Attorney Matthew Blake Joins Dickinson Bradshaw

Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler & Hagen, P.C. is pleased to announce that Matthew Blake has joined the firm as an Of Counsel attorney.

With an extensive background serving as the General Counsel to the Iowa Association of REALTORS, Matt’s practice primarily specializes in real estate and land use matters, including residential and real estate brokerage work.

“I’m pleased to be a part of Dickinson Bradshaw,” Matt said. “The firm is one of the premier law firms in the state related to helping brokerages and real estate agents navigate the growing complexity. With rapid changes happening to the profession in the future, I wanted to be with the best attorneys to help me develop my skillset and help agents navigate these unique times.”

Matt, a natural networker and connector, also advises business clients in a variety of related areas including construction, contracts and agreements, corporate/business law, licensing and administrative law, municipal law, and emerging technology issues.

Matt was raised in Pierre, South Dakota, the oldest of three boys. Growing up, he learned about the world of real estate firsthand through his mother, a real estate agent; and community service through his father, who owned and operated two daycare centers. After graduation, Matt attended college at the University of South Dakota where he majored in history and political science, graduating magna cum laude. He later came to Iowa by way of Drake Law School where he obtained his J.D. with honors, as well as a Drake Law’s Legislative Certificate. Along the way, he met his wife, Alaina Blake, an optometrist, and they had two young children, Saxon, 4, and baby Ellis, who is less than a year old.

“I love the people and community in the Des Moines area,” Matt said. “My wife and I had the option to live anywhere we desired after attending professional schools, but we chose the Des Moines metro to make a home. The people, the location, the amenities, it all aligns with our lifestyle. We love the Midwest and wanted to make sure our family is raised in this region.”

Legal Training & Experience

Matt decided to seek a legal career early on, citing his enjoyment of the process of creating laws and administrative rules, to the underlying necessity of enforcing and arguing the law.

“I’ve always enjoyed the law; I enjoy how we collaboratively work to govern ourselves in a community,” he said.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Matt learned about the process directly from his work experience during law school, including having served as a legal intern/clerk with Senator Robert Dvorsky in the Iowa State Legislature, as an environmental policy intern with the Iowa League of Cities, and as a legal intern with Iowa Title Guaranty.

Additionally, Matt gained extensive knowledge of Iowa’s regulatory and administrative law system in his role as the Director of Government Relations with LeadingAge Iowa. In that role, he spent several years at the Iowa Capitol representing aging service providers, as well as drafting legislation and administrative rules on behalf of the association. Matt uses that knowledge today to help his clients navigate the complexities of the administrative law process.

Matt is an Army veteran, having served in Kuwait and Iraq in 2021, and is currently an active member of the Iowa Army National Guard, where he has covered a wide range of legal matters over the past 7 years. Matt currently holds the rank of Major and serves as Judge Advocate (JAG) Officer. In his law practice at Dickinson Bradshaw, he uses this valuable experience to counsel clients on military leave matters.

For more information on Matt’s experience and legal practice, visit our website.

Community Service

On top of serving his legal clients, Matt is focused on giving back to his community in a number of ways in his spare time, from volunteerism to serving on various boards. He is currently a member and past-president of the Urbandale Fourth of July Celebration, and has served on boards for the Metro Waste Authority, Bravo Greater Des Moines, and Young Variety; as well as the Urbandale Civil Rights Commission.

“Basically, my free time is service to the community and spending time with my family. And playing an occasional video game – or dancing badly with my kids,” he joked.

He also served on the Urbandale City Council from 2019 to 2023, where he helped pass key policies for the city (while lowering the tax levy), such as green initiatives, crisis intervention teams for mental health and substance abuse, economic development, and resources for first responders.

Matt chose to not seek an additional term on the council this past year, in favor of seeking a seat in the Iowa State Senate. In running for Senate District 22, Matt has stated in his campaign he wants to bring optimism and common sense government back to the state of Iowa, and has pledged to tackle important issues facing middle class families, including fighting for public education, reproductive rights for women, and clean water.

District 22 covers Johnston, Urbandale, and parts of Saylorville and Des Moines.