Becker, Mathis

Don has dedicated nearly 30 years to fighting for the rights of every-day individuals. In that pursuit, he has garnered numerous verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars (please see our verdicts and settlements page). Indeed, Don has achieved verdicts in various Mid-West venues that are believed to have been, at the time of the verdict, new records for the locale. With that said, however, Don has also assisted many individuals in other cases where the stakes are not so large. The Beattie Law Firm seeks to assist all individuals who have been wronged, not simply those having the worst injuries or damages. Don has instilled in the Beattie Law Firm an understanding the focus is upon the client and his/her unique legal, civil and economic rights, not on the amounts in controversy.

Don has litigated numerous cases involving catastrophic injury, including numerous cases involving explosions (particularly propane gas explosions), chemical releases, poisonings, carbon monoxide, electrocutions, falls and other catastrophic incidents. Don further focuses his practice upon products liability litigation, where Don seeks to hold manufacturers, sellers and assemblers of defective products liable for the harm caused by the product. Furthermore, Don also represents individuals in a wide spectrum of insurance-related issues, including issues arising from workers’ compensation law and bad faith, automobile accidents, homeowners insurance, and premises liability, to name just a few of the issues covered by our practice.

Don is a graduate of Drake University Law School, where he was granted Order of the Coif honors and served as Associate Editor of the Law Review. Prior to law school, Don was an Instructor in Air Combat Tactics, having graduating from Marine Corps Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). From 1971 - 1974, Don was a Naval Flight Officer, RIO F-4 Phantom aircraft, while serving our country in the Marine Corps. Before volunteering for the military, Don was a student-athlete at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Don is admitted to practice law in the State of Iowa, the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of Iowa, and the United States Federal Court for the Northern District of Iowa. He has also been admitted pro hac vice to practice law in the State of Illinois, the State of Michigan, the State of New Mexico, the State of Minnesota, the State of Nebraska, the State of North Dakota, as well as United States Federal Courts sitting in Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Don has been awarded a number of certificates and has been invited to join several legal forums and roundtables. For example, the National Board of Trial Advocacy has certified Don as a Civil Litigation Specialist. He is Senior Counsel to the College of Master Advocates and Barristers. He currently holds membership in the Blackstone Inn of Court, the Iowa Bar Association, the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, among others. Don is a past member of the Polk County Ethics Committee and the Polk County Board of Governors.