Aaron J. Hilligas

Email:
Tel/Direct:
515-246-0327
Tel/Main:
515-243-7611
Address:
100 Court Ave, Suite 600
Des Moines, IA 50309
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 joined the firm in 2017 and is a member of the firm’s Public Law Practice Area, serving municipalities, higher education and K-12 educational institutions. He 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© (2021)
- Employment Law - Management
Speaking/Presentations
Aaron's most recent speaking engagements include:
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, 2019 Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute, “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
Iowa State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Council (2019-2020)
Iowa Legal Aid, Volunteer Intake Attorney
Youth Baseball Coach, Beaverdale Little League and Raccoon Valley Little League