Carney & Appleby P.L.C. was founded by James W. Carney in 1976 to serve clients throughout the State of Iowa. The firm engages in a General Practice with a heavy emphasis on civil litigation and legislation. The firm has available effective, trained support personnel and is AV rated by Martindale and Hubbell.

FIRM SPECIALTY

Carney & Appleby P.L.C. is a small firm which has a heavy emphasis on legislative matters and administrative law matters. Its specialties include the following: general practice, legislative law, business law, torts, real estate, family law, administrative law, insurance law, trials and appeals in Federal and State Courts.

Our experienced legislative lobbying team possesses over 65 years of experience in government affairs and lobbying at the Iowa Statehouse and Iowa Executive Branch level.  The firm has established itself as a premier provider of these services.

We have represented several Fortune 500 companies, professional associations, and industry associations throughout Iowa as well as HMOs, healthcare facilities, and other organizations. Our major clients have included AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Caesar’s Entertainment, Facebook, Meredith Corporation, SSAB, Lexis-Nexis, I N G Americas, Mediacom Communications, AIG, HSBC, One Main Financial, Wells Fargo, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Iowa Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, along with many other state associations.

TAG CONTACTS

DOUGLAS STRUYK joined Carney Appleby P.L.C. as an associate in 2013.  Doug is a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, graduating from Saint Albert High School in 1988.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University in 1992.  Doug received his Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law in 1996 with Cum Laude honors and was admitted to the Iowa Bar in June of 1996.  He is also a past president of the National Association of Bar Executives’ Government Relations Section.

After graduating from law school, Doug was Chief of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Agricultural Diversification Bureau.  After working at the Department of Agriculture, Doug returned home to manage his family’s business, Struyk Turf, Ltd.  In 2002, Doug was elected to the Iowa House representing Council Bluffs.  During his time in the Iowa House, he was elected Assistant Minority Leader and was the Ranking Member of the House State Government Committee.  He also served on the Judiciary, Economic Development, Commerce, and Agriculture Committees.  Doug retired from the House 2010.  In November of 2010, Doug was named Chief Legal Counsel to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.  Doug also served as the office’s senior legislative liaison.  In May of 2012, he was selected by the Speaker of the House to serve as his Executive Officer, a position Doug held until joining Carney Appleby Law.

Doug has nearly two decades of government relations experience including time as a lawyer, lobbyist, and legislator.  He has worked at the highest levels of both the executive and legislative branches of Iowa’s government.  Doug is well known at the Iowa Capitol as a skilled problem solver with a proven record of working with both parties to resolve controversial issues.  He was a respected leader in the Iowa legislative process with a well-developed network and skill set.

JAMES CARNEY is founding partner of Carney & Appleby, P.L.C. His practice is limited to legislative matters as a registered lobbyist and civil litigation. Jim has been practicing law in Des Moines and throughout the state of Iowa for nearly forty-five years and has tried lawsuits in other states as well.  Jim is believed to have been the youngest attorney invited to become a member of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. The Iowa Academy is limited to the top 225 trial attorneys in the state and admission to the Academy is by invitation only. He is a Bencher in the Blackstone Innes of Court and is a member of The American Board of Trial Advocates and past president of the Iowa ABOTA Chapter. 

Jim has argued over 25 appellate cases in the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals to include several landmark decisions and cases of first impression.  He additionally was involved in the longest civil trial in the history of Dubuque County in a trial lasting over three months resulting in a verdict for his client.  Jim is unquestionably one of the most experienced trial advocates in the State of Iowa obtaining multi-million dollar verdicts in several cases and defense verdicts for clients he has defended.

Prior to law school, Jim coached golf and basketball at the United States Military Academy (West Point) while serving in the U.S. Army.  He’s been a very active supporter of the University of Iowa to include serving on the National Letterman’s Board, National I-Club Board, and the University of Iowa Foundation Board.  He was selected as the I-Club Volunteer of the Year in 2009.  He is also a past president of the National Association of Bar Executives’ Government Relations Section.