Warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies are always a treat, but even more so when they are a gift from a former courtroom foe.

The cookies, complete with a gallon of cold milk, were delivered Sept. 8 to the offices of Weinhardt & Logan P.C., a boutique law firm that opened Sept. 1 at 2600 Grand Ave., Suite 210.

Mark Weinhardt and Holly Logan, fresh from practices at Belin McCormick P.C., started the firm along with Will Ortman and Danielle Shelton. Weinhardt, Logan and Ortman have been shareholders at Belin McCormick, where Shelton served as of counsel, the same role she has at Weinhardt & Logan.

The cookies were a gift from a Minneapolis lawyer whom Weinhardt and Logan opposed in a patent infringement case when they were at Belin McCormick.

At the insistence of Weinhardt’s wife, Karrie, they also brought Lori Kreutzman from Belin McCormick to serve as office manager and legal assistant.

Weinhardt & Logan specializes in white-collar criminal defense, business litigation, internal investigations and providing local counsel in Iowa.

“I can guarantee you this: We’ll never be a full-service law firm,” Weinhardt said.

“I know you should never say ‘never,’” Logan said. “But never.”

“Our mission is to handle complex business disputes, both criminal and civil,” Weinhardt said.

The firm has been quick to get off the ground since the day Logan walked into the office and followed a vacuum cleaner trail in the carpet to find Weinhardt preparing for the first meeting with a potential client.

“I was vacuuming to make sure the place was presentable,” Weinhardt said. That was on Sept. 2.

Weinhardt and Logan said they have been pleasantly surprised by the volume of business they have received. They brought some clients from Belin McCormick, where they will continue to swap referrals, and they have heard from other large, full-service firms that would like to share clients.

Logan said the firm’s specialties help it stand out in the Greater Des Moines market.

“We’re definitely unique,” she said.