Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Former United States Secretary of Labor
Eugene Scalia is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, co-chair of the firm’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group, and a senior member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and Financial Institutions Practice Group. He returned to the firm after serving as U.S. Secretary of Labor from September 2019 to January 2021.
Mr. Scalia has a nationally-prominent practice in two areas: Labor and employment law, and advice and litigation regarding the regulatory obligations of federal administrative agencies. He also has extensive appellate experience. Federal regulatory actions he has challenged include the SEC’s “proxy access” rule; the CFTC’s “position limits’” rule; MetLife’s designation as “too big to fail” by the Financial Services Oversight Council; the Labor Department’s “fiduciary” rule; and OSHA’s “cooperative compliance program.”
As Labor Secretary, Mr. Scalia engaged at the highest level with national employment policy and matters affecting the financial services industry and international trade, overseeing the enforcement and administration of more than 180 federal employment laws covering more than 150 million workers and 10 million workplaces. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He was closely involved in the drafting and implementation of the CARES Act and other coronavirus-related legislation. Laws administered by the Labor Department also include the workplace safety requirements of OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, federal minimum wage and overtime protections, the anti-discrimination requirements applicable to federal contractors, and ERISA’s protection of the more than $11 trillion held in employee retirement plans and health plans.
Mr. Scalia served from 2002 to 2003 as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor, with responsibility for all Labor Department litigation and legal advice on rulemakings and administrative law. He is the only person to have served as both Solicitor and Secretary of Labor.
He also served at the U.S. Department of Justice as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General, receiving the Department’s Edmund J. Randolph Award in 1993.
In private practice, Mr. Scalia has represented employers in high-profile matters under the National Labor Relations Act and in class actions and collective actions under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, ERISA, and federal and state wage hour laws. He has extensive experience in federal district court, the courts of appeals, and in the arbitration of employment disputes. He has been a leading authority on “whistleblower” investigations and litigation since the 2002 enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Mr. Scalia also counsels employers on reductions-in-force and the proper conduct of harassment and discrimination investigations. He has provided pro bono representation to workers in discrimination matters, wrongful separation disputes, and other matters.
Mr. Scalia is a Senior Fellow of the Administrative Conference of the United States, a federal agency that makes recommendations to Congress and the Executive Branch on ways to improve the administrative process. He is the author of more than 30 articles and papers on labor and employment law, administrative law, and other subjects. Among other accolades, he has been named an “Employment MVP,” a “Securities MVP,” and an “Appellate MVP” by Law360. The National Law Journal recognized Mr. Scalia as a “Visionary” for his litigation against financial regulatory agencies, and the Nation magazine has called him a “fearsome litigator.” He has been a Lecturer in labor and employment law at the University of Chicago Law School.
Mr. Scalia graduated cum laude from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He graduated With Distinction from the University of Virginia in 1985 and was a speechwriter for Education Secretary William J. Bennett before attending law school. Mr. Scalia and his wife Trish have seven children.
Member, Bass, Berry & Sims
As a member of the firm’s Compliance & Government Investigations Practice Group, former Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper has broad experience in consumer protection and compliance monitoring.
Bob served eight years as Tennessee Attorney General and four years as legal counsel to Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. In 2015, he rejoined the firm where he led high-stakes litigation and investigations and served as the Compliance Monitor in a consumer protection consent decree involving the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Daymar Colleges Group, a for-profit college system. In 2019, Bob left the firm to lead the Metro Nashville Department of Law. He rejoined the firm in 2021.
Bob advises clients on matters related to compliance and enforcement issues and assists clients in responding to internal investigations from federal, state or local governments. Clients draw upon Bob’s years of public service experience to help maneuver through a state’s administrative processes, including challenges to regulations, contracts and other official actions. In addition, he provides counsel on enforcement of nonprofit and charitable entities law.
JOHN L. RYDER concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and commercial litigation. He has represented secured lenders, unsecured creditor's committees, trustees and debtors in the bankruptcy process. He has participated in a number of major bankruptcies including: The Julien Companies, Microwave Products, Wexner & Jacobson, Wang's, XpertTune, Braniff and others.
