Pleasant Hill Estate Planning Lawyers

Attorney Colby M. Lessmann was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and is a graduate of Sioux City North High School. Colby graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Business (B.S., 1996) and School of Law (J.D., 1999). During his law school education, he published a casenote in the South Dakota Law Review (1998) and was both the Managing Editor and the Production Editor for Volume 44 of the South Dakota Law Review (1998-1999). After graduating from Law School, Colby clerked for Justice Robert Amundson of the South Dakota Supreme Court in Pierre, South Dakota. In August...

Attorney Dean Fankhauser was raised in Chadron, Nebraska and is the son of former business owners who still reside in Chadron today. After graduating from Chadron State College, Dean studied at The University of South Dakota School of Law and graduated in 2014 with a Juris Doctor. While in law school, Dean had many great experiences, including advancing to the Elite 8 of the Sam Masten Appellate Advocacy Competition and completing an internship at the Federal Public Defender’s office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dean moved to the Siouxland Community after law school and shortly began working as an associate attorney....

Attorney Deborah J. Morris was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. She attended college at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa where she graduated summa cum laude earning dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Business and Accounting. Deborah graduated With High Honor from the South Dakota School of Law in 2016 and began working in the field of family law. Deborah opened her own firm in 2019 offering both full and limited scope services in family law, as well as estate planning and business formations services. Deborah joined the law firm of Tigges, Bottaro & Lessmann, LLP in January...

Attorney Andrea Buckley grew up in rural Nebraska, living in a number of small towns before landing in Boyd County. She attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Translation and Interpreting. She went on to law school at the University of Nebraska College of Law, graduating in 2007. Andrea’s legal career started at a private law firm in Sioux City before joining Iowa Legal Aid in 2009. There, her practice included consumer rights, landlord/tenant law, guardianships/conservatorships and appellate advocacy. She developed a specialized practice in tax litigation, becoming the managing attorney of the statewide...

Partner at Cray Law Firm.

Joseph C. Creen has over 30 years experience in the practice of law, litigating cases in Iowa and Illinois state and federal courts and advising clients with personal, business and employment matters, real estate matters, individuals and families for estate planning needs and probate. Mr Creen has a varied and extensive trial practice experience, including personal injury, brain injury, product liability, wrongful death, slip and fall, auto cases, catastrophic injury, as well as contract and construction disputes, estate & probate matters, such as Will contest and undue influence, consumer protection, such as wrongful foreclosure or collections, ...

Lindsey obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2007. Prior to law school, Lindsey earned her bachelor’s degree in 2004 from the University of Nebraska Wesleyan, graduating with High Distinction on an accelerated three-year program, and played basketball and ran track. Lindsey worked in private practice in the Siouxland area before establishing Buchheit Law, PLC in 2013. After more than a decade as a solo practitioner, Lindsey joined forces with her law partner, John C. “Jack” Ehrich, and established Buchheit & Ehrich Law, PLC on January 1, 2025. Lindsey is licensed to practice law in...

Brett P. Hall is an attorney licensed to practice in Iowa, Nebraska, and the United States District Court, Northern District of Iowa. Mr. Hall is a member of the American Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Woodbury County Bar Association. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota, School of Law. Brett lives in Sioux City with his wife and four children. He is active within the community and enjoys participating in local fundraising events, and volunteering with local nonprofit organizations.

I practice law because I am passionate about helping individuals resolve their issues. I find great satisfaction in working with clients, particularly in resolving disputes and providing them with peace of mind. My work often involves delivering restorative justice to those who have been wronged, as well as assisting individuals who face lawsuits and are unsure of their next steps. For many of my clients, facing legal challenges can be one of the most stressful experiences of their lives, which is why they seek my counsel. I make it a priority to maintain clear communication with my clients, ensuring they...

DAVID PILLERS is a partner in the law firm of Pillers and Richmond. He received his major in Economics and minor in Business from Valparaiso University, graduating in 1992, and received his law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law, graduating in 1998. Mr. Pillers maintains a general practice but concentrates his practice in the areas of Civil Litigation, Collective Bargaining, Business and Corporate Law, Municipal Law, Real Estate and Estate Planning. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association (Member of the Probate and Real Estate Section), Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association (Section Member: Motor...

