Speakers

Howard Hagen

Howard chairs Dickinson’s Banking Law Group. He has counseled banks across Iowa for more than 30 years, in both good and troubled times. Howard has served as counsel to the Community Bankers of Iowa for more than 20 years. He also serves on the Shazam, Inc. Board and on the Board of the Amana Society, Inc. and Amana Farms, Inc. where he grew up. Howard has earned numerous accolades for his work, most recently for 25 consecutive years in the Best Lawyers in America, and as the only Iowa Star Individual in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions: Banking & Finance by Chambers & Partners USA.


John Lande 

John has a civil litigation, banking, and cybersecurity oriented practice. He has experience with matters involving banking and financial regulation, creditors’ rights, business torts, agency regulatory actions, trademark disputes, environmental law, property taxation, municipal law, insurance and bond coverage disputes, mechanics’ liens and construction disputes, farm disputes, contract disputes, and business dissolutions. John is chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice Group, and a frequent contributor to the firm’s banking and cybersecurity law blogs. John was recognized in 2019 by Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA for his work in commercial litigation.


David Wetsch

With over 40 years of legal experience serving the Des Moines area, David’s practice provides counsel to individuals and businesses in Iowa and across the country on a variety of banking issues, including lending, collections, and corporate governance; as well as real estate and land use. He also advises clients on trusts and estate planning matters and advises clients in general business and corporate law issues. He received his undergraduate degree in management, finance and accounting from the University of Iowa, and his Juris Doctor from Drake Law School.


David Gonzales

David’s practice areas include banking law, banking regulation, and immigration. He also serves bank trust departments helping resolve trust administration issues. Prior to pursuing a career in the law David worked for ten years in media relations and broadcasting for professional hockey teams and local radio stations both on and off the air. He also worked in crop input financing for six years, and is a veteran of the United States Army.


Emily McGovern

Emily is an Associate in the firm’s Banking and Start-Up Groups, assisting new companies with their legal needs as they plant roots in Iowa and around the Midwest. Her practice focuses on a variety of issues, including banking, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, privacy matters, and cybersecurity. With the knowledge and experience needed to work with new companies and growing tech firms, Emily is also focused on partnering with universities and incubators to help make Iowa one of the top states for successful startups.


Andrea Rastelli 

As a recent Juris Doctor graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, Andrea is the newest member of the Dickinson Banking Law Group. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies from Lafayette College. Her legal training includes serving as an intern at John Deere Financial where she gained experience on issues such as privacy, intellectual property, and secured transactions. Andrea also served as a summer associate at Dickinson Law in 2018.


Emily Staudacher

As a farm kid and Iowa native, Emily knows Iowa agriculture and agribusiness. Her combination of family farm experience and work in the agribusiness industry give her unique insight to the practice of agricultural law in Iowa. Prior to joining Dickinson, Emily worked with the Iowa Pork Producers Association, National Pork Producers Council, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental and Farm Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s office.


Melissa Schilling

Melissa represents public and private sector employers in labor and employment matters. She has successfully represented clients in state and federal cases involving a broad range of labor and employment laws, including Title VII, the American with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Melissa also has experience counseling employers on a wide range of labor and employment issues, including cybersecurity issues, discrimination, harassment, technology, and discipline matters. Her work has gained her a place among the best in Iowa for the past two years in Labor & Employment Law from Chambers & Partners USA.


Bryan O'Neill

As a member of the Employment & Labor Law Group, Bryan handles a range of cases that include discrimination, retaliation, FMLA, wage and hour, and wrongful termination. He also counsels clients on compliance with state and federal laws and ways to manage and avoid risks. Bryan has significant trial experience in state and federal court. Prior to joining the firm, Bryan practiced exclusively in plaintiff-side employment litigation. He was recognized for his work in Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment in 2020’s Best Lawyers in America.


Brad Kruse

Brad has more than 20 years’ experience representing clients in bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights matters, including Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 bankruptcies, receiverships, foreclosures and collection actions. He also represents clients in corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation and drafting, debt and equity financing, and business litigation.  


Ben Bruner

Ben’s practice covers banking and financial services, commercial and agricultural finance, real estate and corporate law. He advises a wide array of clients in all phases of institutional lending. Additionally, he regularly advises commercial lenders and borrowers with regard to judicial and nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings, UCC enforcement, and bankruptcy. Ben’s work has earned him recognition as an Up and Coming Leader in Iowa Real Estate Law from Chambers and Partners USA and inclusion for the past two years in the Best Lawyers in America.


Jeff Baxter

Jeff serves business clients in a variety of matters such as real estate acquisition, business formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial financing. He also provides advice in real estate development, zoning and land matters, and represents businesses in a wide range of issues including environmental due diligence, contact drafting and review, and licensing. Jeff is active in his hometown of Ankeny where he serves on the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce Board and the Ankeny Zoning Board of Adjustment.


David Repp

David provides a broad range of tax counsel to small businesses on topics including federal and state income tax planning, taxation of employee benefits, equity structure and mergers, and succession planning. He also advises clients with respect to the management of their wealth to minimize estate and inheritance taxes. As part owner of a family farm operation, David provides income tax, FICA tax and succession planning counsel to many farm clients. For the past 10 years, he has been recognized for his work in Nonprofit/Charities, Tax, and Trusts & Estate Law in the Best Lawyers of America.