Woods Fuller

What Woods Fuller does

Woods Fuller, formally Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C., is a private professional corporation and full-service law firm founded in 1887 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (then Dakota Territory) and headquartered at 300 South Phillips Avenue, Suite 300. The firm operates with 40+ attorneys across four offices (Sioux Falls, Brookings, Sheldon, and Sioux Center) serving clients throughout South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and in federal and tribal courts. Its practice spans roughly 15 disciplines including corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, banking and finance, real estate, health law, employment law, immigration law, construction law, government relations, tax, estate planning and trusts, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, family law, and litigation.

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional-services billing: legal services are quoted on a per-engagement basis with rates determined by matter type, attorney seniority, and complexity, supplemented by multi-year client relationships. There is no proprietary technology platform; the firm operates a Squarespace-hosted website and uses Google Analytics for web measurement. Distribution is sales-led, relying on attorney reputation, peer referrals, client relationships, content marketing via attorney-authored articles and newsletters, and recognition in legal directories (Chambers, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers). Membership in the Law Firm Alliance provides access to ~50 firms and ~2,500 attorneys globally, extending cross-border capacity without internal buildout.

The firm is privately held by its shareholders (standard professional-corporation structure) with no venture capital, private equity, or parent involvement disclosed. Recent activity is primarily personnel: shareholder promotions of Jacquelyn Bouwman and Jacob Schneider in early 2026, the retirement of 45-year shareholder Gary Thimsen, induction of James Moore and Melanie Carpenter into the American College of Trial Lawyers, and lateral hiring of associate Tom Schartz in 2022. Community engagement includes a 3-year Corporate Humane Hero partnership with the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society (2023) and over $1 million in philanthropic giving since 2020.

Name

Woods Fuller

Legal name

Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C.

Website

https://woodsfuller.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Woods Fuller is a private, full-service law firm founded in 1887 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with 40+ attorneys across four offices serving business and individual clients throughout the Midwest with practice areas spanning corporate, litigation, real estate, IP, employment, and estate law.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm billing model providing legal representation across corporate transactions, intellectual property, finance, real estate, litigation, estate planning, and family law. Revenue is generated through billable attorney hours for client engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Woods Fuller is a full-service regional law firm providing legal representation across corporate transactions, intellectual property, litigation, estate planning, employment law, immigration, real estate, health law, banking and finance, bankruptcy, government relations, tax, construction, and family law. With over 40 attorneys across four offices in South Dakota and Iowa, the firm delivers legal counsel through attorney-client engagements billed on a per-engagement basis.

Product overview

Woods Fuller is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm's core offerings include corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, estate planning, employment law, immigration, real estate, health law, banking, and bankruptcy. These services are delivered through 40+ attorneys across four office locations in South Dakota and Iowa. The firm operates as a traditional legal services practice rather than a technology product platform. The Summer Associate Program provides law students with practical legal training as a professional development initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Transactions Legal counsel for business formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, contracts, and commercial transactions, targeted at businesses of all sizes.
• Intellectual Property Patent prosecution, trademark and copyright registration, trade secret protection, and IP litigation services for clients needing intellectual property protection.
• Litigation Civil and commercial litigation representation including trial work, appeals, dispute resolution, and alternative dispute resolution for clients in contested matters.
• Estate Planning and Trust Law Wills, trusts, probate administration, estate tax planning, and trust management services for individuals and families needing estate planning counsel.
• Employment Law Counsel for employers on workplace compliance, labor regulations, employment contracts, and employment litigation matters.
• Immigration Law Business and family immigration services including visa petitions, green card applications, employer compliance, and citizenship matters for individuals and employers.
• Real Estate Law Commercial and residential real estate transactions, title issues, zoning compliance, and property dispute resolution for property owners and developers.
• Health Law Legal services for healthcare providers including regulatory compliance, HIPAA matters, and healthcare litigation.
• Banking and Finance Financial services legal counsel including loan transactions, regulatory compliance, and banking litigation for financial institutions and borrowers.
• Bankruptcy and Creditor's Rights Creditor representation in bankruptcy proceedings, debt collection, judgment enforcement, and bankruptcy litigation.
• Government Relations Legislative advocacy and regulatory guidance for businesses navigating government matters and public policy.
• Tax Law Tax planning and controversy representation including federal and state tax matters, estate tax, and business taxation.
• Construction Law Legal services for construction projects including contract drafting, mechanic's liens, and construction dispute resolution.
• Family Law Domestic relations matters including divorce, custody, adoption, and family court proceedings for individual clients.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Law Firm Alliance (LFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoods Fuller is a member of the Law Firm Alliance, a global network of full-service, independent mid-sized law firms. LFA was founded in 2000 and includes more than 50 member firms and 2,500 attorneys across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Membership provides Woods Fuller clients access to reliable, high-quality legal support across key global markets while maintaining personalized service and responsiveness of a mid-sized firm. LFA has been ranked a Leading Law Firm Network in Chambers Global Guide 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Davenport Evans Hurwitz & Smith LLP: Full-service Sioux Falls, SD-based law firm of comparable size and practice breadth. The most direct head-to-head competitor for regional corporate, litigation, banking, real estate, and trust matters in the same geography.
• Gunderson Palmer Nelson & Ashmore LLP: Rapid City, SD-based regional law firm offering comparable full-service practice mix including corporate, real estate, litigation, and estate planning. Closest geographic peer in western South Dakota.
• Boyce Law Firm LLP: Sioux Falls, SD-based regional law firm with comparable full-service practice areas including business law, litigation, real estate, and estate planning. Direct in-market competitor for clients in the Sioux Falls metro.
• Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors & Roberts, P.C. Des Moines, Iowa-based full-service firm of comparable size serving businesses and individuals across Iowa and the Midwest. Closest comparable peer within Woods Fuller's Iowa office geographies.
• Woods & Aitken LLP: Sioux City-area regional law firm with comparable size and similar practice mix in business, real estate, litigation, and employment law—directly comparable Midwest peer across state lines.

Regional players

• Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. Minneapolis-based upper Midwest full-service firm with similar practice areas but larger scale (~250+ attorneys). Closest larger Midwest peer, relevant for clients with multi-state needs where Woods Fuller may refer out via LFA.
• Baird Holm LLP: Omaha-based regional law firm with full-service practice and comparable focus on banking, agribusiness, and corporate law—direct competitor for ag-economy clients across the Plains.
• Koley Jessen P.C. Omaha-based mid-sized law firm serving similar agribusiness, banking, and corporate clients with comparable full-service practice focus—directly comparable in firm size and client mix.

Broad incumbents

• Husch Blackwell LLP: Larger multi-office Midwest-headquartered (Kansas City/Milwaukee) full-service firm with hundreds of attorneys. Represents the 'next tier up' competitor for the largest regional accounts where Woods Fuller may be outmatched.
• DLA Piper: Global mega-firm with full-service capability. Represents the large incumbent competing for the largest regional clients and corporate accounts; sets the competitive ceiling on what Woods Fuller can win without LFA partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodsfullerlaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodsfuller

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woods Fuller