James T. Fitzsimmons
Trial Lawyer
JAMES T. FITZSIMMONS BIO
Jim is the youngest of five competitive kids raised by great parents on a small family farm in Western Iowa. On the family farm, Jim learned the value of faith, family, hard work, and working as a team. Jim’s dad and mom taught him that almost any obstacle can be thought through and overcome.
Jim and his wife Shelley were married in 1994. They have four sons Michael (23), Matthew, John, and Andrew. Michael graduated from Benedictine College, Atchison, KS, in 2020 and works in Kansas City. Matthew studies business at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. John is a 2020 graduate of Newman Catholic in Mason City. John attends NIACC this year and plans on starting at Benedictine College next year. Andrew is a freshman at Newman Catholic. Andrew intends to play Division I baseball and go on to play in the MLB.
Jim loves his time on his farm with his family under the big skies, day or night. Jim especially enjoys hunting, shooting, and splitting wood with his sons; then spending time with them talking about it around the wood-burning stove in the Corn Crib.
About
Practice Areas
Trial Lawyer: Personal Injury; Workers’ Compensation; Insurance Company- Bad Faith
Admitted
- 1992, Iowa and Nebraska
- 1993, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa
- 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
Law School
Creighton University, J.D. 1992. Vice-President, Student Bar Association. President, Moot Court Board.
Trial College
Keenan Trial Institute, Graduate 2019, Faculty, 2020﹣Present
Member
- Cerro Gordo County Bar Association (Secretary, 1994﹣1995) (President, 2017﹣2019, two terms)
- Iowa State and Nebraska State Bar Associations (Member, Workers’ Compensation Section Rules Committee, 1997﹣1998)
- Iowa Association of Justice (Member, 1992﹣Present, Board of Governors, 1996﹣2007; CLE Committee, 1997﹣2009; CLE Chairperson, 2000﹣2004)
- The American Association of Justice (Member, Premises and Motor Vehicle Liability Section) 1992﹣Present
- Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (Member, Rules Committee, 2003﹣2006, Rules Committee Chair, 2006)
- Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, 1999﹣Present
Biography
- Appointed Attorney, Grievance Commission, Iowa Supreme Court, 2004﹣2010
- Iowa District 2A Judicial Nominating Commission, 2008﹣2013
- Cerro Gordo County Magistrate Appointing Commission 2015﹣2020
- St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Liturgy Committee, 2004﹣2010
- Epiphany Parish, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Lector, 1993﹣Present
- Newman Catholic Schools, Mason City, School Board 2014﹣2020, Board President 2015﹣2020
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National Trial Lawyers, Top 100, 2015-Present
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Iowa State Bar Association Jury Instruction Committee 2017-Present
- Iowa Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporter 2018-Present
Published Works
The Iowa chapter of Negligence Policy, Elements, and Evidence: The Role of Foreseeability in the Law of Each State, Vicki Lawrence MacDougall, Oklahoma City University Law School, Editor Balloon Press (2018).
Born
Vail, Iowa
September 20, 1966
Presentations
Jim Fitzsimmons is regularly invited to prepare presentations and teach at legal seminars on a variety of topics. What follows is a list of presentations taught by Jim Fitzsimmons:
Battling Defense Use of Motions in Limine to Subvert Iowa Law; Panel Lecturer, IAJ Members Only Seminar: A practical guide to using the IAJ Zealous Advocacy Task Force’s Omnibus response to MILs, January 16, 2024
Closing Argument: The Power of Persuasion and the Blackletter Law; Co-Presenter with Judge Robert Blink, IAJ’s 50th Annual Convention, Des Moines, Iowa, November 9, 2023
Autopsy of Our $650,000 Trial Win in a Distracting Driving Case; Friday Webinar, Keenan Trial Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2021
The Black Letter Law on the Role of Foreseeability of Risk of Harm In Iowa; IAJ’s 47th Annual Convention, Des Moines, Iowa, November 6, 2020.
Combating Never-ending and Ever-changing Motions in Limine; Panel Contributor, IAJ’s 46th Annual Convention, Des Moines, Iowa, November 8, 2019.
Practical Tips after 10 Years with the Restatement 3rd of Torts in Iowa; Cerro Gordo County Bar Association, May 17, 2019.
Foreseeability and the Restatement 3rd of Torts in Iowa; Black Letter Law Seminar; Keenan Trial Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2018.
Fighting & Supporting Motions in Limine with Iowa Black Letter Law; IAJ Members Only Webinar; August 2018.
Weekly Rate: Getting the Insurance Co and the Injured Worker to What is Fair Under the Law (2017); Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee’s (IWCAC) Annual Symposium, Des Moines, Iowa, June 2017.
Black Letter Law in Trial; IAJ Members Only Trial Practice Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa August 2016.
Intoxication at Work: The Rules of the Road; Iowa Assoc. of Justice 23rd Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa, February 2014.
Rate: Getting the Insurance Co and the Injured Worker to What is Fair Under the Law (Updated2); Iowa Assoc. of Justice Annual Fall Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Iowa City, Iowa, September 2012.
Rate: Getting the Insurance Co and the Injured Worker to What is Fair Under the Law (Updated); Iowa Assoc. of Justice 20th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa, February 2012.
Rate: Getting the Insurance Co and the Injured Worker to What’s Fair Under the Law: Iowa Workers’ Compensation Symposium Des Moines, Iowa, June 2011.
What’s Bold and Fresh in Workers’ Compensation Law and Things That Wake Me Up at Night in a Cold Sweat! Cerro Gordo County Bar Meeting, Mason City, IA, April 23, 2010.
