- Managing Partner: : Thomas A Heywood
- Number of partners: 84
- Number of other lawyers: 35
FIRM OVERVIEW: Bowles Rice, founded in 1920, is a full service, business-focused law firm providing high-quality and efficient legal services. The firm has six regional offices, strategically located to serve its clients in business and industry. The firm is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubbell.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Commercial & Corporate Law: Among the complex areas in which attorneys provide assistance are: acquisitions and mergers; bankruptcy; bond financing; business structure; contracts; creditor’s rights; economic development; leases; planning and zoning; securities; small business development; and venture capital.
Banking: The firm serves as general counsel to banks, bank holding companies and other banking organizations, including the West Virginia Bankers Association and the Community Bankers of West Virginia, and is active in formations, mergers and acquisitions, branch expansions, de novo banking, and special projects. They regularly draft loan agreements, notes and security instruments, and assist banks in complying with regulatory matters.
Education Law: The firm is a leader in serving West Virginia’s school boards, regional educational service agencies, and multi-county vocational centers and universities, and is Counsel to the West Virginia School Boards Association.
Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & ERISA: Services in this highly complex area include drafting of individually designed, qualified defined contribution and defined benefit plans; amending them as changes in the law require; and preparing the extensive supplemental and supportive documentation necessary to obtain favorable determination letters from the IRS. They assist in the preparation of non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, incentive stock option plans and non-incentive stock option plans for highly compensated executives. They also counsel employers, third party administrators and insurance companies on federal and state laws affecting healthcare arrangements, cafeteria plans, flex plans and other fringe benefits.
Energy Law: Coal, oil and natural gas matters are a significant part of the firm’s practice. The firm has a wealth of knowledge regarding the Marcellus Shale formation and extensive experience in energy-related mergers and acquisitions. They represent owners, operators, producers and contractors, ranging from small, locally owned businesses to international corporations. The firm’s energy practice includes public utility and regulatory law, mineral-related issues, real estate and land use development, as well as mine safety and health issues.
Environmental Law: Environmental representation encompasses commercial transactional structuring, compliance counseling, judicial and administrative proceedings, legislative activity, and technical services. The firm has extensive experience in environmental policy formulation, implementation, interpretation and enforcement.
Government Relations: The firm provides advocacy and counsel on issues related to economic development, banking, workers’ compensation, energy, environmental, education, employment, tax and health care-related issues. Services include bill drafting and in-depth review, technical presentations and issue advocacy. They have significant experience in dealing with government officials at the local, state and federal levels.
Healthcare: The firm assists providers, employers and payors in regulatory and contractual matters, is experienced in medicine and health benefits, and represents individuals and groups of physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, benefit administrators, associations and companies offering healthcare coverage to employees.
Labor, Employment & Workers’ Compensation Law: The firm assists private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including basic and advanced human resources advice; wrongful discharge and all other forms of employment- related litigation; preparation of employee contracts and policies; traditional labormanagement relations matters; employee benefits issues and workers’ compensation claims. The firm’s lawyers work closely with their clients to achieve work force objectives and prevent litigation through counseling, planning and training. Nevertheless, when employment-related litigation matters arise, they provide experienced and aggressive representation in courts and administrative agencies.
Litigation: More than 50 Bowles Rice lawyers are engaged in litigation on behalf of individuals, businesses and large multinational corporations. The firm prosecutes and defends lawsuits in all federal and state courts and administrative agencies of all branches of government. It aggressively seeks to resolve commercial, professional or business disputes for its clients through all available means, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration or aggressive litigation, in an ethical, competent, cost effective manner. The firm’s trial lawyers are engaged in the defense of personal injury, occupational and products liability suits; insurance defense; construction and condemnation issues; environmental and toxic torts; lender liability and complex commercial disputes; RICO; lease, real property and coal, oil and gas matters; medical, legal and other professional malpractice cases; white-collar criminal defense and other varied contract and tort cases.
Real Estate: The real estate practice includes purchase and sale transactions and related financing, litigation involving real estate, title and mineral law issues, contract preparation, title insurance, zoning issues and title examinations. Developers proposing industrial, commercial and residential projects receive counsel in land use and development law, planning and zoning, compliance with state and federal sales registration requirements and filings, approvals, permits, and other governmental requirements.
Taxation & Estate & Trust Planning: Tax practitioners advise and represent clients in the formation, purchase and sale, and reorganization of businesses; mergers and acquisitions; property, sales and use tax; issues related to federal, state, and local taxation; and in the ongoing operations of large and small businesses and non-profit organizations. The firm also has significant experience in estate planning and administration.