He served as Shelby County Delinquent Tax Attorney (1990-1994) and was a member of the Shelby County Home Rule Charter Commission (1984-1985). He is a member of the Memphis (Chairman, Bankruptcy Section, 1985) and Tennessee (Chairman, Commercial, Banking and Bankruptcy Section, 1986) Bar Associations, and the American Bankruptcy Institute and Mid-South Commercial Law Institute (Director, 1989-Present). He also serves as an Assistant County Attorney. Mr. Ryder is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He has also been recognized by Business Tennessee as being among 101 Best Lawyers in Tennessee.
Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1974)
Wabash College (A.B., 1971)
Senior Partner, Grefe & Sidney PLC
Guy R. Cook is a Des Moines, Iowa, native. He has been practicing law more than 25 years. He is a board certified trial lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Guy has served as counsel in more than 1000 litigated matters and has tried more than 200 jury trials. He is one of only 20 Iowa attorneys to be inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars. Guy is recognized in both The Best Lawyers in America publication and the list of Iowa Super Lawyers.
Guy has extensive and wide-ranging courtroom experience. He has successfully defended major business litigation, obtained million dollar jury verdicts, and successfully defended significant federal criminal cases. He has tried complex civil and criminal cases throughout the state of Iowa, including wrongful death, serious personal injury, products liability, securities fraud, medical malpractice, semi truck collisions, insurance fraud, sexual assault, false arrest and breach of contract claims.
Guy is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Drake University Law School. He worked his way through school as a union ironworker, campus security officer, and law library assistant. While in school Guy was vice president of the Liberal Arts Student Association, resident advisor for Acacia fraternity, and worked as a legislative intern in the Iowa General Assembly. During law school he was a staff writer and researcher for the Drake Law School Legal Research Service and a prosecutor intern in the Polk County Attorney's Office.
Upon graduation from Law School, Guy served as a judicial law clerk for Justice J.L. Larson of the Iowa Supreme Court, assisting Justice Larson in researching and drafting legal opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court.
In 1983, Guy was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. As a federal prosecutor, Guy tried a wide range of criminal cases, including embezzlement, bank robbery, tax fraud, murder for hire, obstruction of justice, narcotic offenses, bank fraud, and kidnapping. Among the cases he prosecuted were the largest insurance fraud in Iowa history, the then largest drug case in Iowa history, and the largest tax evasion case in Iowa history. Guy received written commendations from FBI Directors William Webster and William Sessions. He has also received commendations for his trial work in major criminal cases by the District Director of the IRS and the Resident Agent of the U.S. Secret Service.
In 1987, Guy joined Grefe & Sidney, P.L.C. as a trial attorney. He is a senior partner practicing exclusively in the field of litigation. Guy's extensive courtroom work has taken him to courts across the state of Iowa. He has also appeared in federal courts in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois. He has been involved in nearly all types of litigation.
In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Guy is past president of the Polk County Bar Association, the largest metropolitan bar in the state of Iowa representing more than one-fourth of all the lawyers in the state. Guy presently serves as a Board of Governor of the Iowa State Bar Association.
Guy was elected to serve as commissioner on the Iowa State Judicial Nominating Commission. He has also served as an appointed member of the Merit Selection Panel for selection of U.S. Magistrate Judges for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Guy was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission.
Guy is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has served as membership director for the Iowa chapter. Guy is also a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, an invitation only organization, limited to the top 250 trial attorneys in the State of Iowa. He has also been inducted into the Society of Outstanding Lawyers of America and is a certified member of the American College of Master Advocates and Barristers, an invitation only group requiring more than 75 jury trials. He has also been recognized repeatedly as a "leading individual" in litigation in Iowa by Chambers and Partners, a world wide legal publication. Guy has been a guest speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation topics throughout Iowa.
Lt. Governor, State of Iowa
Adam C. Gregg is an associate attorney with BrownWinick. Adam is engaged in the general practice of law, including but not limited to the areas of governmental relations, litigation,agricultural law, environmental law, administrative law andemployment law.
Adam brings extensive political experience to BrownWinick's lobbying practice group. He has been involved in a number of state and federal political campaigns, including work for the 2004 campaign of U.S. Senator John Thune and managing the Iowa Senate campaign of Senator Larry Noble. While studying abroad in London, Adam served as a legislative assistant and campaign staff to Cheryl Gillan, member of the United Kingdom Parliament. As a student, Adam also completed internships in Washington with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Congressman Steve King. Adam has considerable experience in campaign finance and election law, having work experience with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board and having served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group of the national Federalist Society. He has also conducted significant academic research in the area of election law.
