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Nathaniel R. Boulton - Des Moines, IA
100 Court AvenueSuite 425 Des Moines, IA 50309
Hedberg & Boulton, P.C.
Des Moines Workers' Compensation Lawyer
Overview
Attorney Nate Boulton is a partner with Hedberg & Boulton, P.C. Nate practiced for two years as an associate attorney before being named a partner with the firm in 2007. He earned his law degree with Honors, as well as a Certificate of Legislative Practice, from Drake Law School in May of 2005 and was admitted to the Iowa bar that year. He also has a Master of Public Administration degree from Drake University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in history and political science from Simpson College. He is a 1998 graduate of Columbus Community High School in Columbus Junction, Iowa.
Nate Boulton practices in workers compensation, personal injury, and labor law. He is a former vice president of the Iowa Association for Justice (formerly the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association). Nate also previously served as president of the Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee. He has also regularly served as a grader for the Iowa Bar Examination.
Aside from his law practice, Nate has been an adjunct professor at Simpson College, where he has taught courses related to law and leadership. As a past instructor at William Penn University, Nate received the 2011 Faculty Achievement Award and served as Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee from 2010-2012. In addition to his undergraduate teaching responsibilities, Nate has also served as an adjunct professor of labor law at Drake Law School.
Since his first election in 2016, Nate also serves as an Iowa State Senator. He represents areas of Des Moines, Ankeny, Pleasant Hill, and Altoona. Nate was re-elected to a second term in the Iowa Senate in 2020 and currently serves as an Assistant Minority Leader and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee.
About Nathaniel R. Boulton
Current Employment Position(s)
- Partner
Practice Areas
- Workers' Compensation
- Labor Law
- Personal Injury
- Employment Law
Representative Clients
- United Steelworkers (USW)
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
- United Auto Workers (UAW)
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (Boilermakers)
Representative Cases
- Homan v. Branstad, 812 N.W.2d 623 (Iowa 2012)
- Dell v. Hy-Vee, Inc. and Quality 1 Enterprises,Inc., 2009 WL 2528095 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009)
- The Dexter Company and EMC Insurance Companies v. Steven Connelly, 2008 WL 2200107 (Iowa Court of Appeals 2008)
- Local 447 of the Intern. Union of Painters and Allied Trades v. Five Seasons Paint and Drywall, Inc., 426 F.Supp.2d 982 (S.D. Iowa 2006)
- Big Tomato Pizza v. Cloud, 2013 WL 750423 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013)
- Iowa Newspapers, Inc. v. Watson, 2013 WL 4769526 (Iowa Ct. App. 2013)
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Iowa, 2005
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa, 2005
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa, 2009
Other Affiliations
- Iowa Association for Justice (formerly the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association), 2005 - 2016 (Board of Governors Member)
- Iowa Association for Justice Workers' Compensation Section, 2007 - 2016 (Core Group Member)
- Iowa State Bar Association, 2005 - Present (Member)
- Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee, 2009 - 2016 (Board Member)
- Iowa State Bar Association: Workers' Compensation Section, 2007 - 2013 (Section Council Member)
- AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, 2008 - Present (Member)
- Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, 2009 - Present (Member)
- Polk County Bar Association, 2005 - Present (Member)
- Steelworkers (USW), 2003 - Present (Associate Member)
- Blackstone Inn of Court, 2007 - Present (Associate)
- Workers' Injury Law and Advocacy Group, 2008 - Present (Member)
- American Association for Justice, 2005 - Present (Member)
- Simpson College Alumni Association, 2008 - 2015 (Board of Directors Member)
- Simpson College Alumni Association, 2013 - 2015 (President)
- John Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson College, 2010 - 2014 (Board of Directors)
- Drake University Athletics Bulldog Club, 2011 - 2017 (Board of Directors)
- Drake University President’s Circle Board of Directors, 2013 - 2019
- American Federation of Teachers, 2015 - Present (Member)
Classes and Seminars
- Iowa Workers' Compensation Case Law Update, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, February 16, 2006 - February 17, 2006
- Workers' Compensation Discovery: Drafting/Answering Written Discovery and Handling Disputes (Claimant Attorney's Perspective), Iowa State Bar Association, April 28, 2006
- Workers' Compensation Case Law Update, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association (Eastern Iowa Seminar), September 7, 2006
- Panel Discussion for New Attorneys, Iowa State Bar Association, October 4, 2006
- Workers' Compensation 101, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association (Western Iowa Seminar), September 13, 2007