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Helping the Injured Worker Back to Productive Work, Iowa Workforce Development, Mason City, IA, April 9, 2008.
State Vocational Rehabilitation: Cost-Effective Expert Testimony; ITLA 17th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, IA, January 2008.
Driver’s Ed: Preparing the Treating Doctor For Trial; ITLA Annual Auto/Personal Injury Seminar, Des Moines, IA, May 2007.
Rate: The First Step to Reaching the Fair Value of Your Case; ITLA 16th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, IA, Feb 2007.
Dealing With Attorneys & Experts; ITLA 6th Annual Paralegal Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa, May 2005.
9 Pieces of Medical Evidence You Need to Attempt a Fair Settlement With the Insurance Co.; ITLA 99 Ways to Tune Up Your Auto Personal Injury Practice, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, July 2004.
Managing the Mentally Unstable Client: A Discussion in Ethics and Humanity; ITLA 13th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa, February 2004.
Ethics: Is Technology Our Friend or Foe? (Updated); 31st Annual Governor’s Safety Conference, Des Moines, Iowa, November 2002.
Medical vs. Legal Causation: A Perspective from the Claimant and Defense; Iowa Workers’ Compensation Symposium, Des Moines, Iowa, June 2002.
Tips to Settling Workers’ Compensation Claims Fairly; ISBA Workers Compensation Seminar, Des Moines, Iowa, April 2002.
Ethics: Is Technology Our Friend or Foe?; IAWC 23rd Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar; West Des Moines, Iowa October 2001.
Ethics: When Does Networking Become Solicitation; IAWC 21st Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar; West Des Moines, Iowa, October 1999.
Investigation and the Initial Client Interview; ITLA Motor Vehicle Litigation Seminar; Des Moines, Iowa; September 1998.
85.39 Exams: Tactical Considerations to Getting a Fair Medical Evaluation; ITLA 6th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar; Des Moines, Iowa; February 1997.
Brooke Loftus
Bio
Brooke is an attorney and first-generation college graduate thanks to her incredible parents who taught hard work by example. Brooke is the youngest of 3 and grew up in Elma, Iowa and attended New Hampton High School. Following a conversation with her high school teacher, she realized her dream of attending law school. After high school, she attended the University of Iowa where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Ethics & Public Policy and a minor in Rhetoric in 2018. During her undergraduate career, Brooke volunteered at the Iowa City Animal Shelter and with the Johnson County Attorney’s Office, Victim Witness Coordinator. She was also the treasurer for the honors fraternity Omicron Delta Kappa.
Brooke attended the University of Iowa, College of Law where she graduated in 2021. Brooke spent a semester assisting Iowa Legal Aid with family law cases through the College of Law. Brooke’s internships during law school took her to California and Colorado. Also, during law school, Brooke rescued a black lab named Stella who is her world. Brooke and Stella enjoy taking long walks, traveling to new places, and cheering on the Hawkeyes and Minnesota Vikings during football season.
Brooke Loftus joined out team with a baptism of fire. The Trial Team had just obtained a $170,000 excess jury verdict. We had one week off before our next jury trial. Saje was leaving for law school on Friday before trial. Brooke started on Wednesday. Brooke had two days to work with Saje to learn her jobs for the jury trial the following week. With Brooke’s tenacity, she played a vital role in defeating the insurance company lawyer’s smoke and mirrors helping our trial team obtain a $300,000 excess jury verdict. Brooke has proven time and time again that she will take on any challenge succeeding in a way that is all her own.
About
Practice Areas
Trial Practice; Personal Injury; Workers’ Compensation
Admitted
Iowa (2022)
Law School
The University of Iowa, College of Law, Iowa City, IA
Juris Doctor, May 2021
Sports Law Society (Member)
Member
Iowa Bar Association (Member, 2022)
Iowa Association for Justice (Member, 2022)
Born
Elma, IA
Bridget Bahnsen
Bio
Bridget Bahnsen is the Fitzsimmons Law Firm Office Manager and a Paralegal in Training. Bridget grew up here in rural North Iowa. She is a 1997 graduate of Newman Catholic High School. Bridget is the mother of two teenage boys who also attend Newman Catholic High School. Bridget loves sports and anything that keeps her and her family active. Bridget especially enjoys watching her two sons compete. Bridget is 100% a Hockey Mom. Her sons spend a lot of time in hockey rinks around the Midwest. Bridget served on the Board of Directors for the Mason City Youth Hockey Association for four years. She loves to travel and visit new destinations. Bridget’s family and friends play a very important role in her life. We love Bridget’s outgoing personality and sense of humor.
Saje Williams
Bio
Saje Williams is our newlywed law clerk. Saje, a second-year law student at Drake University Law School, has a commonsense approach to the law and all things technology. Saje is a graduate of Iowa Falls-Alden High School where she was a multi-sport athlete competing in softball, track, soccer, trapshooting, basketball, and football. Her rural roots and sports involvement developed a competitive drive and work ethic that led to playing college basketball until she incurred a career-ending injury at Graceland University. Saje transferred to Northwest Missouri State University, graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. Saje and her husband Cy Williams enjoy cheering each other on the Rugby field. Saje and her brother raise a herd of cattle and had the Champion Salers Cow-Calf Pair at the Kansas City American Royal in 2020. In her free time, Saje enjoys the company her big fella Cy, a good book, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and spending time with family and friends. Go Big Red! …. Saje loves when Jim says she regularly does the impossible…
Fitzsimmons Law Firm
5 N Federal Ave #200
Mason City, IA 50401
Contact
Phone: 641-422-0066
Email: jim@fvinjurylaw.com
Business Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Closed Saturday & Sunday