Clifford Dowell

828-***-****

ad3q1n@r.postjobfree.com

Committed Legal Professional with over 20+ years’ experience in the Legal Field performing witness interviews, in-depth research, litigation in courtroom settings, and facilitating mediation sessions. Dedicated to being prompt, with attention to detail and extremely adaptive.

Highlights

Licensed Attorney and Counselor at Law with the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners

Admitted to the Federal District Court of Western North Carolina and other Federal Courts

LLM Study in Taxation

Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code Expert

Experienced in Trust Administration

Experienced and proficient with Administrative Law and Compliance issues for various government agencies

UDAAP and CFPB expert

Scored significantly above national average on MBE

20+ Years’ Experience in the Legal Field

FDCPA Certified

Creditor Rights Collections and Foreclosure experience

Detailed Researcher

Discovery/Interrogatories and Deposition of parties

Skilled Mediator

Court Procedures/Appearances

Contract Negotiations

Strong leadership skills and open to taking direction

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Superb written and verbal communication skills

Adaptable in diverse populations and settings

Experience

Attorney 5/2006-Present

Clifford Dowell, Esq., Asheville, North Carolina

Currently representing banks such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Synchrony Bank, among others, with judgement actions against debtors. Associating with several law firms throughout the State of North Caroling with similar actions against debtors. Advisor regarding all facets of Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. Extensive knowledge of the SEC and form filing using the EDGAR system. Advisor to a variety of small and start-up companies regarding business structure and extensive researcher relating to the structure of the C corporation for various Fortune 500 companies. Constant contact with the SEC to stay abreast and updated on various changes in regulations, along with decisions in civil and criminal cases. Familiarity with live programs and webinars to counsel clients with the latest information regarding rules of investment and Securities Law.

Intensive training in Trust Administration, particularly with the sale of real estate as Trustee. Proficient with Project Management and Supply Chain Management and issues relating to export and import such as documentation, inspection, transportation, heavy equipment, and logistics. Also, a comprehensive understanding of contracts regarding various types of leases, leaseback, buying and selling and other provisions and stipulations that facilitate domestic and international trade. Capable of interpreting rules, regulations, and complex compliance matters such as those with the Internal Revenue Code, that allow for conflict management if issues should arise or even before issues arise.

Assisted attorney and patent law professor with research, documenting and filing patent prosecution cases while he was teaching patent prosecution at the LLM level. There were several successful gaming companies involved with his representation, including Sony. He taught the specifics of patent law and prosecution and afforded the opportunity to help with his cases. The detailed hands-on experience was invaluable.

Assisted attorney and tax law professor with extensive and extraordinarily complex Federal Tax Law for individuals, corporations, and capital gains taxation on dividends. We analyzed the issue of double taxation. Also, I was also able to grasp, in depth, why businesses choose various business structures such as partnerships, limited liability partnerships, corporations and limited liability corporations.

Litigated criminal court cases at the District Court level up to the Superior court level. Assisted and counselled clients that minimized their exposure to the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Reached favorable outcomes on occasions when evidence was overwhelming against clients.

Settled and mediated several small to medium range personal injury cases that proved favorable to clients and yielded several thousands of dollars on their behalf. Collected the information from the accident reports, along with the records from medical care providers, all the way to the mediation and litigation setting as first chair lawyer. Managed the caseload and gave my clients detailed advice to the best of my ability on a variety of options and choices on how to proceed with their cases and issues. Strategic and tactical decisions were made on whether to settle, mediate or litigate.

Performed title research for real estate purchases/issues to allow individual clients to buy/own property or to determine the ownership/rights to property on behalf of individual and business clients.

Reached a settlement in an Employment Discrimination and EEOC case against a Fortune 500 Company after mediation proved unsuccessful and litigation was too risky. The case began at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and developed into a highly complex legal issue. I investigated and interviewed several employees from the company to gather an accurate account of what happened at the workplace. Intense negotiations led to an amicable settlement on behalf of my client. I also am representing a client with a workplace retaliatory termination case that involves the North Carolina Department of Labor.

Completed several Pro Bono projects ranging from the infrastructure of law, practice of law and life of an attorney choosing ethics and responsibility while resisting temptations that would fracture the longstanding foundation of American Jurisprudence.

Attorney 5/1999-5/2006

Law Office of Max Ferree, Wilkesboro, North Carolina

●Assisted Senior Attorney with Criminal, Civil, Corporate and Divorce cases. Senior Attorney Max Ferree would bring the cases in with his fifty plus years of practicing law and assign the cases to me for completion with his guidance. Researched complex legal and litigation issues while communicating with attorneys around the country for highly complex civil and corporate matters.

