Partner

Legal Experience

Mr. McDowell concentrates on ERISA matters, advising boards of trustees and staff of multi-employer pension and welfare plans and handling various types of plan litigation. He also assists plans in compliance with Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service requirements. Mr. McDowell has extensive experience in appellate litigation, having argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Iowa Supreme Court and the Illinois Appellate Court.
Before joining Arnold and Kadjan in 1992, Mr. McDowell engaged in a wide variety of legal work, including serving as a clerk to Judge John Coffey of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, acting as general counsel for an advocacy organization, acting as an attorney and hearing officer for the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board and practicing labor law for a private law firm in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bar Admissions

Illinois Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
Wisconsin Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana

Bar Associations and Other Memberships

Wisconsin Bar Association
Louisiana Bar Association

Education

University of Iowa, J.D. with high distinction, 1977

• Order of the Coif member, a law honor society for those whose scholastic records are within the top 10% of the graduating class

University of Iowa, B.A. with highest distinction, 1974