Our attorneys
James B. Langeness
- Estate Planning
- Estate and Gift Tax
- Revocable Trusts/Living Trusts
- Life Insurance Trusts
- Gift Planning
- Probate and Trust Administration
- Charitable Gift Planning
- Estate Freezing Techniques
- Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
- Iowa Inheritance Tax
- Business Succession Planning
- Business Sales and Acquisitions
- Business Reorganization
- Buy-Sell Agreements
- Corporations
- Limited Liability Companies
- Contracts
- Nonprofit Corporations
- Tax
Jim is a shareholder at the firm, practicing primarily in taxation, estate planning, business planning, and business law. He has been representing, advising, and assisting clients for more than fourty-three years. Jim is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and uses that educational background and additional professional expertise in advising his clients, specifically individuals, businesses and business owners in their estate and business planning needs. Jim has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2023, in the field of Trust and Estates (25 years selected) and the 2023 AV® PreeminentTM Attorney rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest peer rating standard. He has also been selected for inclusion in the 2023 AV® PreeminentTM Attorney – Judicial Edition rated by Martindale-Hubbell and the Great Plains Super Lawyers List (16 years selected).
Jim provides comprehensive services in connection with wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and estate tax, gift tax, generation-skipping transfer tax planning and post-death administration of estates and trusts. Jim works to understand each client’s individual goals so that he can advise and assist in preparing a tax-conscious and cost-effective plan to accomplish the estate planning goals of each client.
Jim represents businesses and business owners in a variety of business-related matters, including taxation, business organizations and reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Jim leverages his many years of experience in taxation, estate planning, and business law to offer business succession planning services, ensuring that business succession plans are tax-effective and incorporate unique estate planning goals of each client.
- Drake University Law School, J.D., 1979
- Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, B.S., 1977
- Member, The Iowa Academy of Trust and Estate Counsel; The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
- Fellow, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (2004-present)
- Polk County Bar Association; Iowa State Bar Association (Taxation Section and Probate and Trust Law Section); American Bar Association (Taxation Section and Probate, Property & Trust Law Section)
- University of Pennsylvania Alumni Interview Program (State Chair)
- Professional Advisors Council of Greater Des Moines Community Foundation
- Board Member:
- Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc.
- Animal Rescue League of Iowa Foundation
- St. Theresa Church Foundation
- St. Theresa Parish Finance Council
