Harley C. Erbe

FIRM OVERVIEW

Erbe Law Firm prides itself on being a small firm that provides personalized attention while delivering large firm results. We have stood side-by-side with our clients since 2005 and faced the largest law firms in Iowa and throughout the nation. We have routinely done so in our car accident, personal injury, insurance law, construction defect, and employment law cases.

Since our founding in 2005, we’ve grown our firm’s reach while maintaining the small firm, personalized attention that we’ve offered from the beginning. We’ve now represented injured people throughout the United States. And, recognizing the need for other small businesses to receive big firm attention without the accompanying cost of big firm representation, we’ve expanded our services to small businesses, some of which have grown to a national scope too alongside us.

ABOUT HARLEY ERBE

The son of a member of the United States Army, Harley was born in Berlin and has since lived in Germany twice, Massachussetts, and Wisconsin. He stayed in Iowa after graduating Drake University Law School in 1999. Before law school, Harley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1996.

Harley has spent his law career exclusively handling civil litigation matters, first as a member of two small Iowa law firms, then on his own as a solo attorney. He founded Erbe Law Firm in July 2005. From our Des Moines, Iowa offices, we represent individuals and small businesses in car accident, personal injury law, employment law, contract law, insurance law, and construction defect cases throughout Iowa and the nation in state and federal court, offering personalized service and attention while delivering large firm results.

Since our founding in 2005, we’ve grown our firm’s reach while maintaining the small firm, personalized attention that we’ve offered from the beginning. We've now represented injured people throughout the United States. And, recognizing the need for other small businesses to receive big firm attention without the accompanying cost of big firm representation, we’ve expanded our services to small businesses, some of which have grown to a national scope too alongside us.

Harley especially enjoys the challenge of pushing the law past its current boundaries and expanding legal rights. He has twice argued, in Wright v. Brooke Group Ltd. and Speight v. Walters Development Co., cases before the Iowa Supreme Court that resulted in greater protections for Iowa consumers. If there is a chance of changing the law so that a client has a claim when none had previously existed, Harley will drive the case forward as far as it needs to go. For example, the claims in the Speight case were rejected by two courts before it reached the Iowa Supreme Court, where, on his third try, Harley finally convinced a court that the law needed to be changed to protect more people than it originally had.

Harley has argued and tried jury and nonjury cases in Iowa's state and federal courts. Harley has also argued before the United States Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the Iowa Court of Appeals. He is a a member of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers is by invitation only, upon sponsorship and recommendation from peers and judges and unanimous approval by the Board of Governors. Membership is limited to 250 trial attorneys who have displayed exceptional skills and the highest integrity, and who have dedicated their professional lives primarily to trial practice. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a national organization of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial. Membership to ABOTA is by invitation only upon nomination by a member of ABOTA's Iowa Chapter. Attorneys must have significant jury trial experience to be considered for ABOTA. Harley has additionally accepted membership with the Litigation Counsel of America (“LCA”). LCA membership is limited to 3,500 attorneys throughout the Americas who are invited to join because they’ve demonstrated effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and have a superior ethical reputation.

The National Trial Lawyers Association has named Harley as a Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyer for Iowa. Harley was honored to have been a member of the National Trial Lawyer Association's Top 40 Under 40, an invite-only organization that includes only the top young trial attorneys in Iowa as nominated, reviewed, and accepted by their peers. Harley has also been selected as a member of the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, an invitation-only organization that recognizes the top 100 trial lawyers in Iowa, as well as Great Plains Super Lawyers.