Matthew D. Callanan - Des Moines, IA

Matt believes strongly in the power of hard work and leaving no stone unturned. Matt considers issues from all perspectives and thinks outside the box to ensure that clients consider every alternative approach to find the best and most pragmatic solution to their problems.

Prior to joining Belin McCormick, Matt spent two years as a litigation associate at the Minneapolis law firm of Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. While there, Matt represented a variety of clients in all types of litigation. His clients ranged from individuals to public companies. While he focused primarily on partnership and contract disputes arising in the real estate industry, he has experience in many other areas, including class-action suits, constitutional claims, and securities litigation, among others. Since joining Belin, Matt has represented large and small companies in a variety of industries, including agriculture, banking, and insurance, and has represented various individuals, including farmers, home owners, and others seeking help. These cases have run the gamut - enforcing noncompete agreement; insurance bad-faith litigation; wrongful termination claims; resolving zoning disputes; and others.

Matt's legal experience is also broad. He has participated in all stages of civil litigation from both sides of the bench. As a litigation attorney, Matt has drafted initial pleadings, engaged in the discovery process, written and argued dispositive and non-dispositive motions, engaged in settlement discussions, participated in the alternative dispute resolution practice, taken depositions, and helped see a jury trial to verdict, among others. Recently, Matt has obtained favorable verdicts on summary judgment for his clients. In one case, Matt helped obtain a seven-figure breach of contract judgment for a corporate client. In another, Matt successfully argued that a farmer had no personal liability in a loan dispute by demonstrating the farmer signed the contract only in his corporate capacity as a president of an LLC rather than in the farmer's personal capacity. Following judgment, Matt has written appellate briefs and made appellate arguments. But Matt also has experience from the other side of the bench. During his third year of law school, Matt served as a judicial external to the Honorable Robert W. Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, in which he prepared initial drafts of numerous orders and assisted the Court with two jury trials. Following law school, Matt served as a law clerk for the Honorable Kevin G. Ross of the Minnesota Court of Appeals and, later, as a law clerk for the Honorable Michael J. Melloy of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Matt provided crucial legal research, advised judges on several wide-reaching issues, and drafted numerous appellate opinions.

Personal

Matt was born and raised in Cedar Rapids. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame, Matt returned to Iowa and graduated with highest honors from the University of Iowa College of Law. While at Notre Dame, Matt was a proud member of the Glee Club, participated in a number of musicals and variety shows, and spent his junior year learning Spanish and eating excellent food in Mexico. While at Iowa, Matt encouraged greater student-professor interaction as a member of student government and was president of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. In his free time, Matt enjoys running (he has completed multiple full and half marathons), begrudgingly attending yoga classes with his girlfriend, watching people much more talented than him perform musicals, and sharing notes on craft beer.