Professional Experience
Brian Howie is a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group and the Appellate Practice subgroup. His practice areas include commercial and complex litigation, alcohol beverage law, defamation law, and appellate litigation. He has represented clients in the alcohol beverage, financial services, oil & gas and direct sales industries in state and federal courts nationwide. Brian also has substantial experience in class actions. Representative matters includes:
- Serving as National Alcohol Beverage Law Counsel to the second-largest brewer in the United States.
- Successful defense of a large financial institution in a complex real estate litigation matter.
- Representation of a direct sales company in internet defamation, disparagement, and class action lawsuits.
- Defense of a leading supplier of semiconductor devices in a patent licensing dispute.
- Defense of a major oil & gas producer against Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (PMPA), antitrust and state franchise law claims brought by terminated service station dealers.
- Representation of tobacco farmers and quota holders in a class action suit against tobacco companies and leaf buying companies regarding price fixing at tobacco auctions. Case resulted in a large, favorable settlement for the class.
Education and Honors
- Washington and Lee University School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 1996)
John W. Davis Prize (Valedictorian). Order of the Coif.
Washington and Lee Law Review (Senior Articles Editor and Staff Writer).
Clerk, Hon. Rhesa H. Barksdale, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (1996-1997).
- Middlebury College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1993)
Phi Beta Kappa.
Bar Admissions
Arizona,
2008
District of Columbia,
1998
Virginia,
1996
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2008
U.S. Supreme Court, 2003
U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, 2001
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2000
U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, 1999
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1997