- Agency Case Law Update, Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers Annual Seminar, October 16, 2008
- Workers' Compensation Update, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention, November 5, 2009
- Workers' Compensation Case Law Update, Iowa Association for Justice Workers' Compensation Seminar, February 12, 2010
- Penalties in Workers' Compensation: The Practical Implications of the New Penalty Statute, Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee Annual Symposium, June 3, 2010
- Workers' Compensation, Iowa State Bar Association, June 9, 2010
- Agency Case Law Update, Iowa Association of Workers Compensation Lawyers, Inc. Annual Seminar, October 21, 2010 - October 22, 2010
- Workers' Compensation Case Law Update, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention, November 4, 2010 - November 5, 2010
- Causation Concepts Simplified: "Substantial," "Sequelae," "Aggravation," and "Increased Risk", Iowa Association for Justice Workers' Compensation Seminar, February 10, 2011 - February 11, 2011
- Calculating Credits in Workers' Compensation, Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers Annual Seminar, October 21, 2011
- Civil Procedure, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention - Basic Skills for New Attorneys Program, November 10, 2011
- Industrial Disability and the Aging Workforce, Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee Annual Symposium, May 30, 2012
- Issues involving Labor Unions in Workers' Compensation, Iowa Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee Annual Symposium, June 14, 2014
- Ethics Panel, Iowa State Bar Association, Federal Practice Seminar, 2015
- Expedited Case Proceedings Panel, Polk County Bar Association, Bench and Bar Spring Seminar, 2016
- Workers’ Compensation Law, Polk County Bar Association, Fall General Practice CLE, 2016
- Ethics: Collegiality Panel, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee, Annual Symposium, 2017
- Legislative Update, Iowa Association for Justice, Workers’ Compensation Seminar, 2018
- Legislative Update, Iowa State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Seminar, 2018
- Marijuana and Workplace Injuries Panel, Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Annual Seminar, 2019
Past Positions
- Simpson College, Adjunct Professor, January 1, 2010 - January 1, 2017
- William Penn University, Adjunct Professor, 2006 - 2013
- Drake Law School, Adjunct Professor, August 1, 2012 - August 1, 2013
- Hedberg, Owens, Hedberg & Walsh, P.C., Associate Attorney, September 23, 2005 - July 31, 2007
- Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Lobbying and Research Intern, 2005
- Sen. Bob Dvorksky, Legislative Session, Legislative Intern, 2004
- Gephardt for President, Statewide College Organizer, County Field Organizer, 2003 - 2004
- Wapello High School, Substitute Teacher, 2003
- Indianola High School, Student Teacher, 2002
- Iowa Democratic Party, State Senate Campaigns Field Researcher, 1999
- Iowa High School Athletic Association, Licensed Sports Official, 1997 - 2002
Education
- Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa, 2005
J.D., Certificate in Legislative Practice
Honors: With Honors
Law Journal: Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Board of Editors, 2003 - 2005 - Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, May, 2005
Master of Public Administration - Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, May, 2002
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Major: History and Political Science
Fraternities and Sororities
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon
- Delta Theta Phi
Fees
Accepts Credit Cards
Articles
Published Works
- The Farmer's Retort to Tort Reform: How Legislation to Limit or Eliminate Punitive Damages Hurts the Agricultural Sector, 9 Drake J. of Agric. L. 415, 2004
- Establishing Causation in Iowa Workers' Compensation Law: An Analysis of Common Disputes over the Compensability of Certain Injuries, 59 Drake L. Rev. 463, 2011
Office Information
Address
100 Court AvenueSuite 425 Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone
Fax
- 515-288-4149
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Nathaniel R. Boulton
Included on the 2024 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2023 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Drake Journal of Agricultural Law Outstanding Note Award, 2005
- CALI Excellent for the Future Award in Trial Advocacy, 2005
- American Bar Association/BNA Award for Excellence in Labor and Employment Law, 2004
- Simpson College Recent Alumni Achievement Award, 2007
- Simpson College Recent Alumni Loyalty Award, 2011
- Iowa Association for Justice Key Person Award, 2011
- William Penn University Faculty Achievement Award, 2011
- Iowa Association for Justice Outstanding Member Award
- Asian and Latino Coalition Legislator of the Year
- Friend of AFSCME Award
- Iowa Professional Firefighters Legislator of the Year
- United Faculty (AAUP) Legislator of the Year
- Business Record Forty Under Forty
- Drake Law School Recent Alumnus of the Year
- Columbus Community High School Distinguished Alumnus Award
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