On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the Iowa Supreme Court publicly reprimanded attorney Pressley Wade Henningsen for multiple violations related to the management of client trust accounts, as detailed in a filing by the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Pressley Wade Henningsen,” with case number 25–0914.
The reprimand stemmed from a 2023 audit by the Client Security Commission, which identified several issues in Henningsen’s handling of client funds at his firm, RSH Legal, P.C. The audit revealed a significant lack of accountability for client money, with $273,620.10 in outstanding receipts, $266,183.86 in outstanding deposits, and $230,816.46 labeled as “outstanding bank errors.” These discrepancies violated Iowa Rule of Professional Conduct 32:1.15, which governs the safekeeping of client property.
Additionally, Henningsen failed to maintain accurate monthly triple reconciliations and sub-account ledgers, breaching rules 32:1.15(a) and (f), as well as 45.2(3). The audit also found 12 stale outstanding checks and 10 inactive client matters, some dating back to 2013, in violation of rules 32:1.15(d) and 45.2(2). Furthermore, unearned client funds totaling $5,761.16 for three clients were not deposited into the trust account, contravening rules 32:1.15(c) and 45.7(3).
The audit uncovered two instances of misappropriation. In one case, three deposits for a client, entered into the firm’s bookkeeping system on July 13, 2022, were not deposited into the trust account until February 20, 2023, resulting in a misappropriation of $266,183.86. In another, the firm purchased a $50,000 certificate of deposit for a client in December 2021, despite the client having only $19,184.54 in trust, misappropriating $30,815.46 from other clients’ funds. These errors, attributed to inadequate supervision of nonlawyer staff, violated rule 32:5.3.
Henningsen cooperated fully with the audit and noted that the firm’s trust account maintained balances between $850,000 and $2,500,000, avoiding a negative balance. However, the Board emphasized that client trust funds must be readily accessible, which was not the case during the periods of mismanagement. The firm had previously been privately admonished in 2018 for similar issues.
According to Avvo, Mr. Henningsen is a nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer in Cedar Rapids, IA. He acquired his law license in Iowa in 1996.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
