Howard O. Hagen

Howard O. Hagen is a banking lawyer trusted by community and regional institutions across Iowa. For more than 25 years, he has advised on regulation, transactions, and corporate governance through good cycles and hard ones. His counsel is practical, steady, and shaped by years of guiding banks facing scrutiny and change.

Howard earned a B.A. from Grinnell College (Phi Beta Kappa, With Honors; Washington Semester Program). He continued with a J.D., University of Chicago Law School (Phi Beta Kappa; National Law Honor Scholar). This academic grounding supports clear writing, sharp analysis, and the discipline needed for complex bank regulation and deal work.

Howard previously served the State of Iowa as Assistant Attorney General and as General Counsel to the Iowa Division of Banking. That public service included leadership within the Division of Administrative Law. The experience built deep knowledge of supervision, enforcement, and policy, applied when banks face examinations, investigations, or decisions.

Howard has served as counsel to the Community Bankers of Iowa for more than 25 years. He is a member of the American Bar Association Banking Law Committee. Admitted in Iowa and to federal courts, including the Eighth Circuit, he brings perspective from statewide matters and national trends shaping decisions.

Howard is recognized in Chambers USA for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions: Banking & Finance, including “Star Individual” years. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America from 1995–2025, he was the 2024 Des Moines Banking & Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He is AV Preeminent and a Great Plains Super Lawyer, honors.

Howard O. Hagen helps community banks solve urgent problems and plan for the long term. He represents clients before the Iowa Division of Banking, FDIC, Federal Reserve, and OCC; navigates acquisitions and sales; supports capital actions and restructurings; and manages shareholder disputes. Clear advice and judgment keep teams focused on results.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder, Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler & Hagen, P.C.
• Member, Iowa State Bar Association
• Member, Polk County Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Amana Society, Inc., Board of Directors
• Member, Amana Farms, Inc., Board of Directors
• Member, Amana Society Service Company, Board of Directors
• Past Member, Dickinson Law Firm, Board of Directors
• Public Director, Shazam Inc.

Licensed State

• Iowa

Education

• University of Chicago Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Grinnell College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges