Firm News



  • The firm announced its 2012 Board of Directors: Gregory J. Seyfer, President; William T. McCartan, Vice President; and Paul D. Burns, Secretary. Leaders of the practice groups are: Bradley G. Hart, Business Entities and Transactions; Maureen G. Kenney, Estate Planning and Probate; Donald G. Thompson, Construction; Timothy J. Hill, Litigation; Vernon P. Squires, Labor & Employment; and William J. Neppl, Real Estate. (January, 2012)

  • Attorney Timothy J. Hill presented "Ethical Considerations: Internal Investigations and Witness Interviews" at an Iowa State Bar Association seminar on December 29, 2011. (January, 2012)

  • Attorney Kimberly H. Blankenship presented an employment law update on December 7, 2011 covering Contemporary Challenges in a Changing Workplace. (December, 2011)

  • Attorneys Nancy A. Wood, Joseph W. Younker and Natalie K. Ditmars presented at Employment Law Beyond the Basics on December 6, 2011. (December, 2011)

  • Attorney Vernon P. Squires was a co-chair at the Iowa State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Annual Seminar on November 17, 2011. (November, 2011)

  • Attorney Nancy A. Wood presented at the Iowa State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Annual Seminar on November 17, 2011, on the topic of the Evolution of Labor Law in 2010-2011. (November, 2011)

  • Attorneys Vernon P. Squires and Natalie K. Ditmars presented at Employment Laws Made Simple on November 16, 2011, covering the topics of Internal Investigations and Evolving Social Media. (November, 2011)

  • Attorney Janice J. Kerkove presented at an University of Iowa College of Law Probate Seminar on November 11, 2011, on Practical Strategies for Drafting Buy-Sell Agreements to Avoid Tax Pitfalls, Family Disharmony, and Litigation. (November, 2011)

  • Attorneys Vernon P. Squires and Kimberly H. Blankenship presented an employment law update to the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce Chamber Academy on October 18, 2011, covering Social Media, Legislative Updates, Immigration Updates and ADA/FMLA. (November, 2011)

  • Attorney Joseph W. Younker presented at a Tektivity seminar on September 28, 2011, covering Social Media and Internet Land Mines. (November, 2011)

  • Great Plains Super Lawyers published their list of outstanding attorneys in October 2011. [read more]

  • Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Kelly R. Baier as the "Cedar Rapids Best Lawyers Litigation - Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year" and Byron G. Riley as the "Cedar Rapids Best Lawyers Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year" for 2012.

    After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the "Lawyer of the Year."

    Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

    Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers, says, "We continue to believe - as we have believed for more than 25 years - that recognition by one's peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate Kelly R. Baier on being selected as the 'Cedar Rapids Best Lawyers Litigation - Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year' and Byron G. Riley on being selected as the 'Cedar Rapids Best Lawyers Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year' for 2012." (October 2011)


  • Bradley & Riley attorneys recognized by the ISBA on the 2010-2011 Pro Bono Honor Roll

    • The Iowa State Bar Association recognized attorneys Kelly R. Baier (special honors), Paul D. Burns, Jessica A. Doro, Maureen G. Kenney (special honors), William J. Neppl, Raymond R. Rinkol, Jr., and Joseph E. Schmall for their pro bono services to low-income Iowans during 2010-2011. The donation of legal services made by attorneys all across the state through this program is a critical component in making legal services available to Iowa's most vulnerable citizens. Bradley & Riley is proud to help make a difference in the lives of the clients served through the ISBA program. (October 2011)

  • Charles W. Showalter has joined Bradley & Riley PC as an associate. Mr. Showalter received his bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Coe College in 2008 and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2011. (September 2011)

  • Congratulations to attorney Kimberly H. Blankenship for being selected by the Corridor Business Journal as one of the Forty Under 40 award honorees for 2011. (September 2011)


  • Bradley & Riley PC is proud to announce that 13 of its attorneys have been named to the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, a respected publication in the legal profession. [read more] (September 2011)


    • Bradley & Riley PC is celebrating 30 years this September!

    We are celebrating a major milestone this month! Bradley & Riley was founded on September 1, 1981. We would like to thank all of our clients and staff for the chance to work together over the last 30 years. YOU are responsible for our success. We look forward to the next 30 years!