Adam graduated, summa cum laude, from Central College in 2006, receiving his B.A. in Political Science and History. While at Central College, Adam was twice honored as the school's top political science student. Adam received his J.D. in 2009, with high honors, from Drake University. At Drake Law School, Adam was a recipient of the Dwight D. Opperman Scholarship. He was also chosen by the faculty to receive the William and Ellen Cooney Hoye Award, given annually to the graduating student who "demonstrates the greatest promise as an advocate, a public servant and practitioner," and who "has demonstrated not only academic promise, but also leadership ability, the speaking and writing skills of an effective advocate, and a commitment to public service and Drake Law School." Adam was chosen as an Iowa Supreme Court Scholar and in that capacity conducted legal research in the area of election law with Justice Mark S. Cady. Additionally, Adam clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer through Drake's Honors Judicial Internship program.
Adam also devotes his time to community service and volunteer activities. In March 2008, he organized a group of law students to volunteer with the Pro Bono Project in New Orleans, where he worked primarily on legal issues faced by the homeless. Adam was a founding member and currently serves as Vice President of the Iowa Federalist Society. He also volunteers his time as a member of the Committee on Accountable Government of the Iowa Taxpayers Association.
Adam is a member of the Polk County and Iowa State Bar Associations, and he was admitted to the Iowa bar in 2009.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Whitaker Hagenow GBMG
State Representative Chris Hagenow is a founding partner of Whitaker Hagenow GBMG, working in the areas of litigation, trusts and estates, corporations, nonprofit organizations and real estate. Chris is serving his second term in the Iowa Legislature, re-elected in November 2010. Chris represents the west suburbs of the greater Des Moines area, in particular the communities of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights.
Chris is a sixth-generation Iowan, raised in Cedar Falls. Chris graduated from Northern University High School and went on to receive his BA Magna Cum Laude from the University of Northern Iowa in 1994. He earned his JD from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1997 and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association. Chris has practiced law in both Waterloo and Des Moines, with experience in criminal defense, real estate, trusts and estates and civil litigation.
In the Iowa House, Chris is the Chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight. In addition to his role on Government Oversight, Chris also serves on the House committees for Appropriations, Judiciary and Public Safety. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and also serves on ALEC’s Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force. Chris sits on the Steering Committee for the Iowa Federalist Society. He is also a member of the Windsor Heights Lions’ Club and the Iowa Prayer Breakfast Committee.
Chris lives in Windsor Heights with his wife Amanda and their sons Owen and Noah. The Hagenow family worships at Westkirk Presbyterian Church in Urbandale.
News Director, Radio Iowa
Covering politicians was apparently Kay’s destiny from day one. She was born on election day. Her parents were relieved their bundle of joy was “okay” considering the newborn’s mom was 45 years old, so they named her “O. Kay.” She grew up on the family farm near Lenox, Iowa, and paraded cattle in the show ring during her teenage years. (Kay still has the belt buckle and the 4-H badge to prove it.)
During her years at Iowa State University, Kay served as a statehouse correspondent for WOI-AM, the NPR affiliate in Ames. Between her freshman and sophomore years, she did a three-month, summertime “tour of duty” as the managing editor of the weekly newspaper in her hometown.
In 1987, Kay became one of the three founding members of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. You may recognize Kay’s mug from her Sunday television appearances. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press.” Kay was the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Swaim Law Firm
Kurt Swaim is serving his fourth term in the Iowa House. He is Chair of the Judiciary Committee and also serves on the Economic Growth, Government Oversight, and Appropriations Committees.
Kurt was born and raised in Davis County. He is the son of Basil and Betty Swaim. Basil was a rural mail carrier, and Betty worked as a teacher’s aide when not working in the home.
Kurt graduated from Davis County High School before attending Iowa Wesleyan. After graduating with a degree in economics and business administration, he went to the University of Iowa Law School. He was a member of its Order of the Coif. Kurt’s first job was as an associate attorney with Lundy, Butler, Wilson & Hall in Eldora from 1975-1978. He then served as the Senior Staff Attorney in the Northeast Regional Office of Legal Services Corporation of Iowa in Dubuque from 1978-1981.
Currently, Kurt is a partner in a three-person law firm in Bloomfield with his two sons, Justin and Joshua. In the past, Kurt served as the Davis County Attorney for thirteen years.
