History

Founded in 1918, Nyemaster Goode continues outstanding service to its clients and community into its next century.

A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

100 years. A century. It’s a long time for any business to survive. A few years ago, a Forbes magazine article noted that successful companies on the S&P 500 Index typically exist for 15 years. Smaller companies have a far more abbreviated longevity.

Now the largest law firm in Iowa, Nyemaster has more than a century of growth, success, and continual change and adaptation. Its list of accomplishments and record of achievements has expanded with the communities it serves.

THE FOUNDING YEARS

March 1, 1918—J.L. Parrish, Sr., and M.H. Cohen, esteemed lawyers and prominent figures in Des Moines, founded the law firm as Parrish & Cohen.
• J.L. Parrish, Sr., an influential business and commercial lawyer, represented Northwestern Bell, then a large, far-reaching, and powerful company.
• Legal work for this highly respected client provided the foundation of the business-focused aspect of the firm’s practice.

CHANGING NAMES, STEADY GROWTH

The firm name evolved, ebbed, and flowed as esteemed and freshly minted attorneys joined the firm. Their contributions continued to enhance the firm’s reputation.
• 1935—Ray Nyemaster, the eponym of the present-day firm, joined the partnership.
• 1941–1945—World War II interrupted the firm’s growth. Only four attorneys actively practiced. Other current and future firm attorneys served our country, returning to practice after the war.
o Max O’Brien served as an Army major general.
o Sam O’Brien served as an Army officer.
o Kent Emery served as an Army officer.
o Luther Hill, who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black before joining the firm, served in the Army.
o D.J. (Jack) Goode (also an FBI agent), served in the Navy.
• 1968—In its 50th year, 11 attorneys were practicing with the firm.
o Offices were on the ninth floor of the Register and Tribune Building in downtown Des Moines (Office comfort varied; Jim West recalled that his repurposed office had been a closet).
o Before the 1970s, each attorney handled a little of everything. It was not uncommon for an attorney to close a business transaction on Monday and be in court trying a case on Tuesday.
• 1970s—The firm experienced rapid development, doubling the number of attorneys in the firm over that decade.
o The firm began to develop specialties in several practice areas through a breadth of experience, flexibility, and willingness to undertake a wide variety of legal matters.
o An era of greater professional concentration began.
• 1980s—Expansion accelerated. This growth correlated with the growing Iowa and national economies and the expansion of state and federal statutes and administrative regulations and oversight.
o The firm’s present-day organization, with multiple departments practicing specialized disciplines, developed into a broad-spectrum, full-service law firm.
o The Des Moines office moved to the Hubbell Building, where it was located for many years, and then occupied Hub Tower for 10 years.
• July 1997—The Des Moines office moved to its current location on four floors in the EMC Building.
• 1999—The firm opened its Ames office, adding three attorneys
• January 2009—The firm opened its Cedar Rapids office, adding five more attorneys.

MOVING WITH THE TIMES AND TECHNOLOGY

With its commitment to embracing current tested technology—from the first dictation and facsimile machines to the complex document management systems available today—the firm has maintained its competitive status.

Nyemaster has an imbued culture of respect for disciplined and strategic planning, even in the course of difficult economic events such as the 2008–2009 financial crisis.

A strategic, analytical approach to business continuity has been a touchstone of the firm’s success over the past 100-plus years.
• Today—Nyemaster employs 165 people, including 93 attorneys. <check these numbers>
o Legal services range from local dealings to national and international transactions.
o Nyemaster is a recognized standard in quality legal services, with multifaceted expertise in areas of law that didn’t even exist when the firm was launched.

A demand for excellence, a dedication to ethics, and an abiding respect for its responsibility to its clients, are qualities inherent in Nyemaster. Then. Now. Always.