Current Employment Position(s)

Equity Member

Lawyer Overview

Mr. Fowler served from 1983 to 1984 as a law clerk to the Honorable Magistrate Judge Donald E. Abram for the United States District Court, District of Colorado. Following the advice of Magistrate Abram, Mr. Fowler sought a position with an insurance defense firm following the one year clerkship.  Mr. Fowler's law practice has been focused on insurance defense litigation since 1984.

While in Colorado, Mr. Fowler's insurance defense litigation included asbestos, construction and other product liability claims.

Upon returning to West Virginia, his practice continued in asbestos which has been a major focus of his litigation experience.  West Virginia is a venue of national import in asbestos litigation.

Other areas of focus are governmental issues and liability.  Mr. Fowler has served as Counsel to the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management since 2003.  He has represented numerous State entities and municipalities in West Virginia including West Virginia University in asbestos related litigation.

One final area of focus is legal malpractice defense.  Mr. Fowler has been successfully defending legal malpractice claims in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Mr. Fowler's trial experience includes over fifty (50) trials to a jury or the court.  Mr. Fowler has argued cases to the Colorado Court of Appeals, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Areas of Practice

• Insurance Defense Litigation
• Asbestos Litigation
• Toxic Tort Defense
• Products Liability
• Medical, Legal and Architectural Malpractice Defense

Representative Clients

• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• West Virginia University
• West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management
• Glenville State College
• Kanawha County Board of Education

Representative Cases

• Minnick v. City and County of Denver, 784 P.2d 810 (Colo.App. 1989)
• Hartford Ins. Co. v. CMC Builders, Inc., 752 P.2d 590 (Colo.App. 1988)
• Short v. Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A., 401 F.Supp.2d 549 (S.D.W.Va. 2005)
• C&H Co. v. Richardson, 78 Fed.Appx. 894 (C.A.4 W.Va. 2003)
• In re West Virginia Rezulin Litigation, S.E.2d (W.Va. 2001)
• Abbott v. A-Best Prods. Co., 122 F.Supp.2d 688 (N.D.W.Va. 2000)
• Pelfrey v. Fields, 225 F.3d 655 (C.A.4 W.Va. 2000)
• State ex rel. Garden State Newspapers, Inc. v. Hoke, 520 S.E.2d 186 (W.Va. 1999)
• State ex rel. Ward v. Hill, 489 S.E.2d 24 (W.Va. 1997)
• Continental Cas. Co v. Assicurazioni Generali, S.P.A., 903 F.Supp. 990 (S.D.W.Va. 1995)
• Crawford v. West Virginia Dept. of Human Services, 37 F.3d 1493 (C.A.4 W.Va 1994)
• Gray v. Farley, 13 F.3d 142 (C.A.4 W.Va. 1993)
• Jones v. Glenville State College, 433 S.E.2d 49 (W.Va. 1993)
• State v. Chase Securities, Inc., 424 S.E.2d 591 (W.Va. 1992)
• Marks Const. Co,, Inc. v. Board of Educ. of County of Wood, 408 S.E.2d 79 (W.Va. 1991)

West Practice Categories

Arbitration, Mediation, Directors' & Officers' Liability, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, Police Misconduct, Race Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Colleges & Universities, Private Schools, Public Schools, Special Education, Student Rights, Tenure, Affirmative Action -- Employer, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employer, Employee Rights -- Employer, Employment Contracts -- Employer, Employment Discrimination -- Employer, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -- Employer, Municipal Employment -- Employer, Whistleblower -- Employer, Wrongful Termination -- Employer, Bad Faith Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Errors & Omissions Insurance, Fidelity, Guarantee & Surety, Insurance Malpractice, Insurance Subrogation, Motor Vehicle, Property & Casualty, Class Actions -- Plaintiff, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Trial Practice, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, US Supreme Court, Animal Bites -- Defense, Assault & Battery -- Defense, Defamation & Privacy -- Defense, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Defense, Premises Liability -- Defense, Property Damage -- Defense, Slip and Fall -- Defense, Wrongful Death -- Defense, Asbestos, Dental Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Professional Malpractice Law

Bar Admissions

• Colorado, 1983
• U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 1983
• West Virginia, 1989
• U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1989
• U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia, 2001
• Kentucky, 2006
• Ohio, 2008
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky, 2007
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2003

Classes and Seminars

• Hot Topics in School Law in West Virginia, Lorman Education Services, September 24, 1998 - October 21, 1999

Pro Bono Activities

• West Virginia Bar Lawyer Referral Program
• West Virginia Pro Bono Referral Program
• Community Referral of Small Business Litigation

Past Employment Positions

• United States District Court, District of Colorado, Hon. Magistrate Judge Donald E. Abram, Law Clerk, 1983 - 1984
• Barrows & Sison, Denver, CO, 1984 - 1987
• Meer & Meer, Denver, CO, 1987 - 1989
• Pauley, Curry, Sturgeon & Vanderford, Charleston, WV, 1989 - 1991

Education

• University of Denver College of Law, Denver, Colorado, 1983
  J.D.
• Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, WV, USA, 1980
  B.A.
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Major: Political Science

Address

James Mark Building
901 Quarrier Street
Charleston, WV 25301-2607

Phones

(304) 344-0100

Faxes

(304) 342-1545

Emails

sfowler@pffwv.com

Websites

http://www.pffwv.com