Kurt and his wife, Julie, have four children and five grandchildren. Julie works in the law office. Both are active members of the Bloomfield United Methodist Church. Kurt is a past chair of both the church’s administrative board and finance committee. He has also served as Lay Leader and is currently the Lay Representative to the Annual Conference. He has also been active in the Lions Club and the Masons in the past. He served as both president and treasurer of the Lions Club.
Kurt ran for the Statehouse because he believes that government should look beyond its next election cycle to develop long range solutions to the challenges facing the people of Iowa. He believes rural Iowa offers a great quality of life. He wants to work hard to see that rural Iowa is not left out as opportunities are expanded for all Iowans. This includes ensuring that local schools and county governments receive adequate authority from the state so they can be both economically efficient, and accessible to all citizens.
Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Kansas School of Law
Stephen Ware is the author of four books, over 50 law review articles, and many other publications. His writings have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and in at least 36 other cases. Ware teaches and writes on: Arbitration, Mediation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Debt Collection, Contracts and Commercial Law, and Judicial Selection, each with an international or comparative dimension.
Ware has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress, several state legislatures and, as an expert witness, in court. He is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at academic and professional conferences—having given such presentations throughout the U.S. and in several other countries. He has appeared on numerous television and radio stations and been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, National Law Journal and many other news outlets. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and has served, at various times in his career, on the editorial board of the Journal of Legal Education and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
Senior Partner, Grefe & Sidney PLC
Guy R. Cook is a Des Moines, Iowa, native. He has been practicing law more than 25 years. He is a board certified trial lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Guy has served as counsel in more than 1000 litigated matters and has tried more than 200 jury trials. He is one of only 20 Iowa attorneys to be inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars. Guy is recognized in both The Best Lawyers in America publication and the list of Iowa Super Lawyers.
Guy has extensive and wide-ranging courtroom experience. He has successfully defended major business litigation, obtained million dollar jury verdicts, and successfully defended significant federal criminal cases. He has tried complex civil and criminal cases throughout the state of Iowa, including wrongful death, serious personal injury, products liability, securities fraud, medical malpractice, semi truck collisions, insurance fraud, sexual assault, false arrest and breach of contract claims.
Guy is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Drake University Law School. He worked his way through school as a union ironworker, campus security officer, and law library assistant. While in school Guy was vice president of the Liberal Arts Student Association, resident advisor for Acacia fraternity, and worked as a legislative intern in the Iowa General Assembly. During law school he was a staff writer and researcher for the Drake Law School Legal Research Service and a prosecutor intern in the Polk County Attorney's Office.
Upon graduation from Law School, Guy served as a judicial law clerk for Justice J.L. Larson of the Iowa Supreme Court, assisting Justice Larson in researching and drafting legal opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court.
In 1983, Guy was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. As a federal prosecutor, Guy tried a wide range of criminal cases, including embezzlement, bank robbery, tax fraud, murder for hire, obstruction of justice, narcotic offenses, bank fraud, and kidnapping. Among the cases he prosecuted were the largest insurance fraud in Iowa history, the then largest drug case in Iowa history, and the largest tax evasion case in Iowa history. Guy received written commendations from FBI Directors William Webster and William Sessions. He has also received commendations for his trial work in major criminal cases by the District Director of the IRS and the Resident Agent of the U.S. Secret Service.
In 1987, Guy joined Grefe & Sidney, P.L.C. as a trial attorney. He is a senior partner practicing exclusively in the field of litigation. Guy's extensive courtroom work has taken him to courts across the state of Iowa. He has also appeared in federal courts in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois. He has been involved in nearly all types of litigation.
In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Guy is past president of the Polk County Bar Association, the largest metropolitan bar in the state of Iowa representing more than one-fourth of all the lawyers in the state. Guy presently serves as a Board of Governor of the Iowa State Bar Association.
Guy was elected to serve as commissioner on the Iowa State Judicial Nominating Commission. He has also served as an appointed member of the Merit Selection Panel for selection of U.S. Magistrate Judges for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Guy was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission.
Guy is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has served as membership director for the Iowa chapter. Guy is also a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, an invitation only organization, limited to the top 250 trial attorneys in the State of Iowa. He has also been inducted into the Society of Outstanding Lawyers of America and is a certified member of the American College of Master Advocates and Barristers, an invitation only group requiring more than 75 jury trials. He has also been recognized repeatedly as a "leading individual" in litigation in Iowa by Chambers and Partners, a world wide legal publication. Guy has been a guest speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation topics throughout Iowa.
