News

February 5, 2010

Ed Dowd, Jr. Mentioned in Post-Dispatch Column on Terror Trials

New York City does not want the Sept. 11 terrorism trials. St. Louis should volunteer for them.

We have a brand new federal courthouse. The city has a brand new jail just a couple of blocks away. Surely, something could be worked out.

What would St. Louis get? Two things we always want — publicity and money. Tons of publicity. Millions and millions of federal dollars.

I am not suggesting we let New York use St. Louis as a venue for New York lawyers to try the cases. I am suggesting St. Louis take over the trial.

February 1, 2010

Ed Dowd and Jim Bennett Included Among Best Lawyers in St. Louis

The Best Lawyers publication and St. Louis Magazine feature Ed Dowd among the Best Lawyers in St. Louis for Corporate Governance and Compliance Law and Jim Bennett among the Best Lawyers for Commercial Litigation, including the areas of Civil Litigation and White-Collar Defense.

January 15, 2010

John Comerford Named to St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40″ (link opens a PDF)

On November 19, 2009, the St. Louis Business Journal chose its 2010 40 Under 40 award winners. One of Dowd Bennett’s own, John Comerford, received the honor.

The honorees — all younger than 40 — were chosen by a panel of Business Journal editors and former winners based on career achievements and community work. A record number of nominations were received for this year’s awards.

October 23, 2009

Judge: Monkey is Not a Service Animal

A federal judge has rejected a Springfield woman’s claim that her monkey was a service animal and that she was disabled.

Debby Rose had sued the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, CoxHealth hospital and a Springfield Wal-Mart because she was not allowed to take the monkey, named Richard, into restaurants and other businesses.

October 23, 2009

‘Devastating’ Ruling for Woman

A Springfield woman who fought to have her monkey declared a service animal said Thursday she was shocked a federal judge rejected her lawsuit.

“It’s devastating; it’s devastating,” Debby Rose said of the outcome of her lawsuit against the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, Cox Health and Wal-Mart East.

“I feel like I’m discriminated against in Greene County. What can I say?”

October 2, 2009

Ed Dowd, Jr. Featured in St. Louis Business Journal (link opens a PDF)

Catch trial attorney Ed Dowd Jr. down on the family farm near St. Clair, Mo., and he’s known as “Slim” and one of the finer horsemen in the Dowd clan.

He greets everyone with “partner.” “Slim” is embroidered on his chaps.

“He insisted when we were at the farm we all have cowboy names,” said his brother James “Kid Shelleen” Dowd, a former Missouri Court of Appeals justice now in private practice.

September 14, 2009

Fired ALJs Can Keep their Jobs, Cole County Judge Says

A Cole County judge said three administrative law judges can’t be terminated from their positions for budgetary reasons.

Earlier this year, five administrative law judge positions were dismissed from their posts. Four of the judges were let go, and a retiring judge was not replaced. Gov. Jay Nixon said the move was meant as a cost-cutting measure in the midst of a tough budgetary situation.

But three of the judges – Henry Herschel, John A. Tackes and Matthew Murphy – sued to keep their positions. They argued that they could only be dismissed under a specific system set up in the state’s statutes.

August 28, 2009

Dowd Bennett Among Small Firms Working for Fortune 100 Clients

Five Missouri firms with fewer than 50 attorneys also got work from the Fortune 100, giving credence to managing partners’ assertions that big companies have been willing to look beyond the large national firms to smaller, less expensive firms to save on outside counsel costs.

August 26, 2009

Cole County Judge Set to Rule on Firings of Administrative Law Judges

The futures of three administrative law judges are in the hands of a Cole County judge.

Attorneys presented final arguments on Wednesday in a case deciding whether the three ALJs can stay on job. Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration dismissed Henry Herschel, Matthew Murphy and John Tackes earlier this year, citing budgetary concerns. Two other judges’ positions were also cut.

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem issued a preliminary injunction earlier this year that prevents the Nixon administration from firing or retaliating against the three judges. The plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction that would keep them in place.

July 24, 2009

James E. Crowe III Joins Dowd Bennett

St. Louis firm Dowd Bennett announced James E. Crowe III joined the firm in June. Crowe served for the past five years as an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.