Practice Areas

Moore, McKibben, Goodman, Lorenz & Ellefson, LLP.

Moore, McKibben, Goodman, Lorenz & Ellefson, LLP., is a full service law firm with a general practice including but not limited to:

Administrative Law -Our firm represents clients in many aspects of federal and state regulation, including administrative appeals and litigation before the courts. We are versed in the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, which deals with administrative hearings and adjudication.

Agricultural Law -Our firm has broad experience in the area of Agricultural Law, which includes food production sites such as farms, and food preparers and distributors. We represent clients with legal issues relating to equine law, agrochemicals, farm subsidies, and employment law.

Alternate Dispute Resolution -Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) is the process of resolving legal conflicts without going to trial. We advise clients on arbitration and mediation. We have experience in determining when a form of ADR is in the best interest of clients and meets their needs better than traditional litigation.

Appellate Practice -Our firm represents and advises clients who are or might become involved in an appeal in such areas as criminal law, personal injury, contract disputes, family law, business law, and commercial matters.

Banking Law -Banks and financial institutions collect deposits from individuals and entities and invest those funds in loans, securities, and other assets. Our firm assists depositors, lenders, and borrowers in accordance with intricate state and Federal banking statutes and regulations. Our attorneys have experience in lending and secured transactions, loan workouts, mortgages and foreclosures, and public finance. Our clients include borrowers, depositors, commercial banks, credit unions, and holding companies.

Bankruptcy -Our firm represents individuals and commercial clients in bankruptcy proceedings that are initiated by either an insolvent individual or business, or creditors seeking to have the debtor's remaining assets distributed among the creditors, thereby discharging the debtor from further obligation or restructuring and reorganizing the insolvent's debt structure.

Business Law -We provide a wide variety of services to our business clients from assisting in selecting the type of organizational entity under which to operate, preparation of agreements, sale and purchase of businesses, obtaining financing and funding for business operations, and employee relations, to dissolution.

Civil Rights and Discrimination -Our firm practices in the area of Civil Rights and Discrimination, a field which involves fundamental issues of human rights and freedoms. Our firm represents clients who believe that they have been the victims of sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination-age, disability and illness, national origin, sex, race, and religion-in employment, public accommodation, education, or housing.

Collections Law -Our firm works with a variety of creditors in attempting to collect unpaid debts from individuals and businesses.

Commercial Law -Our firm has experience representing and advising individuals and businesses as to their rights and liabilities with contracts, sales, transportation, purchases, and trades relating to all areas of business and commerce. We have experience interpreting state and federal statutes, such as the Uniform Commercial Code.

Contracts -Our firm has experience drafting, negotiating, and reviewing many types of contracts, whether commercial or private. We have experience with contracts involving: sales, leases, real estate, and personal services. An experienced attorney can help you avoid future legal problems through proper drafting and by explaining your contractual rights and duties.

Corporate Law -The form of business chosen for a business entity potentially affects every aspect of its operations. Our firm assists our clients in formation and business planning in deciding whether they want to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. We advise our clients about directors' and officers' liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business successions, and shareholders' rights.

Criminal Law -Our firm has extensive experience defending the rights of people arrested and accused of criminal offenses. We handle all types of criminal cases, from minor infractions and misdemeanors, such as traffic violations, to serious felony indictments.

Debtor and Creditor -If you are having difficulty paying your bills and are behind on your payments, both federal and state law can protect you from harassing phone calls and provide protection for your important assets. An experienced attorney can advise you of your rights and help you deal with the demands of creditors.

Elder Law -As we get older, many of us are faced with difficult and important decisions regarding our healthcare and our financial well-being. We can help you plan for both the present and the future through the use of: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care directives.

Family Law -Our firm handles a full range of Family Law matters including adoption, dissolution of marriage, spousal support, separation, premarital agreements, paternity, child custody, visitation, and child support.

Franchise Law -Franchising involves an agreement under which a franchisee agrees to operate a business or service according to rules and procedures established by the franchisor. The franchisor in turn promises to assist and advise the franchisee in such areas as marketing and advertisement. Our attorneys have experience with franchising agreements and in representing individuals and business clients involved in franchising.

Health Care -Our firm has experience in the large and complex field of health care, which encompasses areas such as disability law, elder law, hospital law, and mental health law and is impacted by Social Security Disability, Medicare and Medicaid.

Immigration -We represent clients before the Immigration and Naturalization Service and provide guidance in matters relating to immigration and naturalization, visas, citizenship, asylum, employment, and deportation.

Legal Malpractice -We represent individuals and businesses in suits against attorneys alleging damages caused by negligence or the failure to reasonably exercise ordinary skills.

Litigation -Our firm represents and advises clients who are or might become involved in a lawsuit as a result of a dispute, including prevention and settlement, in such areas as personal injury, contract disputes, family law, business law, and commercial matters.

Medical Malpractice -Our firm can help clients determine whether or not medical malpractice has occurred when you or someone you love is injured as a result of negligence or misconduct of individuals in the medical field. We can also help you with questions about and disputes with health care benefits, health insurers, and health providers.

Municipal Law -The attorneys in our firm who practice in this area have experience and knowledge in the areas of powers and liabilities of local government and municipal corporations, including matters such as land use and zoning issues, municipal employment disputes, and injuries to person or property by municipal employees.

Personal Injury -Our firm represents individuals involved in controversies alleging a wrong or damage to another's person, rights, reputation, or property resulting from events or activities such as automobile accidents, defective products, infliction of emotional distress, intentional misconduct, and negligence.

Product Liability -Our firm has experience in representing individuals who have been injured as a result of an unsafe product that was designed, manufactured, sold, and/or furnished by a person or company. We assist those injured individuals in bringing their claims and being fairly compensated for their injuries.

Professional Liability -Our lawyers are experienced in professional liability law and can help clients determine whether or not malpractice has occurred where someone or something is injured as a result of negligence or misconduct of individuals in the dental, legal, medical, and other professional fields.

Real Estate -Our firm represents both commercial clients and individuals in proceedings and transactions that deal with real property-land and the structures attached to it-including purchase and sale, construction, mortgages and foreclosures, leases, land use & zoning, eminent domain, title examinations, quiet title actions, closings, and management.

Social Security Law -We represent persons applying for disability benefits or who have already applied and have been denied disability insurance benefits. If your claim is denied, or if you disagree with any part of the decision reached by Social Security, you may appeal. However, you only have a limited time to appeal the decision, and you may lose this right if you neglect to appeal in a timely fashion. Due to the complex laws and regulations of the Social Security Administration, an experienced attorney can be helpful in advising you or representing you in your claim.

Tax Returns -Our firm has experience working with clients on tax return matters involving the Internal Revenue Service and the Iowa Department of Revenue. We prepare federal returns and returns for many states for individuals and businesses. We also offer bookkeeping and bill paying services.

Taxation -Our firm represents individuals and commercial clients in matters with tax implications, identifying and addressing state and federal tax issues, structuring transactions in such a way as to minimize taxes and avoid inherent tax problems, including a trial of tax issues in tax court and federal district court.

Toxic Torts -Our firm has experience in representing individuals who have been injured by exposure to dangerous substances.

Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning and Probate Law -We plan the distribution of an individual's property at his or her death, using wills and trusts and taking into account the effect taxes, insurance and the individual's property, to gain the maximum benefits while carrying out the individual's wishes. Probate is the legal process by which a person's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon his or her death. Individual state laws direct the distribution of a deceased's estate.

Workers' Compensation -Our attorneys represent employees who are injured on the job against both private industry and government employers and their workers' compensation insurers.