●Helped bring several cases into the firm with a developing reputation. Got the “dos and the don’ts” on how to be a highly effective attorney from an attorney with over fifty years’ experience. Learned management, business style and corporate litigation settings.

●Was referred to be Corporate Counsel at a Fortune 500 Company, Lowe’s Companies, with the lead General Counsel, whom Attorney Ferree had mentored, trained and tutored.

●Helped in the decision making on whether to accept or decline several cases.

●Extensively researched a highly complex and emotional legal matter: Elder Abuse in North Carolina nursing homes. I was assigned the task of figuring out why so much abuse was taking place in the early 2000s and whether we would accept any cases.

●Consulted with Attorney Ferree on a marketing strategy for the law office for the both of us. He proposed a great idea to spend several thousand dollars of his money on television advertising for the office with his extensive experience and my youthful eagerness to do the work. Served

as an investment advisor to Attorney Ferree while practicing law. I was mentored that is best to know “something about everything, rather than knowing everything about something.” The advice proved valuable for life, the practice of law and being an in-house corporate attorney.

Attorney 8/1998-5/1999

The McElwee Firm, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina

●Assisted Senior Partners with counsel of two Fortune 500 Companies, Lowe’s Companies and Tyson Chicken and several furniture companies with advice and regulatory compliance such as securities compliance and environmental waste adherence with toxic chemicals released from the furniture companies. The firm played a large part in everyday operations of the companies as lead outside counsel. I was a part of opinions and decision making at weekly corporate law meetings.

●Worked on a multimillion-dollar settlement of a wrongful death case against a Fortune 500 Company. Gathered the medical records, consulted with the health care providers, and researched and retrieved the main piece of evidence in a rural North Carolina salvage yard.

● That evidence, the wrecked vehicle, precipitated a multimillion settlement following an exhausting mediation, which I was third-chair attorney.

●Worked as third-chair attorney on a capital murder case investigating and interviewing witnesses. Thorough research and groundwork yielded our client a prison sentence rather than the death penalty, if convicted, in a case in which the evidence was overwhelming against him.

●Worked with Senior Attorney at the pretrial stage interviewing witnesses for an appeal to the North Carolina Court of Appeals for a convicted death row inmate.

●Performed in-depth research into one of North Carolina’s longest standing divorce cases. I collected and organized data and traveled to court appearances on behalf of our multimillion-dollar client.

●Assisted Senior Partner transfer his civil caseload to me as he prepared for his retirement from the practice of law. These cases ranged from car accidents to family law cases. I, essentially, managed every one of the cases.

●Corresponded constantly and negotiated with adjustors and collected and retrieved insurance information in preparation for trial, if necessary, on behalf of our clients. Wrote dozens of demand letters, consulted with doctors and nurses, and counselled clients on workable options at the pretrial stage.

●Received hands on training and direct experience from a Senior Partner in Real Estate Law on how to be a lead attorney on a major highway project with issues such as Imminent Domain. Got to see the difficulty of trying to negotiate with several landowners, easement owners and various rights owners to allow completion of the multi-million-dollar project. Also, the result of the project led to even more legal business in the nature of “second homes” being built with a newer and safer transportation route.

Legal Intern 6/1996-8/1996

Rodriguez and Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela

●I interned for the law firm Rodriguez and Mendoza, who were lead counsel for the Venezuelan Government’s oil and energy exploration. Venezuela is an OPEC Country and rich in energy exploration. However, the Venezuelan Government has complete control over its oil and energy program. The firm, as lead counsel in certain roles for the Venezuelan Government, was also able to serve as lead counsel for foreign investors in the oil and energy consortium. I interpreted contracts on behalf of the firm for their American clients such as Nations Bank (now Bank of America) that were supplying funding for some of the exploration by various international companies.

●Also, I got to look at Latin American Legal Systems from an American perspective, such as, when a foreign corporation (a U.S. Company) must sue the Venezuelan Government, as they had complete state control of oil and energy. I learned it is much more difficult to sue, as a private foreign investment company based in the United States, a National Government, such as Venezuela, whom the company was doing business with, compared to a private company based within Venezuela. I was afforded the opportunity, firsthand, to see the decision making of a Venezuelan Supreme Court Justice in a landmark case against the Venezuelan Government by private U.S. oil and energy investments companies in 1996.

●I was mentored by Senior Partners at Rodriguez and Mendoza on how to counsel corporations and investors with the dangers of foreign investments in countries with volatile foundations. That can come in the form of security, rules and laws or monetary issues such as the volatile Venezuelan Bolivar.

Education

Nova Southeastern University School of Law, J.D., Dean’s List

North Carolina Central University, B.B.A.-Finance, Dean’s List

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