George LaMarca

While George LaMarca is wearing a new hat called “Of Counsel,” it is what is under that hat that makes his new role so valuable to LaMarca Law Group. While no longer spending time in the courtroom, his experience as one of Iowa’s most successful trial attorneys is always available to the other LaMarca Law Group trial attorneys. As Of Counsel, he is available to consult on cases, assist with investigations and deposition preparation, and strategize on the discovery and trial preparation phases of certain cases.

For over 45 years, George A. LaMarca’s practice specialized in the litigation of personal injury, business and professional malpractice actions. He has handled some of Iowa’s most notable personal injury cases and most complex business litigation cases. He is board certified in Civil Trials and Civil Pretrial Practice by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also board certified in Medical Malpractice Litigation by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. He is a Fellow of the American College of Board Certified Attorneys.

Mr. LaMarca is a highly respected legal author. He has written and lectured extensively on the investigation and trial of complex cases, and the use of demonstrative evidence, models, tests and experiments in the courtroom. He is the author of Iowa Pleading, Causes of Action and Defenses, a comprehensive and definitive work on pleading and practice, procedural rules, forms and strategies. His book has been used at both Drake and University of Iowa Law Schools, and it has brought him wide acclaim from Iowa litigators. He has written articles for legal, medical and scientific journals, and he has received two Bancroft Whitney awards for notable contributions to legal literature, and as a result of his press-worthy trials, he was featured in the legal anthology, The Trial Masters, Prentice Hall, 1994.

Mr. LaMarca’s latest book, Winning Trial Principles, was published in August 2020 by Advocacy Publications, LLC. This book has received wide acclaim from judges and lawyers. In his review of the book, Robert J. Blink, Senior Judge, Iowa District Court, wrote: “In his book, George states the instruments of his trial surgery. In less than 90 pages, he has outlined the critical points of courtroom advocacy….He has written this book like he tried his cases: no wasted effort, no surpluses – just pointed suggestions….This is a teaching book, a how to do it book, authored by a fellow who has done it at the highest level for decades.” In his review, Jerry Anderson, Dean of the Drake University Law School, wrote: “A true trial master shares a wealth of experience.”

Mr. LaMarca has been an invited contributor to a number of treatises and books. These include, but are not limited to, providing chapters or major writings which form a part of the two-volume treatise Forensic Sciences edited by Cyril H. Wecht; Witness Preparation by V. Hale Star; the five-volume Modern Trials series by Melvin Belli; and two chapters in The Trial Masters published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. and edited by Bertram G. Warshaw.

Mr. LaMarca has been an invited lecturer on over 150 occasions at professional, legal, medical and scientific organizations both in Iowa and nationally.

Mr. LaMarca was a very active member of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association n/k/a Iowa Association for Justice for over 25 years. He was President in 1995-1996 and served on its Board of Governors from 1979- 1983 and 1987-1991. In 1989, he was selected as Outstanding Member of the Year.

Mr. LaMarca was admitted to practice and handled litigation cases in the state courts of both Iowa and Florida, all U.S. District Courts in Iowa, the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the District of Nebraska, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Eleventh Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Certifications/Recognition:

• Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney, National Board of Trial Advocacy
• Board Certified-Medical Malpractice, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys
• Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Charter Fellow, American College of Board Certified Attorneys
• AV Rating (the highest possible), Martindale-Hubbell
• Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

Bar Admissions:

• Iowa, Florida
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8^th Circuit; 11^th Circuit
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court District of Nebraska
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin

Education:

• Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa – JD
• Oxford University, England – Honors Program, Graduate Readings
• Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois – B.A.
  • Major: Political Science
  • Minors: English, Psychology

Honors/Awards:

• Lifetime Achievement Award by America’s Top 100 Attorneys^TM
• Best Lawyers® 2016 Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in the Des Moines Metro area
• Best Lawyers in America 2010 to present – Personal Injury Litigation
• Best Lawyers in America 2014 and 2020 – Commercial Litigation
• Best Lawyers® “Best Attorneys in Iowa” 2013, 2014 and 2015
• National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers – 2011 to present
• American Trial Lawyers Association – Top 100 Trial Lawyers” – 2007 to present
• American Trial Lawyers Association – Top 100 Iowa Trial Lawyers – 2008 to present
• Super Lawyer designation in Business Litigation – Super Lawyers 
• Public Justice Award – Iowa Trial Lawyers Association
• Bancroft-Whitney Company Award for Notable Contribution to Legal Literature in Recognition of 27 Am. Jur. Proof of Facts 2d, 471, 1981
• Featured as a Prominent Trial Master in the Anthology, The Trial Masters, Bertram & Warshaw, Editor, Prentice Hall, 1984
• Member of the Year Award (Iowa Trial Lawyers Association), 1989
• Who’s Who in American Law (7^th and 8^th Eds.)
• Who’s Who in the Midwest (24^th Ed.)
• Oxford’s Who’s Who, The Elite Registry of Extraordinary Professionals
• Lifetime Member, National Registry of Who’s Who in America, National Registry No. 129904

Published Works:

• Winning Trial Principles, Advocacy Publications, LLC, 2020 Iowa Pleading, Causes of Action and Defenses, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 2000 (Revised 2006)

• Market Share Liability, Industry-Wide Liability, Alternative Liability and Concert of Action: Modern Legal Concepts Preserving Liability for Defective But Unidentifiable Products, Drake Law Review, 1981