My practice is centered on a philosophy of personalized service. Calls returned, emails answered, and constant awareness of your legal matter's status are just a few of the ways that I strive to make your experience superlative.

Holding a license to practice law is a privilege that I deeply value and am honored to uphold the responsibilities it entails. The relationships I have cultivated with clients, attorneys, financial experts, realtors, technology professionals, insurance agents, courthouse employees, and others reinforce daily that despite our differences, we share commonalities and ways to connect. I diligently explore all alternatives with my clients, aiming to provide practical advice and solutions that meet their current needs and situations.

Attorney Ryan Ross is a graduate of Doane College (B.S. 1992 with distinction) and Willamette Law School (J.D. 1995). He is admitted to practice law in the United States Federal Court, as well as Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska state courts. Ryan handles primarily real estate property matters (such as title opinions, title guarantee, foreclosures, deeds, sales, acquisitions, condominium transactions, purchase agreements, contracts, leases, options, easements, restrictive covenants, construction liens, landlord-tenant, evictions, subdivision, and zoning and board adjustment items), business matters (corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, acquisitions, sales, mergers, contracts, succession planning, dissolutions, and licensing), and estate planning...

William was born and raised in Northeast Iowa in the town of New Hampton. He has followed both his father’s and his brother’s lead, receiving a degree in both accounting and law. While in law school he participated in many groups and was fortunate enough to be the Treasurer of the Student Bar Association and the Managing Editor of the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law.

William practices out of the Marion office of Pearson Bollman Law. His practice focuses on estate planning, elder law, probate/trust administration, and taxation.

Gary has been working with individuals and families to help with their estate and tax planning for almost thirty years. He has a robust tax practice, preparing both individual and fiduciary returns. With this background, he also advises his clients on their estate planning, bringing his areas of expertise together to draft comprehensive plans that accomplish their goals. Gary also facilitates trust and estate administration, and so further helps families carry out their plans. In his career, Gary has worked with multiple generations, providing guidance and counsel on issues relating to finances, taxes, wealth transfer, and almost everything in between.

Originally...

Kimberly (Schroeder) Kuchel is an associate attorney at Bauerly & Langel P.L.C. She went to Morningside College to obtain her undergraduate degree in business administration. She graduated with her law degree from the University of St. Thomas in 2018 and upon graduation, worked for Corbett Anderson Law Firm in Sioux City, Iowa. In November 2019, she began working for Bauerly & Langel PLC. She is also licensed in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Mark was born on a farm in Wright County, Iowa and currently raises cattle and grapes, he owns a local winery called 99 Bottles Winery near Garner, Iowa.

Mark raised his family in rural Iowa and loves the country. Mark was an Auctioneer for many years and still sells farmland at Auction when his clients want him to do that.

Mark sold over 30 Million Dollars worth of Farm Land in the recent years in North Central Iowa and Southern Minnesota.

Contact Newman Thompson & Gray, for all of your legal needs!

Tom was born and raised in Iowa City. He received his BA degree from Harvard University in 1975 and then returned home to attend the University of Iowa College of Law. After completing law school in 1978, Tom joined the law firm where he has been a partner since 1983. Tom represents individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of legal matters principally in areas of business and transactional law, including contracts, real estate, business and non-profit entities, estate and gift planning, administration of trusts and estates, healthcare, and charitable foundations. In addition to his legal practice, Tom has...

Dean grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Iowa City, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and focuses on pre-death estate planning and post-death trust/estate administration. His practice includes (i) establishing revocable (living) trusts to avoid probate and facilitate privacy, (ii) creating wills, trusts and retirement-account beneficiary designations with customized provisions to accomplish family-specific goals, such as delaying inheritances for immature beneficiaries, (iii) implementing powers of attorney for finances and for healthcare/medical directives (living wills), and (iv) administering probate estates and trusts and filing the necessary tax returns.