James A. Lowery and Michael J. Ramirez have joined Gordon & Rees as a partners in the firm’s Dallas office. They are members of the firm’s Environmental/Toxic Tort and Commercial Litigation practice groups. Mr. Lowery and Mr. Ramirez join the firm from the Dallas office of Husch Blackwell, LLP.
Mr. Lowery has achieved favorable verdicts in several high-risk cases on behalf of manufacturers, premises owners and contractors in product liability and mass tort cases. He has first chaired more than 40 major trials in multiple jurisdictions, including Texas, New York and California. He also maintains a significant consulting practice, advising businesses, industry groups and the financial community on litigation issues. Mr. Lowery previously served more than four years as lead in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 corporation, supervising its national asbestos, welding rod and other toxic tort litigation.
Mr. Ramirez has represented manufacturers, premises owners, distributors, and contractors in product liability and mass tort litigation and trials throughout the country. He has broad based experience in commercial litigation matters and has prosecuted and defended businesses in matters involving fraud, breach of contract, real estate, business disputes, tortious interference, theft of trade secrets, data breach and privacy investigations, government contracts, CFAA and TCPA matters, as well as internal company investigations. Mr. Ramirez previously served as a claims counsel in the professional liability lines for a major insurance carrier where he handled coverage issues and claims and supervised litigation and trials. He began his career as a prosecutor where he also tried a substantial number of cases.
“Over the last decade, I have had several opportunities to be co-defense counsel with both Jim and Mike and know first-hand what accomplished trial lawyers they are. It is very exciting to have them on our team.” said Michael Pietrykowski, practice group leader of the firm's Environmental/Toxic Tort group.
Mr. Lowery earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is admitted to practice in Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Ramirez earned his B.A. from the University of Utah and his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Texas.
One of the fastest-growing firms in the country, Gordon & Rees is a national litigation and business transactional firm with more than 650 lawyers and 37 offices in 24 states. Gordon & Rees is currently the 71st largest law firm in the United States, and ranks No. 21 on the American Lawyer’s Diversity Scorecard. Gordon & Rees has been recognized on the "BTI Client Service A-Team" survey in each of the past five years and has been honored as a 2015 "Go-To Law Firm" for Fortune 500 companies.