Stephen R. Eckley

Steve Eckley has over 25 years experience as a litigator.  His specialty is civil trial practice.  Steve has first-chaired dozens of civil jury trials and has won favorable verdicts for plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases involving business torts, breach of contract, personal injury, general negligence, professional negligence, property damage, construction defects, products liability, insurance coverage, indemnity, breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentation, and fraud.  He may be the only Iowa attorney in history to have juries in two separate civil cases return favorable verdicts on the same day. (The first jury deliberated for three days, the second for three hours.)  Steve’s largest case to date involved representation of the sole defendant in two lawsuits for $400,000,000.00 in property damage, four deaths, and many injuries resulting from the explosion of an ammonium nitrate facility.

Steve is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and is AV Peer Review Rate by Martindale-Hubbell.

In addition to trying cases, Steve has a strong background in mediation, arbitration, complex civil litigation, and appellate work.  He has served as national litigation counsel for a manufacturer of cleaning products.  Steve enjoys advising clients with respect to the avoidance of litigation as much as helping clients who find themselves in litigation.

Steve currently serves as vice president of the 1200-member Polk County Bar Association and has previously served as president of numerous civic organizations.

American Board of Trial Advocates (Member)

Polk County Bar Association (Member)

Iowa State Bar Association (Member)

Missouri Bar (Member)

Colorado Bar Association (Member)

Willkie House (President, Board of Directors)

Polk County Mental Health Center (President, Board of Directors)

Des Moines Leadership Institute Breakfast Club (President, Board of Directors)

Soccer West Soccer Club (President, Board of Directors)

Des Moines Jaycees (Board Member)

Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute (Board Member)

Youth soccer, softball, baseball, and basketball teams (Coach)