Bridget R. Penick

Bridget is a leading litigator whose practice focuses on employment law. Bridget regularly drafts and litigates restrictive covenants, including noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements.

Bridget represents employers of all sizes in various state and federal courts and administrative agencies. She drafts and counsels employers in human resources policies and procedures, employment discrimination, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), wage & hour, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) issues and union avoidance. She also assists employers with employment-related immigration issues.

• Rife v. Endurance Warranty Services, LLC, 2026 WL 916500, No. 24-CV-00349 (S.D. Iowa, February 20, 2026). Won summary judgment on behalf of employer in a case alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Rife alleged that Endurance interfered with his FMLA rights by denying his exercise of or attempt to exercise his FMLA rights during his employment and that Endurance discriminated against him by terminating his employment because he exercised or attempted to exercise his FMLA rights. Judge Ebinger found Rife failed to comply with Endurance’s FMLA leave policy; thus, the employer did not deny him the opportunity to exercise his FMLA rights or interfere with them when terminating his employment for absenteeism. The court further held that Rife failed to make out a prima facie case of FMLA discrimination and granted Endurance’s motion for summary judgment on all claims.

• Rheeder vs. Gray, et al., No. 23-0605 (Iowa Supreme Court June 6, 2025; amended July 17, 2025). Iowa Supreme Court reversed and remanded to the trial court for entry of summary judgment in favor of City of Marion and its Deputy Chief of Police on plaintiff’s claim of sexual harassment. The Court found that, when viewed from the objective reasonable-person perspective, the Chief Deputy’s conduct was not sufficiently severe or pervasive as to amount to an alteration of the terms or conditions of employment for the plaintiff.
• Kemna Motor Co. vs. Eisenlohr, No. LACV027945 (Iowa District Court for Kossuth County, 2025). Obtained a $200,000 judgment via a motion for summary judgment on behalf of an employer pursuant to its agreement with a former employee to provide him a salary advance upon hire, conditioned on staying employed with the company for 3 years. The court found the contract was enforceable and rejected the defendant’s affirmative defenses.
• Klossner v. Impact MHC Management, LLC, No. 23-134 (Sup Ct. 2023). US Supreme Court denied plaintiff’s petition for writ of certiorari, thus leaving in place the Eighth Circuit’s decision (64 F.4th 349) in this case arising under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. The Eighth Circuit held that the district court erred in ordering the landlord to accept plaintiff's housing choice voucher, reasoning that while the statute requires a landlord to make reasonable accommodations that directly ameliorate the handicap of a tenant, that duty does not extend to accommodating a tenant's lack of income by accepting a government housing voucher the landlord would otherwise not accept from a low-income tenant.
• Paskert v. Kemna-ASA Auto Plaza Inc., 2020 WL 7132262 (Sup. Ct. 2020). US Supreme Court denied plaintiff’s petition for writ of certiorari, thus leaving in place the Eighth’s Circuit decision (950 F.3d 535) affirming summary judgment in favor of the employer on claims of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation.
• Haskenhoff v. Homeland Energy Solutions, Case No. LACV003210 (Iowa District Court for Chickasaw County) (2019). Joined trial team for two-week retrial of sexual harassment suit on remand from Iowa Supreme Court. The jury found, upon admission of liability for an underlying hostile work environment, that an ethanol plant’s officers had not constructively discharged a complaining lab manager.

Education

• University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., 1998, with high distinction
• Central College, B.A., 1995, magna cum laude

Admissions

• Illinois, 1998
• Iowa, 2002
• Nebraska, 2016
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2002
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1998 (Trial Bar 2015)
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 2002
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 2002
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, 2016
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2020

• "Lawyer of the Year," Des Moines, Best Lawyers^®, Employment Law-Management, 2022-2024, 2026; Labor Law - Management, 2019, 2025, 2027
• Best Lawyers in America, Des Moines, Immigration Law, 2010-2027; Employment Law-Management, 2013-2027; Labor Law-Management, 2013-2027; Litigation-Labor and Employment, 2013-2027
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Iowa - Labor & Employment, 2008-2026
• Great Plains Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor, 2016-2026
• Pro Bono Honor Roll, Iowa State Bar Association, 2025
• Iowa Supreme Court Recognition for 2024-2025 Pro Bono Service in excess of 50 hours, October 2025
• Leadership In Service Award, recognized for exception leadership as Chair of the Future Needs Task Force for the Iowa State Bar Association, June 2025
• Iowa Supreme Court Recognition for 2023-2024 Pro Bono Service in excess of 50 hours, October 2024
• Award of Merit Honoree, Polk County Bar Association, 2023
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Iowa - Labor & Employment: Immigration, 2010-2013, 2015-2021
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
• Great Plains Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2013
• Central College Alumni Award for Personal, Civic and Professional Integrity and Accomplishment, 2012
• Participant/Honoree, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Leadership Development Program, 2011
• Young Lawyers Division Award of Merit Recipient, Iowa State Bar Association, 2011
• 40 Under 40, Des Moines Business Record, 2009

Professional Activities

• Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 2026
• Iowa Supreme Court, Fairness in Jury Selection Task Force, 2026
• Fellow, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2021-present
• American Bar Association House of Delegates, Iowa Delegate, 2025-2027
• American Bar Association, Member, Labor and Employment Law Section
• American Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section FMLA Subcommittee, Management Co-Chair December 2021-present
• American Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section Wage and Hour Committee, Member 2010-present (YLD Fellow 2008-2009)
• American Bar Association, Vice Chair, Young Lawyers Division Labor and Employment Law Committee, 2008-2009
• Iowa State Bar Association, Chair, Future Needs Task Force, 2024-present
• Iowa State Bar Association, Member, Annual Meeting Committee, 2011-present
• Iowa State Bar Association, Chair, Scope and Correlations Committee, 2024-2025; Member 2024-present
• Iowa State Bar Association, Member, Ways and Means Committee, 2022-2025
• Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors, District 5C Representative, 2017-2023
• Iowa State Bar Association, Council Member, Section of Labor & Employment, 2004-2010
• Iowa State Bar Association, Vice Chair, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 2006-2010
• Iowa State Bar Association, President, Young Lawyers Division, 2007-2008
• Iowa State Bar Association, District 5C Representative to Executive Council, Young Lawyers Division, 2003-2005
• Iowa State Bar Association, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Young Lawyers Division, 2004-2005
• Iowa State Bar Association, Volunteer Mock Trial Judge
• Polk County Bar Association, Past-President, Board of Directors, (previously President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Director)
• Polk County Women Attorneys, Member
• Iowa Legal Aid Central Iowa Regional Office Advisory Council, 2014-present
• Faculty, Central Iowa Society for Human Resource Management HR Law Series, 2011-present
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Merit Selection Panel, 2020-2021
• Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission, Member, 2006-2018
• Litigation Counsel of America™, Charter Fellow
• Blackstone Inn of Court, Master of the Bench
• Iowa Law Review, Managing Editor, 1997-1998

Community

• Polk County Volunteer Lawyers Project, Volunteer Lawyer
• The Nutcracker Production, Ballet Des Moines, Volunteer
• Ballet Des Moines, Board of Directors, President, 2022-2024; Board Member, 2014-present
• Girls Rock!DSM Board of Directors, Secretary, 2014-2021
• Woodland Creek Reserve Homeowners Association, Secretary, 2014-present