rbowles@bowlesverna.com
Richard T. Bowles is a 1969 graduate from Hastings College of the Law (with honors). He also graduated in 1966 from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with emphases in accounting, finance and personnel administration. While at Hastings, he was a member of the Thurston Society, a writer on the Hastings law journal and also served as a note comment editor in his final year. Mr. Bowles graduated Order of the Coif.
In 1985, Mr. Bowles founded the Law Offices of Richard T. Bowles. In 1986, Michael Verna joined him to change the firm name to Bowles & Verna. Prior to establishing Bowles & Verna, he spent sixteen years at Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon where he served as an associate for eight years before becoming a partner. He opened and managed their Walnut Creek branch from 1983 to 1985. While at Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon, Mr. Bowles’ practice included general litigation, with a heavy emphasis on insurance defense work including product liability, construction litigation and professional liability matters, real estate litigation as well as general business matters.
Currently, Mr. Bowles’ general and civil practice emphasizes transactional related matters and litigation. These matters include corporate formations and transactional matters, including general business advice as well as various shareholder matters. Partnership matters include a variety of partnership agreements and joint venture issues.
Mr. Bowles’ recent work experience also includes forming corporations with related stock purchase agreements and shareholder agreements, as well as creating partnership documents and joint venture agreements. Included within these types of activities is considerable work with employment advice, including advice regarding provisions of policy and procedure manuals.
In the litigation arena, he has most recently been involved in corporate takeovers, partnership dissolutions, franchise disputes, wrongful termination and discrimination litigation, as well as a variety of professional liability, property liability, product liability cases and litigation regarding real estate matters. Mr. Bowles is also involved in litigation involving patents, trademarks and copyrights.
Mr. Bowles has litigated in the Superior Courts around Northern California, the Federal District Courts, and a variety of arbitration/mediation procedures. In 1997, Mr. Bowles, along with an associate of the firm, tried the case entitled Simon, et al v. Hofmann, et al, in Contra Costa County and were awarded the third largest verdict in the State in 1997–$44 million.
Mr. Bowles is a member of the American Bar Association, the California Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Defense Counsel, the San Francisco Bar Association, the Contra Costa County Bar Association, and the American Arbitration Association. He also serves as an arbitrator for San Francisco Superior Court and Contra Costa County Superior Court, and has been a guest speaker at various continuing education seminars including real property, property owner rights and litigation.
