Attorney Profiles
James E. Towery 1960 The Alameda Suite 200 San Jose, California 95126-1451 |  |
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Jim has been handling civil litigation matters in Santa Clara County for over 30 years, focusing on professional responsibility matters and complex business litigation. He has represented a broad range of lawyers and law firms, health care professionals, and public entities in defending claims of professional negligence and ethical issues. Jim is recognized by his peers as an outstanding trial lawyer, as demonstrated by his election to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He has also been selected as a Northern California SuperLawyer for professional liability from 2006-2010.
Jim comes to RHRC from his position as Chief Trial Counsel of the State Bar of California, a position he held from 2010-2011. As Chief Trial Counsel, Jim was in charge of the California attorney disciplinary system, responsible for several national innovations in prosecuting disciplinary offenses. He previously served as President of the State Bar of California, President of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, chair of the California Discipline Committee, and chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Client Protection. Jim has been a member of the adjunct faculties of Santa Clara University School of Law (2006-present) and Lincoln Law School-San Jose (2002-2010).
Jim is a graduate of Princeton University and Emory University School of Law. He is married to Karyn Sinunu-Towery. Jim has one son, Lt. Col. Mark Towery. Jim and Karyn share five grandchildren.
- Education:
- Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia,
1976
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey,
1973
B.S., Bachelor of Science
- Published Works:
- "Clients Have a Right to Know Attorneys' Insurance Status" , California Bar Journal, August, 2006
- "Dividing Attorney Fees Among Successive Attorneys-Settled and Unsettled Areas of Law Under Fracasse" (co-author with Julia M. Hollenbeck), 33 Lincoln Law Review 105, 2005
- "Should Disclosure of Malpractice Insurance Be Mandatory - Pro", GPSolo (publication of ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section, Vol. 20, No. 3 , April/May, 2003
- "The Case in favor of Mandatory Disclosure of Malpractice Insurance", The Professional Lawyer, Vol. 14, No. 3, Winter, 2003
- "Introduction to ABA Standing Committee on Client Protection's Survey of Fee Arbitration Programs", July, 2000
- "Effective Fee Agreements", ABA Journal , September, 1997
- "Discipline Reform in California" (co-author with Judy Johnson, Stuart Forsyth, and Tracy Genesen), Professional Lawyer, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, November, 1995
- "Getting Off to a Good Start: The Initial Client Interview", Legal Secretary, February, 1998
- "Malpractice Insurance Should Be Mandatory", California Law, Vol. 5, No. 7, July, 1985
- "Abortion Advertising and the First Amendment- Bigelow v. Virginia (1975) 95 S.Ct. 2222", 24 Emory Law Journal 1165 , 1975
- Representative Clients:
- County of Santa Clara
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
- Alexian Brothers Hospital
- Stanford University Hospital
- Classes/Seminars Taught:
- "Professional Responsibility", Lincoln Law School, 2002 - 2010
- "The Legal Profession" , Santa Clara University School of Law (2006, 2009)
- "Interviewing and Counseling" , Santa Clara University School of Law, 2007 - 2010
- Honors and Awards:
- Douglas Pyne (Best Oralist), Emory Law School, 1975
- Best Lawyers of America, Ethics and Professional Responsibility; Commercial Litigation, 2010
- Superlawyers of Northern California, Professional Liability - Defense, 2006 - 2010
- Professional Lawyer of the Year (Santa Clara County Bar Association), 2004
- Byrl Salsman Award ((Santa Clara County Bar Association), 2000
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Santa Clara County Bar Association, 1989 - Present
- President
- Santa Clara County Bar Association
- President-Elect, 1988
- State Bar of California - Task Force on Insurance Disclosure, 2005 - 2007
- Chair
- State Bar of California - Commission on Multi-Jurisdictional Practice, 2001 - 2004
- Member (appointed by Chief Justice George)
- State Bar of California - Continuing Education of the Bar Governing Board
- Vice-Chair
- State Bar of California, 1994 - 1995
- Vice-President
- State Bar of California - Board of Governors, 1992 - 1995
- Member (representing District 13)
- State Bar of California - Board Discipline Committee, 1994 - 1995
- Chair
- State Bar of California - State Bar Fee Arbitration Program, 1991 - 1992
- Presiding Arbitrator
- State Bar of California - Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee
- Chair (1988), Vice-Chair (1985), and Member (1984-1988)
- American Bar Association - House of Delegates, 1989 - 1998
- Member
- American Bar Association - Standing Committee on Client Protection
- Chair (1998-2000), Member (1996-2002)
- American Bar Association - Joint Committee on Lawyer Regulation/Planning Implementation Committee, 2003 - Present
- Member
- American Bar Association - House of Delegates, 1989 - 1996
- Member (representing Santa Clara County Bar Association)
- Santa Clara County Bar Association Law Foundation
- Member, Board of Trustees (1987-1992)
- Inns of Court, Santa Clara Valley Chapter
- Bencher, 1988-present; Member, Executive Committee, 2005-2010
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2004 - Present
- Member
- Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL)
- Member (2002-2010); Chair, Membership Committee (2008-2010)
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 2009 - 2011
- Lawyer Representative
- Past Employment Positions:
- State Bar of California, Chief Trial Counsel, July 12, 2010 - July 1, 2011
- Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc., Partner, 1990-2010, May 15, 1989 - July 9, 2010
- Morgan & Towery, Partner, 1979 - 1989
- Morgan, Beauzay, Hammer, Ezgar, Bledsoe & Rucka, Associate, 1977 - 1979
