Litigating alcohol beverage, commercial, appellate and class actions

An experienced litigator, Brian Howie brings deep knowledge of the industries in which his clients operate to the advice and representation he provides. He focuses his practice on:

• Alcohol beverage law, including regulatory compliance, supplier-distributor issues, legislative activity at the state and federal level, and dispute resolution.
• Complex commercial litigation, including trade channel and distributor/dealer litigation and class actions.
• Appellate litigation

Tailoring both litigation prevention and litigation strategies to the operational realities and specific business needs of his clients, Brian has represented clients in the alcohol beverage, direct sales, oil and gas, and financial services industries in state and federal courts nationwide.

Bar Admissions

• Arizona
• District of Columbia
• Virginia

Education

• Middlebury College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1993)
  • Phi Beta Kappa

• 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)

• 1800 Ocotillo, LLC v. The WLB Group, Inc.: Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Liability-Limitation Clauses
• Appraisers Beware: Arizona Court Finds Appraisers Have Duty to Homebuyer
• Rent-A-Center v. Jackson: Delegation of Unconscionability Challenges to Arbitrators
• The "Sham Affidavit" Rule: Not Quite As Broad as You Might Have Thought