Strong Advocates
For the Injured And For A Safer Iowa

Photo Of Attorney Brian P. Galligan

Brian P. Galligan

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Practice Areas:

  • Medical Malpractice
  • Medical Malpractice -- Plaintiff
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
  • Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
  • Products Liability Law
  • Litigation & Appeals

Biography

Brian is a trial lawyer born and raised in Iowa. Brian has dedicated his life to fighting for and giving voice to victims of medical malpractice, car crashes, defective products and other types of negligence or carelessness. Over the course of his career, Brian has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients through settlement and verdicts at trial.

After obtaining his B.A. at Colorado College, a top tier liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Brian returned home to Iowa to earn his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. He graduated with High Distinction and was honored with membership in the Order of the Coif, a designation reserved for individuals who graduate in the top ten percent of their law school class.

Brian is the proud son of a trial lawyer. Growing up, around the dinner table and in countless other moments spent with his father, he listened to his father recount the cases he was working on and the stories of the people he fought for. At an early age, Brian learned what it means to be a trial lawyer and to devote one’s life to representing people whose lives had been torn apart by injury or death caused by negligence and carelessness of others. He was inspired by his father’s passion for justice, his perseverance in the face of challenge, and his commitment and determination to fight for his clients and to give voice to their cause no matter how big or powerful the opposition. His father was a true champion for his clients and for the cause of justice.

After law school, Brian joined his father’s law practice in Des Moines, Iowa, determined to learn the craft and art of being a trial lawyer from his hero. Brian practiced alongside his father for 6 years, until his father was unexpectedly forced to retire in 2006 after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Brian has carried on the fight, obtaining notable verdicts for clients, including: a $1.6 million verdict in 2007 against DHL Express, Inc. for a client who sustained a broken hip as the result of a collision caused by a negligent DHL delivery driver; a $5.5 million verdict after a 2012 medical malpractice trial representing a young girl who forever lost the normal use of her arm as a result of her mishandled birth, and; a $7 million verdict in 2016 against Farm Bureau Insurance Company for a mom and dad who lost their 19 year old son in a tragic car crash in rural Iowa. In addition to these and other trial successes, Brian has also secured hundreds of substantial settlements for clients, totaling in the tens of millions of dollars. In 2012, Brian was recognized by the American Association for Justice with the F. Scott Baldwin Award for Most Outstanding Young Trial Lawyer.

Brian has been active in both the local and national trial lawyer associations, the Iowa Association for Justice (IAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). He is a past-president of IAJ and a member of the AAJ Board of Governors. He has also been recognized as a fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has lectured and taught nationally on topics ranging from cutting edge legal topics to effective trial techniques.

Both inside and outside the courtroom Brian is highly regarded by colleagues, defense lawyers and judges alike for his sharp intellect, ethics, skill and passion as an advocate for his clients. He has consistently received an AV Preeminent peer rating, the highest level of professional excellence from Martindale Hubble.

Brian is the proud father of three wonderful children. He enjoys his time away from being a trial lawyer at home in Clive, Iowa, recharging and delighting in the joy they bring to his life.

Education

  • University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa
    • J.D. - 05/2000
    • Honors: Order of the Coif
    • Honors: With High Distinction
  • Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • B.A. - 05/1997
    • Major: U.S. History/Political Science

Bar Admissions

  • Iowa, 2000
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa, 2004
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa, 2004
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 2006
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2005
  • U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2012

Professional Associations

  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 2000 to Present
  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors, 2006 to Present
  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 2005 to Present
  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Legislative Committee, 2006 to Present
  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Justice For All PAC, Board of Trustees, 2006 to 2008
  • Roscoe Pound Civil Justice Institute, Fellow, 2011 to 2014
  • American Association for Justice/Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member, 2000 to Present
  • American Association for Justice/Association of Trial Lawyers of America - NLD, President/Chair, 2010 to 2011
  • Polk County Bar Association, Member, 2000 to Present
  • Iowa State Bar Association, Member, 2000 to Present
  • Iowa State Bar Association YLD, District 5C Representative - Executive Council, 2005 to 2009
  • Iowa State Bar Association - Independence of the Judiciary Committee, Member, 2007 to Present
  • Blackstone Inn of Court, Barrister, 2004 to 2010
  • Professional Negligence Section - American Association for Justice, Member, 2005 to Present
  • Birth Trauma Litigation Group - American Association for Justice, Member, 2005 to Present
  • Medical Negligence Information Exchange Group - American Association for Justice, Member, 2008 to Present
  • Product Liability Section - American Association for Justice, Member, 2005 to Present
  • Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Member, 2004 to Present
  • American Association for Justice/Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Board of Governors, 2011 to Present
  • Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2013 to Present
  • Iowa Association for Justice/Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2015 to 2016
  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Member, 06/2017 to Present