  • Attorney Joe Younker is quoted in the article "Social media legal pitfalls abound" published by the Corridor Business Journal. (June 2011)

  • Attorney Mike Pugh was named to the board of directors with the Iowa City Area Development Group for 2011-2014. (June 2011)


  • Congratulations to attorney Brad Hart on his recent recognition by Chambers USA for his accomplishments in Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions Law. Attorneys Kelly Baier, Paul Burns, Bill McCartan, Bill Neppl, Byron Riley, Greg Seyfer and Don Thompson have also been named by Chambers USA for successive years. The firm continues to receive a top ranking in Labor and Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions, General Commerical Litigation, and Real Estate Law. (June 2011)

  • Attorney Raymond R. Rinkol, Jr. has joined Bradley & Riley PC as an associate. He was formerly with White Law Firm, P.L.C. in Cedar Rapids, IA. (May 2011)

  • Janice J. Kerkove is a newly elected Fellow to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). ACTEC is a national organization of approximately 2,600 lawyers elected to membership by demonstrating the highest level of integrity, commitment to the profession, competence and experience as trust and estate counselors. Other ACTEC Fellows at Bradley & Riley are F. James Bradley, Byron G. Riley, and Patrick M. Courtney. (October 2010)


  • Bradley & Riley PC is proud to announce that 12 of its attorneys have been named to the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, a respected publication in the legal profession. [read more] (August 2010)

  • Attorney Joe Younker was elected president of the Johnson County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division. (June 2010)

  • Attorney Don Thompson recently completed a course in " Advanced Mediation: Skills and Techniques" at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Strauss Institute has been ranked the number one dispute resolution program by U.S. News and World Report for the sixth consecutive year and has been ranked number one nine times in the last fourteen years. Don joined other experienced mediators from the United States, Canada and New Zealand who were accepted through application for this intensive, 18 hour training course. (June 2010)

  • Congratulations to attorney Nancy Wood on her recent recognition by Chambers USA for her accomplishments in Labor and Employment Law. Attorneys Kelly Baier, Paul Burns, Bill McCartan, Bill Neppl, Byron Riley, Greg Seyfer and Don Thompson have also been named by Chambers USA for successive years.
    The firm continues to receive a top ranking in Labor and Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions, General Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate Law. (June 2010)

  • Attorney Vernon Squires was named Board Chair for the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership for Five Seasons 2010-2011 program year. He was also elected Board Chair for the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA for 2010-2012.

  • In May 2010, the Iowa State Bar Association appointed Attorney Don Thompson to serve on its newly-formed Construction Law Section Council.

  • Attorneys Vernon Squires and Nancy Wood presented on the topic of Social Media in the Workplace to the Employers Council of Iowa on May 25, 2010.

  • Attorney Natalie Ditmars was elected to the Board of Directors for the Cedar Valley Humane Society on May 18, 2010. Ms. Ditmars also recently graduated from the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership for Five Seasons Program.

  • Attorneys William McCartan, Timothy Hill, Kimberly Blankenship and Vernon Squires were invited to present to the Iowa Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel in April 2010. Topics of interest included recent employment and corporate law developments as well as ethical obligations of in-house counsel.

  • The Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce asked Attorney Dean Spina to educate chamber members about opportunities available through Midwestern Disaster Area Bonds. The meeting was held February 11. Mr. Spina also presented on these bond financing opportunities at a luncheon for the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa City Area Development Group on February 19. Contact Dean Spina if you have questions regarding Midwest Disaster Area Bonds.

  • The firm announced its 2010 Board of Directors: Gregory Seyfer, President; William McCartan, Vice President; and Paul Burns, Secretary. Leaders of the practice groups are: Brad Hart, Business Entities and Transactions; Maureen Kenney, Estate Planning and Probate; Donald Thompson, Construction and Litigation; Kelly Baier, Labor & Employment Law; and William Neppl, Real Estate.

  • Attorneys Vernon Squires and Nancy Wood spoke at the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce Chamber Academy on December 8. They presented an employment law update to business professionals who wanted to expand their knowledge in this field.

  • Bradley & Riley PC sponsored the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting on November 5. Seven hundred seventy-five people attended the event to get a report of the year's progress, learn about goals for the future from our own Brad Hart, the Chamber's Board Chair, and listen to the keynote speaker, Neil Hare.

  • Attorney Donald Thompson began his first term as President of Iowa City's Summer of the Arts, an organization providing support for free, family-friendly arts and culture events. (November, 2009)