USA – IOWA
Minnesota
Iowa
Des Moines
Trends and Developments Contributed by: Benjamin J. Kenkel, Sean M. O’Brien and Blake R. Hanson Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler & Hagen, P.C. Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler & Hagen, P.C. has a rich history deeply rooted in the Midwest and boasts one of the largest Iowa-based teams of attorneys, practising in more than 90 areas of law. The firm’s Des Moines-based Insurance Law and Litigation practice is among the largest in the organisation and consists of more than a dozen attorneys who provide a diverse and broad-based range of legal services. These attorneys serve as members of the board of directors or provide counsel to insurance companies on corporate matters, including mergers and acquisi-
Illinois
Nebraska Missouri
tions, employee issues, licensure with state insurance departments, compliance with regulatory require- ments, rate hearings, filings with governmental enti- ties and risk management. In addition, they provide counsel to insurers and insureds regarding issues of general insurance coverage, insurance fraud, prop- erty damage, appraisal and complex liability claims. Many attorneys within the practice area also serve as primary litigation counsel for insurers at the local, regional and state levels.
Authors
Benjamin J. Kenkel joined Dickinson Bradshaw in 2019 as a summer law clerk before passing the Iowa State Bar Exam and joining the firm as an attorney in spring 2020. He has individually handled or assisted with
business law. He regularly speaks on various legal topics at programmes sponsored by a number of organisations, such as the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB), the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, the Iowa Insurance Division, the Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa, and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.
numerous matters for multiple insurance companies, evaluating pre-suit claims, assessing coverage and handling litigated matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts. In his practice, Ben has argued before the Iowa Court of Appeals and appeared on numerous appellate briefs before the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals. Sean M. O’Brien is a shareholder at Dickinson Bradshaw. His legal practice focuses primarily on insurance and construction law. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, Sean clerked for Justice David Harris of the Iowa Supreme Court. Sean has also served as an adjunct professor in Drake University’s undergraduate and MBA programme lecturing on
Blake R. Hanson is a shareholder working in Dickinson Bradshaw’s Litigation and Insurance divisions. Prior to joining Dickinson Bradshaw in 2019, Blake was engaged in private practice in Des Moines, Iowa, where
he was part of the legal team that brought civil litigation following the largest lottery rigging in US history, resulting in a nationwide multi-million dollar class action settlement and a landmark lawsuit brought by a former Hot Lotto winner. The events that unfolded were the subject of a programme titled The Notorious Lottery Heist and a book, “The $80 Billion Gamble”. In 2016, Blake was inducted into the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Rising Star Award.
319 I NSURANCE L I T IGATI O N 2026
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