Practice Areas
General Practice, including but not limited to:

  • Corporate
  • Business
  • Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning and Probate Law
  • Taxation
  • Real Estate

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts, 1979, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
  • Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1981, Drake University, Des Moines, IA

Admitted to Practice

  • State Bar of Iowa, 1982
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa, 1982
  • United States Tax Court, 1982
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1984
  • United States Supreme Court, 1985

Professional Affiliations

  • Iowa State Bar Association
    • Member, Board of Governors, 1998-2004
    • Member, Section of Probate & Trust Law, Real Estate & Title Law, and Taxation
    • Member, Real Estate and Title Law Section Council 2006-2009; Section Chair 2008-2009; Legislative Advocacy Award 2009
    • Member, Ways and Means Committee 2005
  • Jasper County Bar Association; President, 1996
  • Iowa State Bar Foundation
  • Jasper County Estate Planning Council; President, 1986 -1987
  • Member, Grievance Commission of the Supreme Court of Iowa, 2006-2012
  • Iowa Trust Association
  • Iowa Title Guaranty Division of the Iowa Finance Authority

Mark A. Otto was born in Iowa. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in 1979 and his law degree from Drake University in 1981.

Mark is engaged in the general practice of law including but not limited to estate planning, wills and probate, trusts and estates, real estate, taxation, corporate and business law.

Mark is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association (Board of Governors 1998-2004, Ways and Means Committee 2005, Real Estate and Title Law Section Council 2006-2009, and member of the Probate and Trust Law, Real Estate and Title Law and Taxation Sections). Mark is also a member of The Iowa State Bar Foundation and the Jasper County Bar Association. Mark was admitted to the State Bar of Iowa in 1982, the United States District Court Southern District of Iowa in 1982, the United States Tax Court in 1982, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in 1984 and the United States Supreme Court in 1985.

Publications and Presentations

Deferred Property Exchange
The Iowa Lawyer Magazine
Tax Tips
February 1991

Estate Freezing Tactics
The Iowa Lawyer Magazine
Tax Tips
November 1992

Gifting and Trust Vehicles
Area Seven Conference
Boy Scouts of America
October 22-23, 1993

Tax Planning for Your Estate
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
November 1, 1993

Capital Gains
Country Line
First Hawkeye Realty
Better Homes & Garden
March 4, 1997

Probate Primer
Iowa State Bar Association
Bridge the Gap Seminar
April 17-18, 1997

SCORE Business Workshop
September 10, 2012
May 9, 2013

Wills, Probate & Trusts
Community Seminars, Inc.
Newton Village
Park Centre
Retired Teachers Association

General Income Tax Considerations on Sale or Exchange of Real Estate
Newton Board of Realtors
February 1, 2001

Ethics Panel
Title Guaranty Third
Annual Conference
November 15, 2007

Property 2008 Legislative Update
University of Iowa
College of Law
Property
September 26, 2008

2009 Legislative Update
Title Guaranty Regional Academy
April 22, 2009
May 12, 2009
May 14, 2009

The Iowa Contract for Deed
Drake University Law School
Real Estate Transactions
March 6, 2009

136th Annual Meeting of the Iowa State Bar Association
June 24-26, 2009

Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs
FastTrac / newVentures Program
June 26, 2006
July 26, 2007
April 21, 2008
October 17, 2006
October 27, 2008
January 18, 2010
April 26, 2007