Mr. Cowen associated with the Firm in 1984 and has been a shareholder of the Firm since 1993.
His principal area of practice is environmental law and litigation. Prior to working for the Firm, Mr. Cowen served as a Public Utilities Trial Attorney for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Mr. Cowen has worked on over 300 environmentally impacted sites thoughout the United States, many of which involved litigation with private entities contributing to the contamination. Mr. Cowen represents a variety of clients, from major companies, such as the BNSF Railway Company, BP America Inc., Stewart Title Guaranty Company, and Galveston Wharves, to individuals and smaller companies.
AWARDS AND HONORS
•Articles Editor, University of Houston Law Review.
•Member University of Houston ABA Regional Moot Court Team.
•Research fellow (Natural Gas Regulation).
•Teaching fellow (Legal Research and Writing).
•Member, University of Houston Board of Advocates.
•Recipient of two academic scholarships.
•Member Phi Delta Phi, legal academic honors society.
•Rated “AV Preeminent” (highest rating possible) by Martindale-Hubbell
•Outstanding Humanities Major 1979.
•Dean’s List all semesters.
•Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
•Alpha Chi and Sigma Tau Delta academic honor societies.
•Vice President, Marketing Society.
•Vice President, Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society).
•Member, Student Senate (two years).
•Precinct Election Judge, Walker County, Texas.
•Academic Scholarship Recipient.
OPINIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
•Speaker, Fall 2001 Pacific Conference (Environmental Law Program), National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (Santa Barbara, California)
•Speaker, 2003 Southwest and Pacific Regions Combined Meeting, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (New Orleans)
•Speaker, November 2002, Railroad Environmental Conference (Champagne-Urbana, Ill.)
•Speaker, Summer 2005, “Environmental Legislative Update”, Texas Port Authorities Annual Meeting
•Speaker, Summer 2005, AAR Environmental Counsel Meeting (Washington, D.C.)
•David E. Cowen, Using the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act as a Cost Recovery Tool Against Prior Owners and Operators of Underground and Above Ground Petroleum Storage Tank Systems, 34 Tex. Env. L. J. 24 (2003)
•Editor, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel Environmental Webpage and Database.
Legal Communications, University of Houston Law Center, 1981. Precinct Chairman, and Election Chairman, Walker County, Texas, 1978-1979; Speaker, Fall 2001 Pacific Conference (Environmental Law Program), National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (Santa Barbara, California); Speaker, 2003 Southwest and Pacific Regions Combined Meeting, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (New Orleans); Speaker, November 2002, Railroad Environmental Conference (Champagne-Urbana, Ill.); Speaker, Summer 2005, "Environmental Legislative Update", Texas Port Authorities Annual Meeting; Speaker, Summer 2005, AAR Environmental Counsel Meeting (Washington, D.C.); Publications: David E. Cowen, Using the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act as a Cost Recovery Tool Against Prior Owners and Operators of Underground and Above Ground Petroleum Storage Tank Systems, 34 Tex. Env. L. J. 24 (2003); Editor, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel Environmental Webpage and Database (2001-2004). Member: Galveston and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Texas; National Association of Railroad Counsel (Member, Environmental Committee); Texas Association of Defense Counsel.