Current Employment Position

  • Attorney

Past Positions

  • U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, Intern, 1995
  • The White House, Intern, 1996

Honors

  • Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Key Person Award - 2007
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member - 2010
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member - 2010
  • AV Rating (Highest Possible Rating) - Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating - 2011 - Present
  • Wiedemann & Wysocki Award - American Association for Justice - 2011
  • F. Scott Baldwin Award for Most Outstanding Young Trial Lawyer- American Association for Justice - 2012
  • Meritorious Achievement Award - Iowa Association for Justice - 2013
  • Best Lawers in America - 2021, 2024
  • Iowa Rules of Evidence Substantive Review Task Force - 2022

Classes & Seminars

  • Engineering and the Law: Product Liability, Iowa State University - Department of Engineering - Ames, IA, 11/07/2006
  • Personal Injury Basics, Iowa State Bar Association, 03/12/2008
  • Changes Facing Trial Court Judges in the Coming Decade, 2008 Iowa Judicial Conference - Des Moines, IA, 06/19/2008
  • Vicarious Liability Through Agency Relationships, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association - Auto/PI Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 08/01/2008
  • Case Settlement Considerations, Iowa Association for Justice - Des Moines, IA, 03/31/2009
  • Standards for Expert Testimony In Iowa, Iowa Association for Justice - 2009 Annual Convention - Des Moines, IA, 11/05/2009
  • Stumbling Blocks to Case Settlement, Iowa Association for Justice - 2009 Annual Convention - Des Moines, IA, 11/05/2009
  • Trying Your Personal Injury Case in Federal Court, Iowa Association for Justice - 2010 Personal Injury Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 04/23/2010
  • The New Restatement's Top 10 Tort Tools: The Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm, American Association for Justice 2010 Annual Convention - Vancouver, B.C., 07/11/2010
  • Standards for Expert Testimony - Pretrial Strategies, American Association for Justice 2010 Annual Convention - Vancouver, B.C., 07/11/2010
  • The Things You Shouldn't Forget to Do Before Trial, American Association For Justice - Litigating Auto Collision Cases Seminar - New Orleans, LA, 04/29/2011
  • The Things You Shouldn't Forget to Do Before Trial, Iowa Association For Justice - 2011 Personal Injury Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 08/27/2011
  • The Restatement (Third) Torts: Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm: What You Need to Know, Mass Torts Made Perfect/Torts Made Perfect - Las Vegas, NV, 10/14/2011
  • Discovery and Admission of Medical and Mental Health Records, Story County Bench/Bar Seminar - Ames, IA, 01/27/2012
  • How to Find a Courageous Jury, Iowa Association for Justice - 2012 Annual Convention - Des Moines, IA, 11/08/2012
  • Voir Dire - Choosing the Right Jury, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers - Annual Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 02/21/2013
  • The Restatement (Third) Torts and Iowa Tort Law, Iowa Judges Association Annual Conference - Des Moines, IA, 06/19/2014
  • The Med Mal Climate, Patient Safety & Iowa's New "Candor" Law, Iowa Association for Justice - 2015 Annual Convention - Des Moines, IA, 11/05/2015
  • Adult Child Consortium Claims in Wrongful Death Cases, Iowa Association for Justice - 2016 Annual Convention - Des Moines, IA, 11/10/2016
  • Handling the Challenges of Implicit Bias/Rehabilitating Witnesses, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers - Annual Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 02/23/2017
  • Trial by Human with Nick Rowley, Drake Law School AAJ - Des Moines, IA, 11/11/2017
  • The Current State of Medical Malpractice In Iowa, Iowa State Bar Association – Webinar, 05/01/2018
  • Trial Practice, Nevada Justice Association Annual Convention – San Diego, CA, 10/05/2018
  • jury Verdict Panel, Iowa State Bar Association - Annual Meeting - Des Moines, IA, 06/20/2018
  • The Current State of Medical Malpractice In Iowa, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers - Annual Seminar - Des Moines, Iowa, 02/21/2019
  • Ethical Constraints in Closing Arguments - Panel, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers - Annual Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 02/27/2020 to 02/27/2020
  • Candor Laws, National Association of Trial Lawyer Executives - 2021 Government Affairs Conference - Savannah, GA, 11/07/2021
  • Motions in Limine, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers - Annual Seminar - Des Moines, IA, 02/24/2022

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Iowa Legal Aid Foundation - Board Member, 2008 to 2012
  • HOLA Clinic - Polk County Bar Association, 2006 to 2008
  • Junior High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Indian Hills/Stillwell Junior High, 2000 to 2005
  • High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Valley High School, 2003
  • High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Valley Southwoods, 2005
  • High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Valley Southwoods, 2007
  • High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Valley High School, 2008
  • High School Mock Trial Program, Coach - Valley High School, 2009