George Dowell joined Willoughby, Stuart & Bening in 2008, representing businesses and individuals in transactions and litigation as well as insurance coverage disputes. Mr. Dowell has particular expertise litigating environmental cases arising out of California’s Proposition 65 (“Prop 65”). He practices in both State and Federal Courts in California.
Additionally, Mr. Dowell was included on the 2013 list of Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
He obtained an Economics degree from the University of Washington in Seattle where he was a member of the National Championship rowing team. Prior to obtaining his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, Mr. Dowell worked as a treasury market analyst with a private bank in Seattle, and taught economics at The Gow School in New York, one of the world's preeminent boarding schools for boys with dyslexia.
Mr. Dowell lives in San Jose with his wife and two sons. When he's not in the office, he enjoys basketball and finding reasons to be golfing.
Representative Transactions:
- Formation of Entities
- Creation of Operating Agreements
- Negotiating Contracts
- Negotiating Licensing Agreements
- Shareholder/Member Buyouts
- Asset Purchase and Sales
- Leases
- Joint Ventures
Representative Litigations:
- Successively challenged minority shareholder buyout provision.
- Prevailed on claim that limitation of damages provision in commercial contract could not be enforced.
- Successfully enforced alter ego liability in recovery of fraud damages from business owner.
- Obtained judgment for fraud arising from purchase and sale of business.
- Successfully obtained order from court requiring insurance company withholding benefits from Insured Corporation.
- Prevailed on claim seeking injunction to prevent competitor from misappropriating client's trade secrets.
- Successfully resolved claim on behalf of client seeking policy benefits from insurance company following fire loss.
- Successfully obtained benefits in excess of limits from tenant's insurance policy following a fire at client's commercial property.
- Obtained insurance benefits for an auto dealership being sued for violation of Truth-In-Lending statutes and negotiated a favorable of resolution of the related class-action litigation.
- Won a judgment, including attorney’s fees, in favor of the buyer of a business where the seller committed fraud and failed to deliver trade secrets and intellectual property (Kitichatpayak v. Cayton, et al.).
- Successfully prevailed on motion for summary judgment to pierce the corporate veil and maintain personal liability of an owner/broker who failed to provide adequate insurance coverage, resulting in a favorable settlement of claims brought by the insured.
- Negotiated terms of a municipal redevelopment loan allowing a commercial client to construct a mixed-use building.
