Peter Bratney, who is busy preparing for bar exams at the University of Iowa, had plans to land a job with a law firm in Chicago. But he’ll be heading west to Des Moines instead.

“I went to Chicago and spent some time there researching law firms and interviewing,” said Bratney, 25. “The result of my search was to find out I wasn’t going to find anything that offered more than what Brick, Gentry could.”

A Des Moines native, he had worked for Brick, Gentry, Bowers, Swartz, Stoltze & Levis P.C. for a couple of summers during law school and enjoyed it. When it came time to line up a full-time position as an attorney, that experience became a factor in his decision.

“It was also important to find a firm where I could develop as a professional,” Bratney said. “A lot of firms in Chicago don’t provide such a great opportunity for that. You don’t have a lot of contact with senior attorneys who have experience you really want to learn from.

“Everyone at Brick, Gentry is very approachable. I’m going to have a lot of great opportunities to learn from people who have been doing what I want to do.”

He also took into account the changing character of his hometown, giving it a review that boosters should love. “I spent four years in Boston and really enjoyed the big-city lifestyle, but it’s something I’m less enamored with now than back then,” he said. “I think Des Moines has a lot going on that wasn’t going on five or 10 years ago. I think there are just more opportunities for young people to socialize.”

If every young lawyer saw the world the way Bratney sees it, Paul Drey’s recruiting tasks would really be a snap. But don’t worry; the president of Brick, Gentry seems to be doing just fine in his efforts to draw young lawyers to the growing firm.

In the past year and a half, Drey has presided over the addition of young lawyers Erin Flynn, Brad Hansen, Eric Updegraff, Matt Brick, Matt Cronin, LeGrande Smith and Bratney while only a couple of others have departed the firm.

Hansen was another steal from the lure of Chicago. He had already accepted a job there when Drey started trying to bring him on board. Hansen has a health-care background, owns a business and is a former state legislator. The key to landing him, Drey said, was to convince him that he could have a legal career and a health-care lobbying career if he stayed in Des Moines.

“We can’t match dollar for dollar [what the Chicago firm offered],” Drey said, “but in Illinois they were telling him it would take eight to 10 years to become a partner. With our firm, he’ll have a chance to be a partner in three or four years.”

Some of the recruits are maintaining a family tradition by entering the practice of law in Des Moines. Flynn, who graduated from Creighton University, is the daughter of attorney Tom Flynn, a partner at Belin Lamson McCormick Zumbach Flynn. Updegraff is the son of Richard Updegraff of the Brown, Winick, Graves, Gross, Baskerville and Schoenebaum firm.

Cronin was someone Drey had gotten to know through their work on bankruptcy cases. Smith was a friend of Cronin.

Brick returned to Des Moines after spending about a year in Houston, becoming one of several family members in the practice. Drey himself came to the firm in 2002 as an in-law; he married Stephanie Brick, who then coaxed her husband to leave Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave P.C. and come on over to her place to work.

Along with all of this recruiting, Brick, Gentry is preparing to leave its home of 20-plus years at 550 39th St. The firm has sold that building and will move at the end of June to a new building at 6701 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines.

With more space, Drey expects the stable of attorneys to continue to grow. It stands at 21 now, will soon hit 23 and the new building will provide room for 27.

“To move forward with a law firm, you need quality people who specialize in certain areas,” Drey said. “You have to decide as a firm if you’re going to be a boutique firm or a ‘one-stop shop.’”

Brick, Gentry has chosen to go the latter route by arming itself with specialists in corporate issues, health care, bankruptcy and related matters, and employment law.