Aaron J. Hilligas
Email:
Tel/Direct:
515-246-0327
Tel/Main:
515-243-7611
Address:
100 Court Ave, Suite 600
Des Moines, IA 50309
Assistant:
Rachel Maupin
515-246-4413
rmaupin@ahlerslaw.com
Practice Groups
Court Admissions
All Iowa Courts
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals – Second Circuit
U.S. District Court – Western District of Wisconsin
Education
J.D., University of Wisconsin, 2002
B.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1998
Bar Admissions
Iowa, 2017
District of Columbia, 2007
Background
Aaron Hilligas is a member of the firm’s Public Law Practice Area, serving municipalities, municipal utilities, higher education, and K-12 educational institutions, working closely with clients as counsel on a wide variety of general law matters, administrative law matters, board governance, and regulatory matters. He currently serves as the firm's Collective Bargaining/Labor Law Practice Group chair, as well as chair of the Wellbeing Committee.
Aaron advises clients on a variety of labor and employment related matters and represents employers in collective bargaining contract negotiations, in cases before the Public Employment Relations Board and in other administrative hearings, and in grievance arbitrations. Aaron also assists employers in contract administration, the development and implementation of employee handbooks and policies, personnel issues, conducting workplace investigations, and the navigation of the labor nuances tied to the receipt of federal transit funds.
Prior to Ahlers & Cooney, Aaron worked in the Office of the General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, DC. With the NLRB, he developed legal theories pursued by General Counsel, advised regions on litigation strategy, and represented the agency in injunction cases on appeal.
He has also worked in-house as an attorney with labor organizations representing a variety of industries in the public and private sectors. In these roles, he was involved in collective bargaining, contract enforcement and strategic campaigns, arbitrated and litigated disputes, and advised on policies, internal employee issues, regulatory compliance, organizing, employee benefits and internal governance.
While at the University of Wisconsin, Aaron served as Articles Editor for the Wisconsin International Law Journal, was a judicial intern with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and got his start in labor and employment law by working as a law clerk with the employment law division of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Office of Legal Affairs.
Memberships
Iowa State Bar Association
Polk County Bar Association
Recognitions
Best Lawyers in America© - Employment Law-Management (2021-2025)
Speaking/Presentations
Aaron's most recent speaking engagements include:
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Municipal Utility Law 101 Workshop, "General Municipal Law" and "Open Meetings and Open Records," December 2024
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Water and Wastewater Operator's Training Workshop, "Legal Considerations," November 2024
Iowa Association of School Boards, Annual Convention, "Public Schools & Employee Contracts," with Elizabeth Heffernan, November 2023
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Municipal Utility Law 101 Workshop, "Municipal Utility Law," with Tim Whipple, October 2023
Iowa State University, Iowa School Business Management Academy, "Legal - FLSA," May 2023
Ahlers & Cooney, Employment Law Client Seminar, "Iowa Employment Law Hot Topics," with Emily Ellingson, Brett Nitzschke, and Miriam Van Heukelem, April 2023
Iowa Association of School Boards, Annual Convention, "Rapid Fire for Legal Eagles," with panel, November 2022
Iowa State University, Iowa School Business Management Academy, "Legal - FLSA," April 2022
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Municipal Utility Law 101 Workshop, "Open Meetings & Open Records," with Ann Smisek, October 2021
Iowa League of Cities, Annual Conference, "Political & Racial Speech - Impact on the Workplace," with Ann Smisek, September 2021
National Business Institute, Iowa Online Seminar, "National Labor Relations Board Decisions Affecting Unionized and Non-Unionized Workplaces," August 2021
Iowa Employment Conference, "Impact of Political Speech and Racial Protest Issues in the Workplace," with Elizabeth Heffernan, April 2021
Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute 2021, “Administrative Law and Procedures” with Kristine Stone, February 2021
Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Employment Law Webinar Series, "Impact of Politics and Racial Harassment Issues," with Danielle Haindfield and Elizabeth Heffernan, February 2021
Iowa State Association of Counties, Webinar, “Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Unemployment Insurance: HR and Payroll Questions,” with Ann Smisek, April 2020
Ahlers & Cooney, Employment Law Client Seminar, "Removal of Public Official," November 2019
October Metro Managers Meeting, “First Amendment Audit,” October 2019
IASB, Employee Relations Conference, “Understanding HF 291 Two Years Later,” October 2019
Iowa League of Cities, Annual Conference, “Social Media, the Workplace, and Employee Speech,” with Ann Smisek, September 2019
Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute 2019, “Administrative Law” with Kristine Stone, July 2019
Iowa State Association of Counties, Spring Conference, “Employees cannot say that…or can they? – Off Duty Employee Speech” with Ann Smisek, March 2019
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Muni Law 101 Workshop, "Open Meetings & Open Records" and "Collective Bargaining," with Ann Smisek, January 2019
Iowa Association of School Business Officials, Webinar, "Collective Bargaining and Negotiations" with Ann Smisek, November 2018 & December 2017
Published Articles & Books
Bloomberg Law, Guide to Collective Bargaining, Review & Editorial Adviser (2020 – present)
- Duty to Bargain: Scope and Enforcement
- Duty to Bargain: Special Circumstances
- Duty to Bargain: Successor Employers/Ownership Changes
- Duty to Bargain: Subcontracting
- Collective Bargaining Obligations During Bankruptcy
- Duty to Bargain: Exceptions
Professional, Community and Civic Leadership
ISBA, Labor and Employment Law Section Council, Council member, 2021 - present
Iowa State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Council (2019-2020)
Youth Baseball Coach, Beaverdale Little League and Raccoon Valley Little League