Awards

• 2006 Public Justice Award
  The firm’s advocacy on behalf of patient rights and improving medical standards of practice has earned it both Iowa and national recognition, including the 2006 Public Justice Award from the Iowa Association for Justice for their successful class action lawsuit against the two largest hospital corporations in Iowa to end unjust patient billing practices.
• 2018 Public Service Award
  In recognition of their exceptional trial advocacy in the case ofYoung v. HealthPort Technologies, Inc., in 2018 Gary G. Mattson, James J. Biscoglia and Ryan C. Nixon of LaMarca Law Group received the Public Service Award from the Iowa Association for Justice. The landmark case stopped the medical industry from utilizing third parties to evade statutory restrictions on medical billing charges and provides future protection to injured Iowans from price gouging when requesting their own medical billing statements as needed to litigate claims.
• National Public Justice Foundation
  The firm received recognition by the National Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation for its work in fighting medical device contracts with rebates or kickbacks to hospitals from manufacturers of cardiac rhythm devices. This practice results in hospitals putting pressure on cardiologists to select certain devices based on financial incentives rather than choosing the product best suited to the particular patient’s anatomy and condition.
• Trial Lawyer of the Year
  In 1989, George A. LaMarca was selected as Member of the Year by the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association now known as the Iowa Association for Justice. This award is presented to a member who has made an extraordinary contribution toward the betterment of the profession.

Certifications

• American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA)
  The ABPLA was formed in 1972 to bring together lawyers throughout the United States who both prosecute and defend negligence claims against professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and accountants.
• Gary G. Mattson and James J. Biscoglia are board certified in medical malpractice by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. The ABPLA has rigorous testing standards and certification requirements. The ABPLA is an approved certification by the American Bar Association.

Professional Recognition

LaMarca Law Group, P.C., as a firm, and its individual attorneys, have earned the professional respect and distinction of membership in prominent merit-based organizations in the legal community.

• U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” 2010-2023
  LaMarca Law Group, P.C. has been continually recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Best Law Firms as a Metropolitan Tier 1 Des Moines law firm in Personal Injury-Plaintiffs, and Commercial Litigation in the publication Best Law Firms. This peer-selected designation resulted from extensive research done by U.S. News and Best Lawyers who evaluated over 9,000 firms in 171 metropolitan areas.
• Best Lawyers® 2016 “Lawyer of the Year”
  George A. LaMarca was named by Best Lawyers® as the 2016 “Lawyer of the Year” in the Des Moines Metropolitan Area in the category of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan is honored as “Lawyer of the Year.”
• Best Lawyers® in America
  Gary G. Mattson was peer-selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty of Workers’ Compensation Law-Claimants. James J. Biscoglia and Andrew Heiting-Doane were peer-selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. Ryan C. Nixon was peer-selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty of Commercial Litigation. For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers® has been regarded by both the profession and the public as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Selection to Best Lawyers® is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprising more than 2.8 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country. Because no fee or purchase is required, being listed in Best Lawyers® is considered a true honor.
• Great Plains Super Lawyers List
  Ryan C. Nixon was selected as a Rising Star in the Super Lawyers list.
• Top 100 Iowa Attorneys
  Andrew Heiting-Doane and Tyler J. Ernest have been selected as one of the Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 in Iowa.
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40
  Andrew H. Doane has been selected as one of the Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 in Iowa.
• Martindale-Hubbell®
  Gary G. Mattson, James J. Biscoglia and Andrew Heiting-Doane hold “AV” ratings individually. Martindale-Hubbell® is considered the most prestigious lawyer rating firm in the country awarding its highest “AV” by blind survey of peers in the state. Their international ratings network contains over one million lawyers and law firms. LaMarca Law Group, P.C. has consistently held the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell® – “AV.”
• America's Top 100 Attorneys
  Gary G. Mattson and James J. Biscoglia have received a lifetime achievement award from American’s Top 100 Lawyers, a prestigious association of attorneys across the country.
• The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Attorneys (NTL)
  Gary G. Mattson, James J. Biscoglia, Ryan C. Nixon and Andrew Heiting-Doane have received a lifetime achievement award from NTL’s America’s Top 100.
• Iowa Association of Justice (IAJ)
  Gary G. Mattson currently serves on the Board of Governors as Chairman for the Justice For All Political Action Committee. Andrew Heiting-Doane also serves as a Member of the prestigious Legislative Action Committee. James J. Biscoglia formerly served on the Board of Governors and as a Member of the Legislative Action Committee.
• College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers
  Gary G. Mattson is a Fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. It honors attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the field of workers’ compensation. Fellows have convinced the Bar, the Bench and the public that they possess the highest professional qualifications and character, integrity and professional expertise.