• Overintrusive Surveillance of the Plaintiff in Personal Injury Cases, American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Volume 8:3, August 1985

• Industrial Catastrophe Management – Statutory Products, Supervisor and Professional Liability (Co-Author), Safe-Tech Industries, 1976

• Unreasonable Speed of Train at Railroad Crossing (Co-Author), 27 Am. Jur. Proof of Facts 2d, 439, 1984

• Inadequacy of Warning Device at Railroad Crossing, 37 Am. Jur. Proof of Facts 2d, 439, 1984

• Witness Preparation, Chapter 10, Preparing the Client for Trial (Contributor), Aspen Law & Business Publishers, Inc., 1998

• Opening Statements-Effective Techniques, The Trial Lawyers Guide, 21:4, 1978

• Courtroom Use of Demonstrative Evidence, The Iowa Trial Lawyer, 2:1, 1977

• Courtroom Use of Photographs, The Iowa Trial Lawyer, 2:2, 1977

• Effective Techniques of Opening Statements, Trial Diplomacy Journal, Court Practice Institute, 1:1, 1978

• Do D.O.s and M.D.s Have Equal Rights to Hospital Privileges? Legal Aspects of Medical Malpractice, 7:8, 1979

• Suggested Investigation, Discovery and Trial Techniques in Railroad Crossing Cases- from Standpoint of Plaintiffs, The Trial Lawyers Guide, 23:4, 1979

• Courtroom Use of Demonstrative Evidence, Trial Diplomacy Journal, 3:4, 1980

• Railroad Litigation: Investigating the Crossing Collision, Trial, Journal of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, January 1981

• Liability of Parent Company for Work Related Injuries of Employees of Subsidiaries,

  The Iowa Trial Lawyer, 8:1, 1983

• Medical Care to Terminally Ill Incompetents, Hawkeye Osteopathic Journal, 2:1, 1984

• Informed Consent-A Physician’s Expanding Responsibility (Co-Author), Hawkeye Osteopathic Journal, 2:1, 1984

• Railroad Litigation: Investigating the Crossing Collision (Co-Author), The Legal Investigation, 14:2, 1984

• Expert Opinion Testimony: New Rules-Old Problems, The Iowa Trial Lawyer, 10:2, 1985

• Overintrusive Surveillance of Plaintiffs in Personal Injury Cases, Defense Law Journal, 35.5, 1986

• Direct Examination, In Brief, 1:2, 1989

• Traumatic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Following Automobile Collision, In Brief, 1:5, 1989

• Expression of Personal Opinion at Trial, In Brief, 1:6, 1989

• Admissibility of ‘Day in the Life’ Films, In Brief, 1:8, 1989

• Final Checklist of Trial Principals, Trial Diplomacy Journal, 14:1, 1991

• A Three Step Approach on Whether to Take a Case, The Iowa Lawyer, 51:3, 1991

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Opening Statements, Lawyers Chautauqua, Iowa Judicial Election District 3A, 1979

• Establishing Train Speed in the Courtroom, Dallas County Bar Association, 1979

• Panel Discussion: “The Mechanics of Evidence,” Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1978

• Discovery-Selected Cases in Search of the Truth, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1978

• Proving Fault in Automobile Cases (Seminar Co-Chairman), Iowa Trial Lawyers

            Association, 1977

• Courtroom Use of Photographs, Model Tests and Experiments, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1977

• Opening Statements-Effective Techniques, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1976

• Rules of Civil Procedure-State and Federal Comparisons, Iowa Association of

            Legal Secretaries, 1976

Editorial Positions:

• Trials Editor, The Iowa Trial Lawyer, Journal of the Trial Lawyers of Iowa
• Contributing Editor to Column “Advance Sheet,” American Bar Association, Journal of Litigation, 1976-80
• Board of Editors, Hawkeye Osteopathic Journal, 1982-86
• Editor, In Brief, the monthly journal of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1988-98 Board of
• Editors, Trial Diplomacy Journal, now known as the Trial Lawyer, 1988-Present
• Editor, bi-monthly column on case management in The Trial Lawyer, 1988-2000

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Iowa Trial Lawyers Association n/k/a Iowa Association for Justice (since 1970)

  • President (1995-96)

  • President-Elect (1993-94)

  • Vice President-Member Services (1991-93) Parliamentarian (1990-91)

  • Board of Governors (1978–83) (1987–93)

  • Special Committees:

    • Continuing Legal Education (1989)

    • Medical Malpractice Legislation (1990)

• American Board of Trial Advocates – Advocate (Highest Ranking)

  • National Board of Directors (2006-2010)

  • Iowa Chapter:

    • Treasurer (2002-2003)

    • Secretary (2003-2004)

    • Vice President (2004-2005)

    • President (2005-2006)

• American Association for Justice

• Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers

• Iowa State Bar Association

  • Special Committee-Tort Reform (1986-87)

  • Member, Federal Practice Committee (1988-1996)

  • Special Committee-Iowa Bar Association and Iowa Medical Association Joint Liaison (1989–92)

• American Bar Association

  • Litigation and Insurance, Negligence & Compensation Law/Special Committee-Medicine and Law

  • Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section

  • Commercial Transportation Litigation Committee

• The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America

• The National Trial Lawyers