Ms. Dowd has twenty-five years of experience as a trial lawyer primarily in civil and complex litigation and criminal defense. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad spectrum of cases including business, civil and complex litigation, personal injury, mass tort, class action, whistleblower and intellectual property. She also has extensive experience representing defendants in white collar crime and criminal environmental matters. Additionally, she handles executive severance and compensation matters.
Federal Judicial Clerkship - United States District Court, Honorable Seybourne H. Lynne (1982-1983);
Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Somerville of Birmingham, Alabama (1983 - 1995).
Civil & Complex Litigation, Environmental Litigation, White Collar Criminal Defense, Executive Severance and Compensation
Episcopal Diocese of State of Alabama; Hall Taylor Construction Company; Harbert Corporation; Harbert Managment Corporation LLC; Inamed LLC; Macon County Greyhound Park (“Victoryland”); Metalplate Galvanizing LP; Milton McGregor Enterprises; Monsanto; Pharmacia Corp.: Solutia, Inc.; Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc.: T-Mobile USA; American Gaming Systems; Medical Center Associates; Greer Capital; Steinway & Co.; MBIA Insurance; Memorial Development Corporation; Algoma Lands, LP; Merrill Lynch.
Vanderbilt Law School, 1982
– Vanderbilt Law Review, Articles Editor
University of the South (Sewanee)
– B.S. 1978; Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude
Mass Tort Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2011
Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2011
Super Lawyers, 2008-2010
– Top 10 Lawyers in Alabama, 2010
– Birmingham Business Journal's Who's Who in Law and Accounting, 2011
– Top 25 Women Lawyers in Alabama, 2008-2010
– Top 50 Lawyers in Alabama, 2008-2010
Top Ten Women in Business in Birmingham, 2006
Birmingham Bar Association
– Chair, Grievance Committee, 2009-2010
– Chair, Youth Future Leaders Forum, 2008-2009
– Executive Committee, 2004-2007
– Diversity Task Force, 2006-2007
Alabama State Bar
– Bar Commissioner, 2009-2011
American Bar Association
Fellow, Alabama Law Foundation
National Association of Women Lawyers
Atticus Finch Society
American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”)
Member, Advanced Safety Engineering and Management Industry Advisory Council
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
– Assistant Chancellor to the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
YWCA
– Executive Committee, 2011
– Board of Directors, 2010-present
Board of Directors, Women’s Fund, 2009 to present
Mountain Brook School System — Early Warning Panel (for troubled youth), 1995-2009
Leadership Birmingham, Class of 2007
Birmingham MS Leadership Class of 2007
Momentum Women’s Leadership Class of 2010
Member, Alabama Committee of the Newcomer Society