Lt. Governor, State of Iowa
Adam C. Gregg is an associate attorney with BrownWinick. Adam is engaged in the general practice of law, including but not limited to the areas of governmental relations, litigation,agricultural law, environmental law, administrative law andemployment law.
Adam brings extensive political experience to BrownWinick's lobbying practice group. He has been involved in a number of state and federal political campaigns, including work for the 2004 campaign of U.S. Senator John Thune and managing the Iowa Senate campaign of Senator Larry Noble. While studying abroad in London, Adam served as a legislative assistant and campaign staff to Cheryl Gillan, member of the United Kingdom Parliament. As a student, Adam also completed internships in Washington with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Congressman Steve King. Adam has considerable experience in campaign finance and election law, having work experience with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board and having served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group of the national Federalist Society. He has also conducted significant academic research in the area of election law.
Adam graduated, summa cum laude, from Central College in 2006, receiving his B.A. in Political Science and History. While at Central College, Adam was twice honored as the school's top political science student. Adam received his J.D. in 2009, with high honors, from Drake University. At Drake Law School, Adam was a recipient of the Dwight D. Opperman Scholarship. He was also chosen by the faculty to receive the William and Ellen Cooney Hoye Award, given annually to the graduating student who "demonstrates the greatest promise as an advocate, a public servant and practitioner," and who "has demonstrated not only academic promise, but also leadership ability, the speaking and writing skills of an effective advocate, and a commitment to public service and Drake Law School." Adam was chosen as an Iowa Supreme Court Scholar and in that capacity conducted legal research in the area of election law with Justice Mark S. Cady. Additionally, Adam clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer through Drake's Honors Judicial Internship program.
Adam also devotes his time to community service and volunteer activities. In March 2008, he organized a group of law students to volunteer with the Pro Bono Project in New Orleans, where he worked primarily on legal issues faced by the homeless. Adam was a founding member and currently serves as Vice President of the Iowa Federalist Society. He also volunteers his time as a member of the Committee on Accountable Government of the Iowa Taxpayers Association.
Adam is a member of the Polk County and Iowa State Bar Associations, and he was admitted to the Iowa bar in 2009.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Whitaker Hagenow GBMG
State Representative Chris Hagenow is a founding partner of Whitaker Hagenow GBMG, working in the areas of litigation, trusts and estates, corporations, nonprofit organizations and real estate. Chris is serving his second term in the Iowa Legislature, re-elected in November 2010. Chris represents the west suburbs of the greater Des Moines area, in particular the communities of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights.
Chris is a sixth-generation Iowan, raised in Cedar Falls. Chris graduated from Northern University High School and went on to receive his BA Magna Cum Laude from the University of Northern Iowa in 1994. He earned his JD from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1997 and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association. Chris has practiced law in both Waterloo and Des Moines, with experience in criminal defense, real estate, trusts and estates and civil litigation.
In the Iowa House, Chris is the Chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight. In addition to his role on Government Oversight, Chris also serves on the House committees for Appropriations, Judiciary and Public Safety. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and also serves on ALEC’s Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force. Chris sits on the Steering Committee for the Iowa Federalist Society. He is also a member of the Windsor Heights Lions’ Club and the Iowa Prayer Breakfast Committee.
Chris lives in Windsor Heights with his wife Amanda and their sons Owen and Noah. The Hagenow family worships at Westkirk Presbyterian Church in Urbandale.
News Director, Radio Iowa
Covering politicians was apparently Kay’s destiny from day one. She was born on election day. Her parents were relieved their bundle of joy was “okay” considering the newborn’s mom was 45 years old, so they named her “O. Kay.” She grew up on the family farm near Lenox, Iowa, and paraded cattle in the show ring during her teenage years. (Kay still has the belt buckle and the 4-H badge to prove it.)
During her years at Iowa State University, Kay served as a statehouse correspondent for WOI-AM, the NPR affiliate in Ames. Between her freshman and sophomore years, she did a three-month, summertime “tour of duty” as the managing editor of the weekly newspaper in her hometown.
