Iowa Real Property Law and Practice

Kathleen K. Law is Shareholder at Nyemaster Goode, P.C. and Adjunct Professor at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.

An aha moment in high school planted the seed of law school in Kathy Law’s mind. "Two boys on a competing school’s debate team announced they were going to be lawyers," she says. "I thought if they could do it, so could I, and so I decided right then and there to become an attorney."

Kathy put her dream of law school on hold, however, to work with her husband to save their farm and to raise their family during the 1980s farm crisis. "I worked to put food on the table until the farming got better," she says. "Fast-forward 20 years and I was finally able to start law school." She had no idea her delay would one day be the stepping-stone to a real estate law practice that is anything but typical.

Kathy practices in the area of real estate law, mainly representing commercial real estate developers and also wind energy developers. Kathy’s work with commercial real estate developers involves reviewing abstracts and issuing title opinions. She drafts and negotiates purchase agreements, leases, and easements, and she handles platting and subdivision work.

For wind energy matters, Kathy represents her clients in site acquisition and negotiating and preparing agreements with landowners. She helps with zoning, permitting, and other title matters. "Farms are typically the choice location for wind energy, so my farming background gave me an advantage when the opportunity in the wind energy field came knocking," she says.

Kathy also works with other alternative energy, renewable fuels, and public utility projects, assisting with project finance and asset sales of developed sites as well as sales of project companies.

Timeliness and efficiency are just two qualities of Kathy’s strong work ethic. Clients find her dependable and responsible, and they consistently send her referrals. Kathy appreciates getting to work with wind clients who are concerned about making farmers happy and interested in protecting the land. "It’s so rewarding to represent people who actually care and want to work together for the greater good," she says.

Kathy was the president of the Iowa Wind Energy Association for three years and has been active in various professional and community organizations. She is currently the vice president of the Iowa State Bar Association. When not in the office, Kathy is an avid gardener, cultivating hundreds of perennials, and an artist who creates art in glass. "Gardening and art projects let me change gears after a long day at work," she says. "And they are hobbies my husband and I can do together."