Practice Areas

Bowles & Verna is a civil trial law firm with an extensive record of accomplishment. Its eight partners combine for over 100 years of legal experience with close to 150 cases tried to jury verdict. The firm has been recognized for its trial results in many legal publications, and individual partners have received commendations and awards for their demonstrated trial skills. B&V enjoys the highest rating (A.V.) from the internationally recognized law directory, Martindale-Hubbell, and is one of only a handful of firms whose partners are certified as civil trial law specialists. With over 20 attorneys, and a support staff of 20 more, B&V has the wherewithal to do battle against the largest and best financed insurance companies and corporations. The firm routinely litigates cases throughout the United States, in both State and Federal Courts, at both the trial and appellate levels.

Located in Walnut Creek, California, just across the bay from San Francisco, B&V was founded in 1986 by Richard T. Bowles and Michael P. Verna. Both the founding partners, as well as the other partners of the firm, were previously with large San Francisco based law firms, handling a variety of complex litigation matters throughout the United States. The firm's aggressive and comprehensive approach to its cases has yielded numerous outstanding jury verdicts and settlements for its clients. Since the firm's founding, it has generated over $100 million for its clients.

Bowles & Verna avoids strict compartmentalization. We seek to match our experience and expertise to the needs of our clients. For convenience, we divide our practice into litigation and transactional areas described below.

Our commitment to clients is to address their concerns and goals, and to remove obstacles, exploit opportunities and minimize surprises. However, disputes over business relationships are sometimes unavoidable. Bowles & Verna's principal litigators all have large-firm litigation backgrounds and related practice experience. We have tried over 100 jury trials in state and federal courts throughout California. We also have considerable appellate experience, including successful matters before the California Supreme Court. Much of the firm's litigation practice is devoted to litigation on behalf of financial institutions, insurers, manufacturers, real estate firms, retailers and professionals. Our areas of practice include:

Our considerable experience in this area is brought to bear in controversies over purchase and sale contracts, service and supply contracts, disputes between co-owners and a myriad of other business and commercial relationships.

The firm specializes in insurance coverage litigation, particularly in matters relating to environmental and toxic torts. We have extensive experience in multi-party, complex coverage litigation and have handled numerous cases involving excess coverage and reinsurance issues. We also have an extensive and impressive record in handling insurance bad faith litigation.

B&V's life and health insurance practice focuses particularly on agency relationship disputes, claims-related litigation, real estate, unfair competition, regulatory issues, and general business litigation for life and health insurance companies. We also handle ERISA litigation, and are nationally known for our extensive work in agent litigation and in defending bad faith and punitive damages litigation.

We represent financial institutions (including life insurance companies and mortgage bankers), developers, residential brokerage firms, agricultural concerns, borrowers, general and limited partners, and other equity owners in all aspects of real property litigation, including foreclosures, workouts, receiverships, actions in purchase and sale contracts, leases, loans and land use matters.

B&V has considerable experience in litigation involving claims of unfair competition, interference with business relations, unfair trade practices, trade libel, false advertising, misappropriation of trade secrets and trademark/tradename infringement. We also advise clients on antitrust claims and prevention measures.

We represent clients in all aspects of the employment relationship, including proactive counseling on employment policies and procedures as well as handling cases of wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment. The firm's expertise in ERISA matters and employee benefits litigation enhances our ability to assist clients in resolving such disputes.

As counsel to a variety of manufacturers, distributors and retailers, we have particular expertise in managing complex technical issues. The firm's partners have extensive trial experience in representing manufacturing and design clients, and have tried cases involving automotive products, diesel tractors, food products, beverage containers, industrial machinery, hazardous materials, and pharmaceutical products.

The firm has developed considerable expertise in legal malpractice defense. We also represent a large number of residential real estate brokerage companies and their agents, as well as architects, engineers, accountants and other professionals.

Business clients sometimes find personal injury claims unavoidable. As a part of providing the full range of services, we represent our clients in these actions.

Our experience in environmental and toxic torts includes multi-party complex litigation involving property owners, developers, contractors, public entities and insurance carriers

We are engaged in virtually every kind of construction project and property type, including residential developments, commercial and industrial buildings, local and regional shopping centers. We represent developers, construction contractors and subcontractors, as well as individual homeowners.

B&V represents financial institutions, securities brokers and investors in claims of securities fraud, broker-dealer liability and shareholders' rights.

B&V, with its considerable trial experience, is engaged as counsel in a variety of bankruptcy proceedings.

Although Bowles & Verna is well known for its litigation expertise, it has developed and expanded its corporate and business practice considerably since 1988.