In 1987, Kay became one of the three founding members of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. You may recognize Kay’s mug from her Sunday television appearances. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press.” Kay was the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Swaim Law Firm
Kurt Swaim is serving his fourth term in the Iowa House. He is Chair of the Judiciary Committee and also serves on the Economic Growth, Government Oversight, and Appropriations Committees.
Kurt was born and raised in Davis County. He is the son of Basil and Betty Swaim. Basil was a rural mail carrier, and Betty worked as a teacher’s aide when not working in the home.
Kurt graduated from Davis County High School before attending Iowa Wesleyan. After graduating with a degree in economics and business administration, he went to the University of Iowa Law School. He was a member of its Order of the Coif. Kurt’s first job was as an associate attorney with Lundy, Butler, Wilson & Hall in Eldora from 1975-1978. He then served as the Senior Staff Attorney in the Northeast Regional Office of Legal Services Corporation of Iowa in Dubuque from 1978-1981.
Currently, Kurt is a partner in a three-person law firm in Bloomfield with his two sons, Justin and Joshua. In the past, Kurt served as the Davis County Attorney for thirteen years.
Kurt and his wife, Julie, have four children and five grandchildren. Julie works in the law office. Both are active members of the Bloomfield United Methodist Church. Kurt is a past chair of both the church’s administrative board and finance committee. He has also served as Lay Leader and is currently the Lay Representative to the Annual Conference. He has also been active in the Lions Club and the Masons in the past. He served as both president and treasurer of the Lions Club.
Kurt ran for the Statehouse because he believes that government should look beyond its next election cycle to develop long range solutions to the challenges facing the people of Iowa. He believes rural Iowa offers a great quality of life. He wants to work hard to see that rural Iowa is not left out as opportunities are expanded for all Iowans. This includes ensuring that local schools and county governments receive adequate authority from the state so they can be both economically efficient, and accessible to all citizens.
Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Kansas School of Law
Stephen Ware is the author of four books, over 50 law review articles, and many other publications. His writings have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and in at least 36 other cases. Ware teaches and writes on: Arbitration, Mediation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Debt Collection, Contracts and Commercial Law, and Judicial Selection, each with an international or comparative dimension.
Ware has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress, several state legislatures and, as an expert witness, in court. He is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at academic and professional conferences—having given such presentations throughout the U.S. and in several other countries. He has appeared on numerous television and radio stations and been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, National Law Journal and many other news outlets. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and has served, at various times in his career, on the editorial board of the Journal of Legal Education and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
Senior Partner, Grefe & Sidney PLC
Guy R. Cook is a Des Moines, Iowa, native. He has been practicing law more than 25 years. He is a board certified trial lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Guy has served as counsel in more than 1000 litigated matters and has tried more than 200 jury trials. He is one of only 20 Iowa attorneys to be inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars. Guy is recognized in both The Best Lawyers in America publication and the list of Iowa Super Lawyers.
Guy has extensive and wide-ranging courtroom experience. He has successfully defended major business litigation, obtained million dollar jury verdicts, and successfully defended significant federal criminal cases. He has tried complex civil and criminal cases throughout the state of Iowa, including wrongful death, serious personal injury, products liability, securities fraud, medical malpractice, semi truck collisions, insurance fraud, sexual assault, false arrest and breach of contract claims.
Guy is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Drake University Law School. He worked his way through school as a union ironworker, campus security officer, and law library assistant. While in school Guy was vice president of the Liberal Arts Student Association, resident advisor for Acacia fraternity, and worked as a legislative intern in the Iowa General Assembly. During law school he was a staff writer and researcher for the Drake Law School Legal Research Service and a prosecutor intern in the Polk County Attorney's Office.
Upon graduation from Law School, Guy served as a judicial law clerk for Justice J.L. Larson of the Iowa Supreme Court, assisting Justice Larson in researching and drafting legal opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court.
In 1983, Guy was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. As a federal prosecutor, Guy tried a wide range of criminal cases, including embezzlement, bank robbery, tax fraud, murder for hire, obstruction of justice, narcotic offenses, bank fraud, and kidnapping. Among the cases he prosecuted were the largest insurance fraud in Iowa history, the then largest drug case in Iowa history, and the largest tax evasion case in Iowa history. Guy received written commendations from FBI Directors William Webster and William Sessions. He has also received commendations for his trial work in major criminal cases by the District Director of the IRS and the Resident Agent of the U.S. Secret Service.
