Contact Me: jcreen
Joe Creen is an experienced general trial attorney with 30 years of trial experience, in personal injury, brain injury, property damage, business, construction, contract and probate litigation. For the past 20 years his practice in personal injury cases involves helping those who were injured or killed in car accidents, falls, faulty products, and who suffered physical injury, brain injury or death of a loved one.
Joe Creen graduated from the University of Notre Dame (BA) (honor role), and from Drake Law School (JD). He served in the VISTA program as a volunteer on the south side of Chicago, legal aide office. While at Drake Law School, he clerked for the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and a Des Moines defense litigation law firm, and the Iowa Attorney General office.
Joe, an Iowa native, is married to his spouse of over 30 years. He and his wife raised two children and love spending time with them and the three grandchildren. For over 20 years he has coached youth basketball and helped form the Future Lady Knights Basketball club. He is has been a mock trial coach and judge. He is active in the Catholic schools, serves on church and school boards. He has taught CCD classes and youth ministry. He is actively involved in local community civic groups, and received the William Waterman Lawyer Volunteer and Pro-Bono Award.
Mr Creen is one of the founding member owners of Bush, Motto, Creen, Koury & Halligan PLC.
The diversity of his trial experience includes:
- Brain Injury Case: A client was hit in his the back by falling display in a retail store which resulted in a TBI brain injury. The unsafe premises claim went to jury verdict and resulted in recovery of $1.4 million verdict for our client.
- Death by Defective Product. A client, a wife and child, lost her husband/father who died from unsafe exploding defective tire, wrongly designed. The product liability lawsuit resulted in a structured (confidential, high 6 figure) settlement.
- Wrongful Foreclosure: A young couple, whose family home was being wrongfully foreclosed upon by an out of state mortgage lender, who claimed their records showed two years of non-payment and lapse of insurance, but in fact the banking system was a mess. Our clients had never missed a mortgage or insurance payment. Counterclaim was brought for client against the mortgage lender for wrongful foreclosure and resulted in recovery of client's home, free and clear of all title problems and a confidential settlement of payment to client.
- Undue Influence: Our client's mother was unduly influenced by a "good family friend" resulting in improper lifetime gifts and devise of assets from the parent to the friend and an improper devise in her Last Will. The lawsuit for our client resulted the Court's decision that all of the property be returned to the estate of our client and the family.
- Shareholder Breach of Fiduciary Duty: A young man who invested most of his savings to become a 49% shareholder in a hardware business, to be a part owner and operator of the business. Within 3 years, the 51% owner sold the business out from under our client.The lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duty resulted in 100% of his investment, a recovery of over $100,000 all of the clients invested funds.
- Elder Abuse: An elderly client bought or "invested" in gold coins. The lawsuit for undue influence and fraud resulted in a confidential settlement and payment to client of $100,000.
- Injury by Unsafe Premises: A client walking on the flat bed of a tractor trailer, fell through a hole on the trailer bed and damaged his knee. The lawsuit for defective premises resulted in settlement of $150,000.
- Injury by Car Crash: Clients, a driver and passenger in a car, were T-boned at intersection, did not go to hospital, but did sustain soft tissue neck harm. Client may have not looked both ways, but did have the green light. The jury verdict exceeded $150K.
- Trip and Fall: Entrance to retail mall had uneven walking surface. Client, an elderly person, tripped and fell causing a fracture to her leg. The recovery was $125,000.00
On the personal; and business consultation and transaction side of his legal practice, Mr Creen advises clients, represents, and prepares documentation for individuals, family companies, and small to mid size businesses concerning real estate, business (profit and non-profit), contracts, employment matters, construction issues, banking matters, estate planning and probate, and consumer protection. Joe represents individuals, small to mid size business and family businesses for their personal or business transactions and advising them on corporate, contracts, real estate, employment, estate wealth transfer planning and probate. This aspect of his law practice involves advise, negotiations and transactions for representation of individuals, families, and companies as to their business, real estate, contracts, construction, bank and finance, employment, estate planning, elder law, probate and trust administration. His experience in the courtroom gives him good insight into the planning needs, contractual terms to avoid or reduce litigation and for problem solving.
Professional License and Admitted to Practice in Federal & State Courts:
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Iowa Supreme Court
- Illinois Supreme Court
- U.S. Federal Court Southern District of Iowa
- U.S. Federal Court Northern District of Iowa
- U.S. Federal Court Central District of Illinois
- U.S. Federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Education:
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Ind.
- Drake University Law School
- National College of Trial Advocacy
Professional Memberships:
- Iowa Association of Justice
- American Association of Justice
- American Bar Association (Trial & Insurance, Business Law, Elder Law, Probate & Trust)
- Iowa Bar Association
- Illinois Bar Association
- Scott County Iowa Bar Association
- Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law of American Bar
- Tort Trial and Litigation Section of American Bar
- American Arbitration Association (past arbitrator)
Community Involvement:
- H.E.L.P Legal Aide advisory board member
- Our Lady of Victory Foundation Inc (founding & current board member and Secretary)
- Assumption High School Board of Directors of Education
- Our Lady of Victory Parish Pastoral Council and Board of Education (past member and past President of both Councils)
- Scott County Catholic School Advisory Council (current member and Secretary)
- Scott County Bar Assoc Executive Council (past member)
- Founding board member and coach on of Future Lady Knights (current board member and Pres.)
- Iowa Coaching Authorization and basketball official
Areas of Practice:
- Personal Injury
- Brain and Body Injury
- Motor Vehicle, Auto, Truck, Bike Collision
- Premises Liability (slip, trip & fall)
- Wrongful Death
- Property Damage
- Contracts
- Business / Commercial
- Product Liability
- Construction Litigation
- Real Estate
- Estate & Fiduciary
- Banking and Business
- Business Planning and Transactions
- Real Estate Transactions
- Estate Planning and Asset Protection
- Wills and Trusts
- Probate and Trust Administration
- Consumer Protection
- Non-Profit Law
- Elder Law
Professional Practice
- 2000-Present : Founding Partner of Bush, Motto, Creen, Koury & Halligan PLC. Davenport, Ia.
- Independent Attorney at Carlin Hellstrom & Bittner Law, Davenport Ia.
- Partner of McDonald Stonebraker & Cepican Law, Davenport Ia.
- Founding Partner of Walton, Creen & Bush Law, Davenport Ia.
- Heninger & Heninger PC, Davenport, Ia.
Recent Blog Posts
Coronavirus update We are available by phone, by appointment and are working either in the office or remotely. In office apointments are still available, but no walk in availabel for awhile.
Estate Planning with a child who is disabled - use of the ABLE account
Safety Tips While Driving
Elder Abuse – Illinois Now Has a Weapon to Combat It
