I take an educational approach to the law taking the time to break complex legal concepts down into individual, understandable pieces. My biggest compliment is “you made this really easy to understand,” that means I did my job!

Charlie Bottenberg

Shareholder

Charlie Bottenberg is a shareholder at Brick Gentry P.C., who practices primarily in the areas of wills, trusts, probate, estate planning, small businesses, and real estate. Charlie is a trusted advisor to his clients including area executives, agricultural families, small business owners, and many working families all across Iowa. He believes in an educational approach to estate planning and strives to offer each client a tailored experience and plan that suits their situation and familial needs by giving them the tools and knowledge to choose which estate planning path makes the most sense for their family. Charlie has experience working with estate planning clients all the way from eighteen year old clients just starting out on their own through multigenerational agricultural operation succession planning.

Charlie has personal experience pertaining to the unique struggles and challenges that owning a small or medium sized business presents. While growing up, his grandparents owned and ran the family shoe store in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Charlie’s mom owned and operated a landscaping operation for many years. Additionally, Charlie has his Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University and owned and operated a small law firm in Waukee directly out of law school from May of 2013 through September of 2020.

Charlie has advised his business clients through a myriad of issues including: business structure and entity selection, acquisitions, sales, succession planning, procurement, and other organizational needs. He has assisted on transactions with estimated values of $10,000 all the way through $75,000,000+.

Charlie is active in the community serving on the Waukee City Council, Scoutmaster for Troop 888 at St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines, and is an active participant in the sporting lives of his three children.

Charlie is an Eagle Scout and a member of the 2018 Class of the Business Record 40 Under 40 for Des Moines, Iowa.

Contact

Education

  • Drake University Law School, J.D., 2012 – High Honors
  • Iowa State University, M.B.A., 2014
  • Drake University, B.A. Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology

Bar Admissions

  • Iowa 2013
  • Minnesota 2020

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Iowa State Bar Association
  • Polk County Bar Association
  • Dallas County Bar Association
  • Blackstone Inns of Court

Court Admissions

  • All Iowa State Courts
  • U.S. Tax Court

Community Activities

  • Waukee City Council (2017 – Present), Mayor Pro Tem
  • Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce, Board Chair (2016-2017), Board Member (2014-2017)
  • Dallas County Bar Association, President (2016), Treasurer (2016)
  • Booster Pak, Board Member (2016-2020)
  • Scouts BSA, Scoutmaster Troop 888 (2023-Present), Former Pack 888 Committee Chair, Former Pack 888 Cubmaster, Former Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 888, Council Fundraising Event Co-Chair (2016)
  • St. Boniface Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus Council 4009, Advocate (2018-Present)

News & Insights