In 1987, Guy joined Grefe & Sidney, P.L.C. as a trial attorney. He is a senior partner practicing exclusively in the field of litigation. Guy's extensive courtroom work has taken him to courts across the state of Iowa. He has also appeared in federal courts in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois. He has been involved in nearly all types of litigation.
In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Guy is past president of the Polk County Bar Association, the largest metropolitan bar in the state of Iowa representing more than one-fourth of all the lawyers in the state. Guy presently serves as a Board of Governor of the Iowa State Bar Association.
Guy was elected to serve as commissioner on the Iowa State Judicial Nominating Commission. He has also served as an appointed member of the Merit Selection Panel for selection of U.S. Magistrate Judges for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Guy was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission.
Guy is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has served as membership director for the Iowa chapter. Guy is also a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, an invitation only organization, limited to the top 250 trial attorneys in the State of Iowa. He has also been inducted into the Society of Outstanding Lawyers of America and is a certified member of the American College of Master Advocates and Barristers, an invitation only group requiring more than 75 jury trials. He has also been recognized repeatedly as a "leading individual" in litigation in Iowa by Chambers and Partners, a world wide legal publication. Guy has been a guest speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation topics throughout Iowa.
Lt. Governor, State of Iowa
Adam C. Gregg is an associate attorney with BrownWinick. Adam is engaged in the general practice of law, including but not limited to the areas of governmental relations, litigation,agricultural law, environmental law, administrative law andemployment law.
Adam brings extensive political experience to BrownWinick's lobbying practice group. He has been involved in a number of state and federal political campaigns, including work for the 2004 campaign of U.S. Senator John Thune and managing the Iowa Senate campaign of Senator Larry Noble. While studying abroad in London, Adam served as a legislative assistant and campaign staff to Cheryl Gillan, member of the United Kingdom Parliament. As a student, Adam also completed internships in Washington with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Congressman Steve King. Adam has considerable experience in campaign finance and election law, having work experience with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board and having served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group of the national Federalist Society. He has also conducted significant academic research in the area of election law.
Adam graduated, summa cum laude, from Central College in 2006, receiving his B.A. in Political Science and History. While at Central College, Adam was twice honored as the school's top political science student. Adam received his J.D. in 2009, with high honors, from Drake University. At Drake Law School, Adam was a recipient of the Dwight D. Opperman Scholarship. He was also chosen by the faculty to receive the William and Ellen Cooney Hoye Award, given annually to the graduating student who "demonstrates the greatest promise as an advocate, a public servant and practitioner," and who "has demonstrated not only academic promise, but also leadership ability, the speaking and writing skills of an effective advocate, and a commitment to public service and Drake Law School." Adam was chosen as an Iowa Supreme Court Scholar and in that capacity conducted legal research in the area of election law with Justice Mark S. Cady. Additionally, Adam clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer through Drake's Honors Judicial Internship program.
Adam also devotes his time to community service and volunteer activities. In March 2008, he organized a group of law students to volunteer with the Pro Bono Project in New Orleans, where he worked primarily on legal issues faced by the homeless. Adam was a founding member and currently serves as Vice President of the Iowa Federalist Society. He also volunteers his time as a member of the Committee on Accountable Government of the Iowa Taxpayers Association.
Adam is a member of the Polk County and Iowa State Bar Associations, and he was admitted to the Iowa bar in 2009.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Whitaker Hagenow GBMG
State Representative Chris Hagenow is a founding partner of Whitaker Hagenow GBMG, working in the areas of litigation, trusts and estates, corporations, nonprofit organizations and real estate. Chris is serving his second term in the Iowa Legislature, re-elected in November 2010. Chris represents the west suburbs of the greater Des Moines area, in particular the communities of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights.
Chris is a sixth-generation Iowan, raised in Cedar Falls. Chris graduated from Northern University High School and went on to receive his BA Magna Cum Laude from the University of Northern Iowa in 1994. He earned his JD from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1997 and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association. Chris has practiced law in both Waterloo and Des Moines, with experience in criminal defense, real estate, trusts and estates and civil litigation.
In the Iowa House, Chris is the Chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight. In addition to his role on Government Oversight, Chris also serves on the House committees for Appropriations, Judiciary and Public Safety. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and also serves on ALEC’s Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force. Chris sits on the Steering Committee for the Iowa Federalist Society. He is also a member of the Windsor Heights Lions’ Club and the Iowa Prayer Breakfast Committee.
