Robert E. Hayes

Robert E. Hayes

South Dakota Financial Services Lawyer

My Story

Bob is a member of the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group at Davenport Evans. He has long been recognized for his expertise in the field of creditors rights law, a fact reflected not only by his having served for years on the State Bar’s Debtor Creditor Committee but accumulating nearly a decade as chair of that committee.

Bob has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, for the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards. He was also selected by Best Lawyers® in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation – Bankruptcy, and named a Senior Statesman by Chambers and Partners in the areas of Corporate/Commercial and Corporate/Commercial: Bankruptcy/Restructuring Law, and Real Estate. Bob was ranked in the top 5% of practicing attorneys in South Dakota by Great Plains Super Lawyers in the areas of Banking, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, and Real Estate. He is relied upon by clients for his experience in real property law and real estate finance.

Bob has served on or assisted a variety of community organizations. His involvement also includes professional organizations. Bob is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and was president of the State Bar of South Dakota for 2002-2003, a position elected by Bar members at the annual convention. Bob has served as a director, Vice President and President of the USD School of Law Foundation, President of the State Bar Foundation, and Chairman of the State Bar of South Dakota Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law. He has also acted as an adjunct professor, teaching a class in secured transactions at the USD Knudson School of Law.

Position: Of Counsel
Direct: (605) 357-1260
Email: rhayes@dehs.com

Super Lawyers Robert E. Hayes

Professional Experience

Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP 
Of Counsel: 2021 – present
Partner: 1980 – 2020
Associate: 1977 – 1979

Law Clerk to Honorable Fred J. Nichol, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, South Dakota

Education

University of South Dakota 
(B.A., 1973)

University of South Dakota School of Law 
(J.D., Sterling Honor Graduate, 1976) 

Phi Beta Kappa

Professional Memberships

State Bar of South Dakota (President, 2002 – 2003)
Minnehaha County Bar Association American Bar Association

Licensure

Admitted to Practice (State): 
South Dakota, 1976 

Admitted to Practice (Federal):
United States District Court, District of South Dakota, 1976
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1977
United States Supreme Court, 1980
United States Court of Claims, 1988
United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 1989

Accomplishments

Protecting what you’ve built.

Phone Numbers

Driving Directions

Davenport Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP

206 West 14th Street
P.O. Box 1030
Sioux Falls, SD 57101-1030