Lee D. Henderson

I am a member of BrownWinick specializing in business law and transactions, with specialized expertise in technology and information privacy and security. Having spent over 7 years as a leader of a talented in-house legal team and officer of a top 50 property and casualty insurance company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, including 3 years as the enterprise privacy director, I understand firsthand the challenges of making decisions in a highly regulated environment with less than perfect information, but within budget, and on time. I also know the value of having responsive, diligent, and dependable outside counsel to meet those demands. That is my goal as your outside counsel: to be known as a lawyer you can call, no matter the time and no matter the problem.  

My Approach

When I am asked to address a legal issue or business problem, my goal is the same as yours: understand the risk and find a way past it so that the business can continue. Good lawyers move business forward, and that’s what I do.  

I have deep experience leading and closing transactions, managing crises, reporting to C-Suite executives and directors, and overseeing teams and compliance programs within large organizations. My past experience as a business leader helps me understand the challenges of evaluating complex, long term problems with imperfect solutions that require accepting risk. I realize the right solution is often more feasible and practical than the perfect solution. 

More About Me

 I am a first-generation college graduate, having received a B.A. in History from Knox College, where I played football, sang in the college choir, and during the school year held jobs at a bakery, mopping floors in an academic building, and clerking at a law firm. I earned my J.D. from Drake University Law School, graduating with High Honors, serving as Notes Editor on the Journal of Agricultural Law, and as a research assistant  in areas of criminal law and procedure. Upon graduation I was inducted into the Order of the Coif. 

I was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 2009 (inactive) and the Iowa Bar in 2013.  

My prior experience includes: 

• 7 years at a top 50 property and casualty insurance company, where I served as an officer, led teams of lawyers and non-lawyers, and served as the enterprise privacy director
• 6 years in private practice (3 in Michigan, and 3 in Iowa)
• 1 year as a Prehearing Attorney at the Michigan Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids, Michigan

I live in Des Moines with my wife (a small business owner) and two active children.  

My Specialties

• Business Law
  • Transactions
  • Corporate Governance
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
• Real Estate
• Insurance Law
• Venture Capital and Start Ups
• Technology
  • Product Development and Implementation
  • SaaS, IaaS, PaaS
  • SLAs
  • Insurtech, Fintech
  • Procurement 
• Privacy and Information Security
  • US and International Privacy Compliance
  • GDPR, US State Privacy Laws (e.g., CCPA/CPRA), GLBA, HIPPA
  • Data Breach Response