Matthew Brick | Des Moines Employment Lawyer

“Working with clients is what I do best. Whether it’s advising cities on issues or helping settle employment disputes, I always want to procure the best outcome for those I represent. I’ll keep working until I do.” -- Matt Brick Matt Brick is a shareholder of Brick Gentry P.C. His practice involves business transactions along with providing legal guidance for a number of cities and other public corporations. In addition, Matt represents both businesses and governments in a variety of labor and employment issues. For his business clients, Matt handles a variety of matters ranging from: forming business entities such as corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships; negotiating contracts, assisting with the purchase and sale of businesses; and entering in equity sales and/or joint ventures with outside parties. His municipal practice covers issues such as ordinance drafting, prosecutions, contract preparation, litigation defense and handling real estate issues. Matt has experience with municipal issues involving governmental immunity, open records, open meetings, constitutional rights and eminent domain. Matt’s employment practice involves advising employers on employee discipline, assisting with drafting, reviewing and revising employment policies, and handling hiring and reduction issues. Matt also works with employers on union-related matters, such as unfair labor practice charges and negotiating collective-bargaining agreements. Prior to joining the Firm, Matt worked for the Vinson & Elkins law firm in Dallas, Texas, defending and advising clients in a wide range of labor and employment issues. Matt has extensive civil litigation experience defending public and private corporations on matters such as wrongful termination, discrimination disputes, wage and hours cases and a variety of other statutory and common-law claims.

Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire

Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference.
On behalf of my client, the City of Muscatine, I appealed a decision to the Iowa Supreme Court and won. The decision severely limited the ability of the Department of Transportation to impose rules and regulations on the citizens and cities of Iowa. In addition, the decision saved my clients hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

How did you build a successful practice?
Slowly. My practice built itself over a number of years; however, it helped to give presentations across Iowa on a number of legal topics.

What should clients look for in a lawyer?
Someone who responds timely to messages and someone who actually practices in the area you need help with.

How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases?
Very important as sometimes it matters more that you know the judge than that you know the law.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?
I provide all new clients with a free consultation that can address basic issues and can allow me to get the information necessary to assist with more complicated problems.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation?
Names of all the parties and a description of all the relevant issues.

What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community?
I use technology to my clients’ benefit—allowing me to reduce the amount of legal work required and to increase the response time to client questions.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Helping people resolve problems that seemed unsolvable when I first meet with them.

Are you involved in your community?
I have been very involved in my community over the years with everything from serving on the City Council to starting a charity that—to date—has raised over twenty million dollars for children with cancer.

Position	Organization	Location	Duration
Member	Dallas County Judicial Nominating Commission	Dallas County, Iowa	2014 to present

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
University of Iowa College of Law	J.D.	Law School	2000
University of Iowa	BS	Psychology	1995

State / Court	Date
Nebraska	2001
District of Columbia	2001
Iowa	2001
Minnesota	2001

• Member, Iowa State Bar Association.

• 2001 Outstanding Young City Council Person

• Muscatine v. Iowa DOT
  The City sued the DOT for the violation of the Iowa Code in imposing unlawful regulations.

• Employment at Will: A State-by-State Survey, Second Edition (Author of Iowa Chapter). This treatise provides a comprehensive analysis of the employment at will doctrine in every state. The desk reference uses the same set of topics for each state, facilitating both comparative and single-state research.

Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Sat.
	8:00 am - 5:00 pm	8:00 am - 5:00 pm	8:00 am - 5:00 pm	8:00 am - 5:00 pm	8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Matthew Sean Brick has been a Premium Member since January 31, 2019.
Lawyers with longer memberships tend to have more experience so we use the Membership date to help prioritize lawyer listings on search pages.

Verified Credentials	Date Verified
(2001) Licensed as Attorney in District of Columbia. Verified with District of Columbia Bar.	January 31, 2019
(2001) Licensed as Attorney in Iowa. Verified with State Bar of Iowa.	January 31, 2019
(2001) Licensed as Attorney in Minnesota. Verified with Minnesota Judicial Branch.	January 31, 2019
(2001) Licensed as Attorney in Nebraska. Verified with Nebraska State Bar Association.	January 31, 2019

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Above credentials have been verified independently by Lawyer.com.

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• Matthew Brick

Employment at Will: A State-by-State Survey, Second Editionhis treatise provides a comprehensive analysis of the employmen  (2019-01-31 11:34:58)
This treatise provides a comprehensive analysis of the employment at will doctrine in every state. The desk reference uses the same set of topics for each state, facilitating both comparative and single-state research.

Government Conflicts of Interest  (2019-02-06 11:19:28)
This article and presentation covers common conflicts of interest for municipal officers and employees.

Common Public Sector Employment Issues  (2019-02-06 11:23:25)
The article covers employment issues that cause problems for employers--such as background checks, documentation and discipline.

Evaluation and Discipline of Employees  (2019-02-06 11:24:52)
The purpose of this article is to cover ways for managers to successfully evaluate, discipline and terminate employees.

Public Bargaining in light of Chapter 20 Changes  (2019-02-06 11:27:07)
This article covers the major changes to public bargaining in Iowa after the 2017 Legislative revisions to Chapter 20.