samples of your legal writing and submit recommendations from...

Licensed Business and Tax Attorney (Iowa). Ms. Blessing graduated from the University of Iowa: College of Law in 2014 and then spent the next 8 years serving as an awarded business, economics, finance, and law professor with American universities abroad. She returned to the United States in 2021 and is currently a small business consultant with Blessing Associates, LLC. Blessing Associates is a business consulting firm offering services to Americans at home and abroad. We specialize in small business solutions, working with business owners from start-up to wind-down. Services include (but are not limited to): - Taxation (Domestic,...

John Hathaway is an immigration and criminal defense attorney. He graduated from University of Iowa Law School, with distinction, in 2016. He initially worked at the immigration and criminal defense firm, Kasaby and Nichols, LLC, in Omaha Nebraska, then returned to Iowa City, Iowa to practice at Vondra & Malott, PLC, and now Malott Law, PLC. He practices before state district and appellate courts in Iowa, the Norther Federal District of Iowa, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, various immigration courts, USCIS, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. His focuses in removal defense, criminal defense, affirmative...

Mindi Vervaecke is an Attorney at Law for Wertz Law Firm, P.C. Her practice focuses on Workers' Compensation. Mindi joined the firm in 2021 and is committed to representing injured workers throughout the state of Iowa. As a 1996 graduate of the University of Iowa Law School with distinction, Mindi has been a member of the Iowa Association of Justice Workers' Compensation Core Group, Continuing Education Committee, Iowa Supreme Court Nominating Commission. Mindi currently serves as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education, in addition to her memberships with the Iowa Association of Justice and Iowa Association...