profile headshot of Douglas E. Gross

Specialties

I am a member at the BrownWinick law firm. I take great pride in solving complex problems and helping lead organizations, which has allowed me to wear various hats. I strive to provide leadership and useful, practical guidance to my clients on any and all of their legal and business questions. Through this process, I apply skills honed through years of experience, including serving as Chief of Staff to Governor Terry Branstad and former Managing Partner at BrownWinick. I am and always have been dedicated to the state of Iowa and to using my time and talents in advancing the interests of its communities and residents. I believe good leaders lead by example, and I strive to do this in both my professional life and personal life. 

My Approach

I believe that any professional's job is to provide solutions, not just answers to discrete questions. I help clients articulate their goals in a broader context, so that we can create and execute a plan to achieve the desired results. Success nearly always requires a strong mix of business acumen, political instinct, and legal judgment, which I have been helping organizations achieve for decades. Whether you are negotiating a large merger or acquisition, facing down regulatory pressure, starting your new agribusiness venture, or expanding your hospital, this multi-dimensional approach is most likely to deliver the needed solution.    

More About Me

Before practicing law, I served as Chief of Staff to Governor Terry Branstad. Additionally, I held roles in the public sector including Director of Business and Finance at the Iowa State Board of Regents, Administrative Assistant to Governor Robert D. Ray, Director of Fuels Division of the Iowa Energy Policy Council, Chief Legislative Assistant and Campaign Co-Manager for Congressman Tom Tauke, Legislative Field Director for the Iowa Republican Party and Legislative Intern to the Iowa General Assembly. I have a strong interest in Iowa government and have political campaign experience which includes involvement in numerous successful gubernatorial, congressional, and state legislative campaigns. I also served as co-chair of President George W. Bush's finance effort in Iowa and Chairman of Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

In 2002, I was the Republican nominee for Governor of Iowa.

I grew up in Defiance, Iowa, one of eight boys in a family of ten children. I learned very young the value of hard work, milking cows and putting up hay by hand. As a life-long resident in the state of Iowa, I have worked hard to promote and contribute to the state's growth and success.

I believe strongly in the power of family values, and when I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife, five grown children, and seven grandkids.  

I graduated with a B.A., summa cum laude, from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1977 and earned my J.D., with honors, from Drake University in 1985. I was a Lydia C. Roberts fellow at Columbia University's School of International Affairs. I was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1986.

I have been selected as a leader in Iowa for inclusion in Chambers USA® in the area of corporate / M&A since 2005. I was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers® in 2010 for my Government Relations practice, government contracts and in 2012 I was named Best Lawyers' Lawyer of the Year in Government Relations. 

My Specialties

  • Administrative Law
  • Agribusiness
  • Business & Corporate Law
  • Business Transactions
  • Energy & Natural Resources
  • Food & Agribusiness
  • Gaming
  • Government & Regulatory
  • Government Entities
  • Health Care
  • Health Plans
  • Lobbying & Public Policy
  • Telecommunications
  • Utilities

BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2024 Best Lawyers® List

08-17-2023 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 33 lawyers have been included in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. BrownWinick would like to congratulate the following attorneys named to the 2024 The Best Lawyers...
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Chambers USA 2023 Guide Recognizes Eight BrownWinick Attorneys and Four Practice Areas

06-1-2023 BrownWinick is proud to announce the recognition of several of its attorneys in the prestigious Chambers USA 2023 guide. Chambers USA is an esteemed legal directory that evaluates and ranks attorneys and law firms based on their legal expertise, professional achievements, and client feedback. The rankings and accolades received in Corporate/M&A,...
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Chambers USA 2021 Recognizes BrownWinick Attorneys and Practices

05-25-2021 BrownWinick, a preeminent business law firm with offices in Des Moines and Pella, has once again been ranked among leading law firms in the exclusive Chambers USA 2021 Guide. The Chambers USA 2021 Guide is compiled through a research-based review that evaluates the multiple practice areas of hundreds of law firms through investigative research and...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2021 Best Lawyers in America List

08-21-2020 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 26 lawyers have been included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers® has published their list for more than three decades, earning the respect of the...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2020 Best Lawyers List

08-15-2019 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 24 lawyers have been included in the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers® has published their list for more than three decades, earning the respect of the...
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Chambers USA Names BrownWinick Law Firm and 11 of its Attorneys "Leaders in Iowa"

04-30-2019 BrownWinick, a Des Moines based law firm, has been recognized as a “leading law firm” in Chambers USA 2019 — America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the areas of Corporate/M&A, Labor & Employment, and Litigation: General Commercial. Additionally, 11 BrownWinick attorneys were selected for inclusion in Chambers USA 2019, being recognized as...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2019 Best Lawyers® List

08-16-2018 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 27 lawyers have been included in the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the...
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BrownWinick Law Firm and Ten Attorneys Listed in Chambers USA 2018 - America's Leading Lawyers for Business

05-3-2018 BrownWinick has been ranked as a “leading law firm” in Chambers USA 2018 - America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the areas of Corporate/M&A, Labor & Employment, and Litigation: General Commercial. Ten attorneys from BrownWinick were selected for inclusion in Chambers USA 2018 as “leaders in Iowa” in the following areas: Michael R. Blaser –...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2018 Best Lawyers List

08-15-2017 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 26 lawyers have been included in the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2017

08-15-2016 BrownWinick is proud to announce that 24 attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. The lawyers included are: Ronni F. Begleiter (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Trusts and Estates) Marc T. Beltrame (Government...
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Assistant

Michelle Battaglia

515-242-2421

Undergraduate

Iowa Wesleyan College

B.A., summa cum laude, 1977

Legal

Drake University Law School

J.D., with honors, 1985

Admitted

Iowa, 1986

 

Memberships & Associations

  • Polk County Bar Association
    Member
  • Iowa State Bar Association
    Member
  • Greater Des Moines Partnership
    Member
  • First American Bank Group
    Charter Board Member
  • Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce
    Board Member
  • Polk County Oversight Committee
    Member
  • Sigma Tau Delta
  • Blue Key Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award