Gregory B.
Wilcox

OVERVIEW

Greg Wilcox practices in the Business, Finance & Real Estate group and has served as chairman of the firm.

Greg practices in many facets of business law, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, contracts, corporate governance, and business reorganizations. He represents a diverse mix of organizations, including Fortune 500, multinational, closely held companies, and cooperatives. His work with closely held companies includes business formation, buy-sell agreements, business planning, disputes among owners, and liquidations.

In addition, Greg often acts in a strategic role similar to that of an in-house general counsel by advising boards, addressing clients’ day-to-day business issues and assisting clients with business opportunities.

In guiding clients through transactions or business decisions, Greg knows it is important to be a good listener and to understand a client’s business. “I enjoy working with businesses to assist them in solving their problems and structuring their business ventures.”

RECOGNITION

Martindale-Hubbell
AV® Preeminent

The Best Lawyers in America®

• Agriculture Law, 2018–2025
• Corporate Governance Law, 2012–2025
• Corporate Law, 2005–2025
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2011–2025
• Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, 2014–2025

The Best Lawyers in America®

• Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law, Des Moines, 2022
• Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Governance Law, Des Moines, 2020
• Lawyer of the Year, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Des Moines, Iowa, 2015, 2018

Chambers USA
Corporate/M & A (Band 1)

Great Plains Super Lawyers
Business/Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Closely Held Business, 2009–2024

Order of the Coif

Drake University Law School: “150 in 150”
One of 150 individuals recognized by Drake University Law School in celebration of its 150-year history

Drake Law Review
Associate Articles Editor

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

American Bar Association
Fellow

American Bar Association
Business Law Section

Iowa State Bar Association
Fellow

Polk County Bar Association

PAST AFFILIATIONS:

Iowa Sports Foundation (Iowa Games, Adaptive Sports Iowa, Iowa Senior Games, and Live Healthy Iowa)
Board of Directors; Chair

Iowa State Bar Association

• Business Law Section, Chair
• Business Law Practice Manual, Editor
• Business Law Section, Subcommittee on Revisions to Iowa Limited Liability Company
• Business Law Section, Subcommittee on Revisions to Iowa Business Corporation Act
• Business Law Section, Legislative Subcommittee
• Business Law Section, Professional Corporation Committee
• Committee on Legal Forms, Chair

Iowa Institute for Cooperatives
Legislative Committee

Drake University Law School

• Board of Counselors; President 

Lincoln Inn

Iowa Chapter of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
Board of Directors

Des Moines Golf & Country Club
Board of Directors

West Des Moines Community Schools Foundation
Board of Directors

REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONS

Sale of assets of a brick manufacturer to a foreign publicly-held corporation (seller's counsel)

Acquisition of a biological product manufacturer (buyer's counsel)

Sale of assets of an aerospace parts manufacturer to private equity group (seller’s counsel)

Sale of a 33-story hotel (seller’s counsel)

Sale of assets of a food manufacturer to private equity group (seller’s counsel)

Acquisition of the stock of a property and casualty insurance shell by a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company from a publicly held corporation (buyer’s counsel)

Leveraged buyout by the management group of a manufacturing division of a publicly held company (buyer’s counsel)

Acquisition of 16 grain-handling and grain-marketing facilities by a regional agricultural business (buyer’s counsel)

Acquisition of the assets of an automotive parts manufacturing company by a multinational manufacturing company (buyer’s counsel)

Acquisition by a multinational manufacturing company of an automotive parts manufacturing division of a multinational manufacturing company (buyer’s counsel)

Sale of assets of a technology company to a publicly held company (seller’s counsel)

Purchase of assets of a regional juice manufacturing company by a regional food manufacturing company (buyer’s counsel)

Representation over many years with respect to more than 70 mergers, consolidations, sale of assets, and purchase of assets involving agricultural cooperatives.

SPEECHES & PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS:

“Business Acquisitions,”Iowa State Bar Association Business Practice Manual, 2000; Rev. 2004; Rev. 2010; Rev. 2018 (co-author)

“Indemnification of Officers and Directors,” Iowa State Bar Association Business Law Practice Manual, 2004; Rev. 2010; Rev. 2018

“Third Party Legal Opinions,” Iowa State Bar Association Business Law Practice Manual, 2004; Rev. 2010; Rev. 2018 (co-author)

“Commercial Law” chapter, Iowa Legal Research Guide (J. Edwards, ed.)

“Duties of the Board of Directors Under the Iowa Business Corporation Act,” 
40 Drake L. Rev. 687 (co-author)

“Director Liability Under Iowa Law—Duties and Protections,” 13 J. Corp. L. 369 (co-author) Cited by the Iowa Supreme Court in Cookies Food Products, Inc. by Rowedder v. Lakes Warehouse Distrib., Inc., 430 N.W. 2d 447

“The Relative Priority of a Landlord’s Lien and Article Nine Security Interest,” 35 Drake L. Rev. 27 (co-author) Cited by the Iowa Supreme Court in Perkins v. Farmers Trust & Sav. Bank, 421 N.W. 2d 533

SPEECHES:

Greg has been a speaker on M&A and corporate legal topics including: 

• “Negotiating Physician Employment Agreements and Buy-In Agreements”
• “Special Drafting Considerations When Drafting Third-Party Legal Opinion Letters”
• “Applicability of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act in Merger and Acquisition Transactions Involving Agricultural Cooperatives”
• “Drafting and Negotiating Exit Rights in Shareholder Agreements”
• “Buying and Selling Businesses”
• “Earnouts in Business Acquisitions”
• "Mergers & Acquisitions of Cooperatives"