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.
Reflective of the expansive variety of cases Mr. LaMarca has tried, since 2009 he has continually been included in U.S. News & World Report’s “The Best Lawyers of America” in both Personal Injury and Commercial/Business Litigation. He was named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in the Des Moines metro area. He was peer selected for inclusion by Best Lawyers® in both “Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Attorneys in Iowa.” He has consistently been selected as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by The National Trial Lawyers and “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by The American Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. LaMarca holds the rank of Advocate with the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2006, he was elected President of the Iowa Chapter of ABOTA and from 2008 to 2012 he served as a national board member.
Based on years of exceptional advocacy, ethical standards, and legal achievements, Mr. LaMarca was selected for the Lifetime Achievement award by AMERICA’S TOP 100 ATTORNEYSTM. This recognition is limited to 100 Iowa attorneys. With extremely high standards for selection, this honor is not based on a single verdict or accomplishment, but rather on a lifetime of achievements that are inspiring among the legal profession.
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 8th Circuit; 11th 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 AttorneysTM
- 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 (7th and 8th Eds.)
- Who’s Who in the Midwest (24th 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:
- Straight Talk Strengthen Your Trial Practice in 2 Days, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2015
- Current Legal Trends: Key Issues Facing the Trial Practitioner, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers 2014
- Opening Statements, 50 Years of Trial Excellence, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2012
- Successful Themes for Winning Jury Trials, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2011
- ABOTA Trial College, Instructor, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2010
- The Keys to a Successful Trial Practice, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2010
- The Crucial Difference: Winning Techniques for the Trial Lawyer, Iowa Academy
of Trial Lawyers, 2009
- Toxic Torts, Iowa State Bar Association, 2008
- Latest Developments in the Trial Practice, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2007
- Winning Techniques in Trial Advocacy, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2004
- Using the Financial Expert Witness During Litigation in Iowa, National Business Institute, 2002
- Managing Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work-Product Doctrine in Iowa, National Business Institute, 2002
- Difficult Issues in the Trial Practice, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2002
- 37th Annual Meeting and Seminar, Iowa Defense Counsel, 2001
- Legal Professional Negligence: Dissolution of Marriage-Inadequate Settlement- Failure to Discover Assets, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys 2000
- Success in Advocacy: Back to Basics, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2000
- Personal Injury Auto Seminar, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1999
- 25th Anniversary Annual Convention, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1998
- Trial Strategies for a New Century, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1997
- How to Get the Verdict You Want in a Personal Injury Case, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1996
- Masters in Trial Program, Trial Demonstration in an Automobile Collision Case- from Opening Statement to Jury Deliberations (Co-Chairman/Moderator), American Board of Trial Advocates, 1995
- Masters In Trial Program, Trial Demonstration in Intersection Collision Case, from Opening Statement to Jury Deliberations, 1995
- Winning the Business Litigation Case, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association,1994
- Pleadings & Practice, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1994
- Ethics: Lawyer Advertising and Its Effect on the Public Image of Lawyers, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1993
- Trial Preparation Techniques, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1993
- Investigation of Product Injury Cases, Iowa Association of Private Investigators, 1992
- Iowa Insurance Law Update, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1991
- Issues and Strategies in the Use of Economic Experts Point/Counterpoint, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1991
- Use of Computer-Generated Graphics in Motor Vehicle Litigation, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1990
- Depositions: Strategies, Tactics and Mechanics, Professional Education Systems, Inc., December 1989
- New Developments and Strategies in Products Liability Litigation, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1989
- Maintaining an Action Against a Fellow Employee, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar, 1986
- Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Issues, Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1986
- Developing Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Iowa Legal Assistants Association, 1986
- Concert of Action and Civil Conspiracy in Business Torts, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1985
- Masters in Trial Program, Trial Demonstration in Intersection Collision Case, from Opening Statement to Jury Deliberations, American Board of Trial Advocates, 1985
- Concert of Action and Civil Conspiracy in Business Torts, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, January 24-25, 1985
- Surveillance of the Plaintiff, National Association of Legal Investigators, January 8-11, 1985
- Expert Witnesses-Problem Areas of Fact and Law, Association of Trial Lawyers of Iowa,
November 1-2, 1984
- How to Recover Prior to Suit, Professional Education Systems, Inc., Iowa Insurance Claims, November 3-4, 1983
- Investigation, Discovery and Trial Techniques in Railroad Crossing Cases, National Association of Legal Investigators, October 23-24, 1983
- Medical Malpractice Litigation, Iowa Legal Assistants Association, August 1983
- Investigation, Discovery and Trial Techniques in Railroad Crossing Cases, Association
of Legal Investigators, 1982
- Pre-filing Settlement Negotiations and Techniques, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Eighth Circuit Seminar, November 11-12, 1982
- Preserving Liability for Defective But Unidentifiable Products, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Eighth Circuit Seminar, May 13-15, 1982
- Discovery Rules and Application with Sample Interrogatories, Requests for Admissions and Expert Depositions, Iowa Bar Association, April 22-23, 1982
- Trial Techniques in Medical Malpractice Cases, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1981
- Market Share Liability, Industry-wide Liability, Alternative Liability and Concert of
Action: Modern Legal Concepts Preserving Liability for Defective But Unidentifiable Productions, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1981
- Preparation and Direct Examination of the Medical Expert, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1981
- Trial Techniques in Medical Malpractice Cases, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1981
- Market Share Liability, Industry-wide Liability, Alternative Liability and Concert of Action: Modern Legal Concepts Preserving Liability for Defective But Unidentifiable Products, Drake University Law School, 1981
- Preparation and Direct Examination of the Medical Expert, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, November 12-13, 1981
- Investigation and Trial Presentation of a Railroad Liability Case, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1980
- Proving Standards of Care in the Courtroom, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1980
- A Primer on Hospital Industry and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Standards of Practice, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1980
- Insurance Company Surveillance of the Plaintiff, Association of Trial Lawyers Of America, 1980
- Proof of Train Speed and Stopping Capabilities, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, 1980
- 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:
American Board of Trial Advocates – Advocate (Highest Ranking)
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
