4208 Six Forks Road Suite 1400, Raleigh, NC USA 27609
Joe Dowdy has been a go-to litigation, trial practice, and appellate practice lawyer at two AmLaw 100 law firms. As part of a national practice, he has helped clients with sophisticated problems, both inside and outside of the courtroom, for over a decade.
Mr. Dowdy’s experience includes a broad, general litigation practice involving class actions, commercial disputes and business torts, defense of consumer claims, financial services litigation, real property disputes, challenges to governmental action, and utilities litigation, including matters involving alternative energy providers and interconnection issues. His experience includes pretrial and trial work, as well as appellate advocacy, in state and federal court and in arbitrations.
Financial services companies frequently look to Mr. Dowdy to represent their interests in consumer and commercial litigation, in class action cases, and in responding to regulatory inquiries. He has extensive experience with litigation arising under the federal and state laws that govern the financial services industry, including laws concerning advertising, banking, lending disclosures, consumer protection (such as the TCPA) and loan origination, servicing, and collection.
Clients also ask Mr. Dowdy for risk mitigation and legal counseling outside of the litigation context. He advises executives and business owners regarding compliance issues, transactional matters, and negotiation strategy.
Mr. Dowdy is actively involved in the firm’s pro bono work. His contributions include filing petitions for certiorari in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of a whistleblower who uncovered Medicare fraud and homeless citizens being denied access to municipal services. He also submitted an influential amicus brief in the Massachusetts crime lab scandal case and has contributed briefing on other matters of public interest.
Mr. Dowdy holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating™ from Martindale-Hubbell®, a listing for Commercial Litigation in The Best Lawyers in America® in 2023 and the five years immediately preceding, and a designation as a North Carolina "Super Lawyer" from 2021 to 2023 and a North Carolina "Rising Star" from 2012 to 2018 by Super Lawyers magazine. He was a featured speaker at the fiftieth anniversary of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the class speaker of thirtieth class of Leadership Raleigh. In 2014, Kilpatrick Townsend awarded him its “Embracing Our Values Award” for extraordinary pro bono and community service efforts. His prior firm awarded him its Renaissance Associate Award for extraordinary achievement in client service, training, pro bono, marketing, recruiting, and mentoring. He is a 2010 graduate of the prestigious Trial Academy of the International Association of Defense Counsel.
Experience
Served as lead trial and appellate counsel for defendants in a class actions alleging, inter alia, violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, and other federal and state laws.
Assumed leadership, from another firm, of a large class action case and handled the case through verdict.
Resolved, on favorable terms, a significant class action case following judgment in favor of the class while the matter was pending on appeal.
Secured injunctive relief in multimillion-dollar renewable energy contract dispute.
Negotiated and litigated commercial disputes on behalf of the firm’s real estate and energy clients.
Coordinated effective regional litigation strategy in sophisticated jurisdictions for large regional and national financial services companies.
Obtained favorable ruling enforcing arbitration clause and rejecting an opposing party’s contention that the Bankruptcy Code preempts the Federal Arbitration Act.
Tried Fifth Amendment case for national telecommunications company following the forced relocation of telecommunications facilities by a large municipality.
Obtained favorable decisions from federal and state appellate courts in cases involving complex jurisdictional issues, discovery, and substantive law.
Led representation of a special committee of a board of directors in a large interested party merger.
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Events
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law J.D. (2003) with honors
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill B.A. (2000) Political Science, with distinction
North Carolina (2003)
West Virginia (2016)
North Carolina State, Federal, and Bankruptcy Courts
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
West Virginia State Courts and U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of West Virginia
North Carolina Court of Appeals - Honorable J. Douglas McCullough
North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys
DRI, Member, Class Action Steering Committee
North Carolina Bar Association, Member
West Virginia Bar Association, Member
American Bar Association, Member
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