Adept at debating and complex thinking, William James Koehn knew he wanted to pursue a career in law in the fourth grade and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa in 1958. He then graduated cum laude from the University of Iowa with a Doctor of Jurisprudence and was admitted to practice in the state of Iowa in 1963. While studying for his law degree, he bolstered his law expertise by serving on the board of editors of the Iowa Law Review. Shortly after his bar admission, Mr. Koehn joined Davis Brown, Professional Corporation in Des Moines, IA, where he remained for nearly four decades. During this time, he was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th, 2nd, 10th, and 5th circuits. In 2000, he became of counsel at Davis, Brown Professional Corporation until his retirement in 2016.
Throughout his career, Mr. Koehn also served the law industry though many civic appointments. He was active with Lex Mundi and served as chairman of the organization’s worldwide dispute resolution committee from 1989 to 1994. He has also been active in his local community through several organizations. In 1969, he co-founded Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Des Moines and in 1970 he served as chairman of the Des Moines Friendship Commission. Later in 1975, he co-chaired the Des Moines Bicentennial Commission, and in 1976 he was appointed president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Des Moines. He was also a leader at Young Life and WyldLife, and he served on the board of directors of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines from 1983 to 1990. In addition, Mr. Koehn was an arbitrator for the commercial construction section of AAA from 2004 to 2017, and he was active with Neskowin Chamber Music, serving as director from 2012 to 2018. Currently, he maintains affiliation with Rotary International, where he served as board director in 2009 and president in 2012. In his spare time outside of work, he enjoys fishing, running, skiing, golfing, hunting, reading, and listening to music.
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