After 60 years of service, attorney John Shors is retiring from Dentons Davis Brown and the practice of law.

Continuing a family tradition

John is a fourth-generation lawyer – a proud lineage dating back to 1880. With a love for science and how things work, John initially planned to become an engineer, graduating from Iowa State University in 1959 with a degree in electrical engineering. After serving in the Army for a few years, upon his return to civilian life, he decided to give law school a try after all.

John recounted with laughter the very first question he was asked in class: 

“…I was out of sequence a bit because I came in from the Army, so I was in a Constitutional Law course for second-and third-year students, and the first person to get called on gave what I considered to be a really good answer. I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be hard,’ and then the Professor ripped his answer to shreds. So, then the Professor called on the student next to me, ripping that person to shreds too. When he turned to me next, I just answered, ‘Can you please call on someone else?’”

After graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1964, John had some interviews with firms in New York and others around the country but quickly decided to stay in Iowa. He explained, “I wanted to be around my family, and not get too far removed from them again like I had during my time in the Army.”

Ultimately, John joined Harris, Thoma, Schoenthal, Davis & Hockenberg in 1965. For the next 60 years, John built a practice focused on corporate matters, energy, and economic growth. He represented numerous clients including Iowa State University, Mercy Medical Center, and Berkshire Hathaway companies.

With his passion for capital formation and technology transfer, John helped form Edge Technologies, the Iowa Research Council, the Iowa State University Research Park, the Iowa Funds of Funds, and Iowa Community Development.

“John Shors has been tireless in his advocacy for clients, the Firm, and the Des Moines community,” said John Pietila, Dentons Davis Brown President. “Even after 60 years, he remains motivated more by what is next than by all he has accomplished.”

Upon reflecting on some of his most memorable projects, his early representation of Mercy Hospital of Des Moines led to John spending half his time in Rome, Italy for the first few years of his practice, as he helped Mercy establish a heart hospital there.

“I had an apartment in Rome close to the Vatican. One morning, I was supposed to have breakfast with the Pope and Mother Theresa, which would have been a real thrill, but they canceled on me.”

Legal Leader

By 1979, John was a named partner in the firm – Davis, Hockenberg, Wine, Brown, Koehn & Shors, P.C. – and remained so until 2021 when the firm combined with Dentons to become Dentons Davis Brown. Throughout his tenure, he served in several leadership capacities, including a term as President, along with his two terms on the Board of Directors.

In addition to his leadership within the Firm, John was a leader and mentor to lawyers across the state, including serving as the Iowa State Bar Association President. “I joined the ISBA a few years after law school and I found it was a great way to meet people and make an impact.”

Shors and fellow ISBA leader Ed Hansel recognized a need for a free bar exam preparation course to rival expensive private courses that many aspiring attorneys could not afford. Together, they founded the ISBA Bar Review School and the “Bridge the Gap” seminar, an opportunity for new attorneys to learn from leaders in the profession. “Bridge the Gap” continues to be one of the most educational and engaging CLE presentations the ISBA offers.

Former Dentons Davis Brown president Deborah Tharnish shared that John has always been a connector.

“John helped me obtain a job as a law clerk at the Thoma, Schoenthal, Davis, Hockenberg & Wine law firm in 1978. My father was a route salesman for Anderson Erickson Dairy and delivered milk to John’s home. My father made John aware of my job search, and John then went to work helping,” Tharnish recalls. “He didn’t even know me, and he helped me get a job! And he has made these same efforts for countless people over the years, helping to connect people to worthwhile work in the Des Moines community. John has mentored many attorneys, both here and outside the firm.”

Community

Along with his wife Patsy, they focused their attention on key community development areas. One particular interest was helping young people who had run away from home find temporary shelter. Along with a group of friends, John and Patsy founded the Iowa Runaway Service in 1973, which is today is Youth Emergency Shelter Service. YESS is an organization that serves thousands of young people each year through emergency shelter, crisis intervention, mental health counseling, and therapy among other support services.

In the early 1970s, John began his involvement with the Iowa State University Alumni Association Foundation. He chaired or was president of each of the three major charitable foundations at Iowa State University: the ISU Alumni Achievement Fund, the ISU Alumni Achievement Foundation, and the Iowa State Foundation.

He was chair of the alumni foundation when Iowa State undertook its first capital campaign. At the time, the school had little money to use for the campaign and Shors pushed the foundation to take out a loan to fund the campaign, knowing that the effort would pay off enormous dividends. With Owen Newlin chairing the campaign and Steve Zumbach as his deputy, the campaign earned almost $100 million, pushing the limits of what a university fundraising effort could accomplish at the time. Now a lifetime member of the Iowa State Foundation’s Board of Governors, his service was recognized with the ISU Alumni Medal, and he continues to offer his generosity and counsel to the University and its foundation.

Legacy

John’s exceptional servant-leadership style, sharp sense of humor, and natural ability to build meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life are truly invaluable. His dedication to community engagement and professional excellence has earned him numerous honors and awards from a wide range of organizations. Dentons Davis Brown would not be the firm it is today—committed to our clients and the community—without his significant contributions over the last 60 years.

When asked about his legacy, Dentons Davis Brown president-elect Lori Chesser had this to say:

“John cares deeply about justice, fairness, and opportunity. He is constantly thinking creatively about how to solve a problem or make something beneficial happen. He does not take ‘no’ for an answer easily, which sometimes has challenged me. But when I realize the results, I understand why. Recently a young couple of Hmong Lao heritage approached him at the Downtown Farmers Market. They thanked him for what he had done for their community and told him that they named their first child after him. His legacy is doing what it takes to accomplish the goal, and that kind of commitment makes a lasting impression.”

About Dentons Davis Brown PC

Dentons Davis Brown is a full-service Iowa law firm providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions to help clients. Founded in 1929, the firm operates three offices in Iowa and is part of Dentons, the world’s largest law firm with a presence in over 80 countries. Learn more at www.dentons.com/Iowa.