Monthly Archives: June 2017

COOK RECEIVES IOWA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION’S HIGHEST HONOR

June 27, 2017

The Iowa State Bar Association honored Guy Cook with its Award of Merit.  The Award of Merit is the Bar Association’s highest honor.  The award recognizes a career of accomplishment and service. The award was presented at the ISBA annual meeting dinner gala following the annual meeting on June 21, 2017. In presenting the award […]


AN UPDATE ON IABLE ACCOUNTS

June 21, 2017

In our Winter 2016 newsletter, we featured an article about Iowa ABLE Accounts (now called IAble accounts).  These are tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay for certain qualified expenses related to disability without losing eligibility for assistance programs like SSI and Medicaid.  The program went into effect earlier this year. IAble (ABLE […]


LISTEN UP SNOWBIRDS: DETERMINING WHETHER YOUR ESTATE PLAN IS VALID

Estate Planning for snowbirds can be a bit different than planning for the non-snowbirds.  Because snowbirds reside in two (or more!) states during the year, it is important to check whether your estate planning documents fit the rules of both states.  Your Will and other legal documents should be valid no matter how you divide […]


IOWA COURT OF APPEALS CASE UPDATE: ADVERSE POSSESSION AND ELDER ABUSE

The Iowa Court of Appeals posts opinions regularly, and we are always on the lookout for cases of relevance to our practice and clients.  Here are summaries of two recent cases that caught our attention. Adverse Possession – Rodamaker v. Biermann, No. 16-1102  In March, the Court of Appeals issued a decision involving a claim […]


CHANGING FACES AT OUR DES MOINES OFFICE

If you have worked with Craig for any length of time, chances are you have talked, corresponded or met with his legal secretary, Janice Lyon.  Janice is retiring on June 2 after almost 30 years at Grefe & Sidney. Janice has been in the legal profession since she was 17 years old, getting her start […]


SCOTUS to Issue a Decision Soon in Important First Amendment Case

June 6, 2017

A major First Amendment case is pending before the United States Supreme Court, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, No. 15-577.  A daycare operated by and in Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Missouri, applied for a grant from the state Department of Natural Resources to help resurface the daycare’s playground.  The grant was […]


Zenor and Van Waardhuizen Succeed at Court of Appeals

On February 27, 2015, the vehicle Rhonda Banwart was driving was impacted from the rear by a woman, who had recently been a patron at Draught House 50 in West Des Moines.  Banwart sued the woman who rear-ended her and Draught House 50 under Iowa’s dram shop act, for allegedly overserving the woman.  Adam Zenor […]


Zenor appointed to the Iowa State Bar Association’s Board of Governors

Adam Zenor has been appointed to serve on the Iowa State Bar Association’s Board of Governors.  The Board of Governors is comprised of elected representatives from each of Iowa’s 14 election district and three officers.  The Board governs the nearly 8,000-member Iowa State Bar Association, the oldest voluntary bar association in the United States.  Board members […]