Chris lives in Windsor Heights with his wife Amanda and their sons Owen and Noah. The Hagenow family worships at Westkirk Presbyterian Church in Urbandale.
News Director, Radio Iowa
Covering politicians was apparently Kay’s destiny from day one. She was born on election day. Her parents were relieved their bundle of joy was “okay” considering the newborn’s mom was 45 years old, so they named her “O. Kay.” She grew up on the family farm near Lenox, Iowa, and paraded cattle in the show ring during her teenage years. (Kay still has the belt buckle and the 4-H badge to prove it.)
During her years at Iowa State University, Kay served as a statehouse correspondent for WOI-AM, the NPR affiliate in Ames. Between her freshman and sophomore years, she did a three-month, summertime “tour of duty” as the managing editor of the weekly newspaper in her hometown.
In 1987, Kay became one of the three founding members of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. You may recognize Kay’s mug from her Sunday television appearances. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press.” Kay was the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Iowa House of Representatives and Partner, Swaim Law Firm
Kurt Swaim is serving his fourth term in the Iowa House. He is Chair of the Judiciary Committee and also serves on the Economic Growth, Government Oversight, and Appropriations Committees.
Kurt was born and raised in Davis County. He is the son of Basil and Betty Swaim. Basil was a rural mail carrier, and Betty worked as a teacher’s aide when not working in the home.
Kurt graduated from Davis County High School before attending Iowa Wesleyan. After graduating with a degree in economics and business administration, he went to the University of Iowa Law School. He was a member of its Order of the Coif. Kurt’s first job was as an associate attorney with Lundy, Butler, Wilson & Hall in Eldora from 1975-1978. He then served as the Senior Staff Attorney in the Northeast Regional Office of Legal Services Corporation of Iowa in Dubuque from 1978-1981.
Currently, Kurt is a partner in a three-person law firm in Bloomfield with his two sons, Justin and Joshua. In the past, Kurt served as the Davis County Attorney for thirteen years.
Kurt and his wife, Julie, have four children and five grandchildren. Julie works in the law office. Both are active members of the Bloomfield United Methodist Church. Kurt is a past chair of both the church’s administrative board and finance committee. He has also served as Lay Leader and is currently the Lay Representative to the Annual Conference. He has also been active in the Lions Club and the Masons in the past. He served as both president and treasurer of the Lions Club.
Kurt ran for the Statehouse because he believes that government should look beyond its next election cycle to develop long range solutions to the challenges facing the people of Iowa. He believes rural Iowa offers a great quality of life. He wants to work hard to see that rural Iowa is not left out as opportunities are expanded for all Iowans. This includes ensuring that local schools and county governments receive adequate authority from the state so they can be both economically efficient, and accessible to all citizens.
Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Kansas School of Law
Stephen Ware is the author of four books, over 50 law review articles, and many other publications. His writings have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and in at least 36 other cases. Ware teaches and writes on: Arbitration, Mediation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Debt Collection, Contracts and Commercial Law, and Judicial Selection, each with an international or comparative dimension.
Ware has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress, several state legislatures and, as an expert witness, in court. He is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at academic and professional conferences—having given such presentations throughout the U.S. and in several other countries. He has appeared on numerous television and radio stations and been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, National Law Journal and many other news outlets. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and has served, at various times in his career, on the editorial board of the Journal of Legal Education and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
Small Dinner Event Featuring Eugene Scalia
Washington, District of ColumbiaThe Electoral College: Its Function and Future in a Modern Representative Republic
Memphis, TennesseeThe Future of Judicial Selection in Iowa
Guy R. Cook, Adam C. Gregg, Chris Hagenow, Kay Henderson, Kurt Swaim, Stephen J. Ware
On February 22, 2011, the Iowa Lawyers Chapter hosted this event on "The Future of Judicial Selection...
The Future of Judicial Selection in Iowa
Guy R. Cook, Adam C. Gregg, Chris Hagenow, Kay Henderson, Kurt Swaim, Stephen J. Ware
On February 22, 2011, the Iowa Lawyers Chapter hosted this event on "The Future of Judicial Selection...
The Future of Judicial Selection in Iowa
Iowa Lawyers Chapter
Des Moines, IA