Aaron J. Hilligas

Aaron J. Hilligas is an attorney with Ahlers & Cooney, P.C. in Des Moines and a member of the firm’s Public Law Practice Area. Hilligas advises municipalities, municipal utilities, higher education institutions, and K-12 educational institutions on labor and employment law, collective bargaining, board governance, employee benefits, municipal utility matters, and procurement and contracting. He also chairs the firm’s Collective Bargaining/Labor Law Practice Group.

Hilligas earned a B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998 and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 2002. Before private practice in Iowa, he worked in the Office of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., and served in-house with labor organizations. He is admitted in Iowa and the District of Columbia, bringing both regulatory and institutional perspectives to public-sector employment matters.

Hilligas counsels public employers on bargaining negotiations, contract administration, personnel policies, employee handbooks, workplace investigations, and other labor and employment issues. His practice includes proceedings before the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, administrative hearings, grievance arbitration, and federal transit labor matters. He also advises governing boards and public entities on legal responsibilities connected to operations, procurement, utilities, and decision-making, helping clients manage both routine compliance and contested workplace issues.

Aaron J. Hilligas combines labor and employment experience with a broader public-law practice serving Iowa governmental and educational entities. Hilligas’s prior NLRB and in-house work gives him insight into disputes from multiple institutional perspectives. His practice requires careful attention to statutes, collective bargaining obligations, administrative procedure, and public governance, allowing clients to address workforce and operational issues with practical guidance grounded in public-sector requirements.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.
• Labor and Employment Law Section Council, Iowa State Bar Association (2019-2020)
• Member, District of Columbia Bar
• Member, Polk County Bar Association
• Member, ISBA, Labor and Employment Law Section Council (2021 – Present)
• Youth Baseball Coach, Beaverdale Little League
• Youth Baseball Coach, Raccoon Valley Little League

Licensed State

• Iowa
• District of Columbia

Education

• University of Wisconsin
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges