Former Muscatine city attorney to have law license suspended 30 days

Former Muscatine City Attorney Matt Brick will have his Iowa license to practice law suspended for 30 days, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Iowa for misconduct.

The suspension was recommended by the Iowa Supreme Court’s Attorney Disciplinary Board following the disciplinary investigation of a complaint dated June 21, 2022, according to a Friday release from the city of Muscatine.

The city became aware of the misconduct during the course of litigation involving former City Administrator Gregg Mandsager — who was terminated by City Council in December 2019 and is suing the city of Muscatine, four former elected officials and one current elected official. Brick’s misconduct was a surprise to city officials, the Muscatine release said.

As noted by the ruling, the actions were covert to assist Mandsager in his legal claims against the city and elected officials. That litigation is ongoing. Starting in June 2021 (and full-time since November 2021), he has been city administrator for West Burlington, Iowa.

The Friday decision by the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board said:

“Brick’s misconduct strikes at the very core of what is sacred in the attorney–client relationship. Over the course of nearly a year, Brick repeatedly violated the fundamental duty of loyalty to his municipality–client by covertly providing legal assistance directly against their interests and by falsely assuring them that he was not providing this assistance to Mandsager.

“Brick both revealed information to Mandsager relating to his representation of the city without the city’s informed consent and used that information to the city’s disadvantage,” the 11-page ruling says. “Brick assisted Mandsager—knowing full well that the city was taking steps to discharge Mandsager—by providing advice to Mandsager about ways delay the vote on the termination of his contract, sharing the hired evaluator’s emails with Mandsager, and informing Mandsager that council member Brackett had not worded the termination letter in accordance with the advice Brick had given him.”

Once the city became aware of the misconduct, Muscatine initiated steps to sever its relationship with Brick and engage a new City Attorney.

A Request for Qualifications for legal services was issued in July 2022 and a new City Attorney selected in August 2022. Brent Hinders of Hopkins and Huebner, P.C., Des Moines, started on Sept. 1, 2022, as the Muscatine City Attorney.