Practice Areas:
- Business Tax Planning
- State and Local Tax Litigation
- Civil Litigation
- Appellate Practice
- Business Transactions
- Corporate Law
- Oil and Gas Law
- Natural Resources Law
- Campaign and Election Law
Education:
University of Wyoming, B.S. in accounting, with honors, 2000
University of Texas School of Law, 2003
Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society
Professional Affiliations:
Colorado Bar Association
Louisiana State Bar Association*
Wyoming State Bar**
American Bar Association
Bar Admissions:
Colorado - 2003
Louisiana - 2004
Wyoming - 2005
U.S. District Court, District of Wyoming
Experience:
Ms. McDowell spent the first four years of her career as an attorney in a state and local tax litigation boutique where she honed her tax expertise while developing a proficiency in trial and appellate practice. Primarily servicing oil, gas, natural resources and chemical companies, she guides taxpayers through audit, refund, protest and other administrative processes; works with tax authorities to obtain positive outcomes for her clients; and litigates state and local tax disputes. Since joining the Firm, Ms. McDowell’s experience with government regulators and administrative agencies has been invaluable as her practice has expanded to include corporate, oil and gas, and natural resources law along with general business litigation, business transactions and campaign law.
Ms. McDowell earned her juris doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law where she was the Special Events Editor for The Review of Litigation journal. A Wyoming native, she was the top accounting graduate at the University of Wyoming and received numerous awards throughout her undergraduate career including: Wyoming Society of CPAs’ Outstanding Senior, Outstanding Junior Accounting Student and Outstanding Sophomore Accounting Student.
Ms. McDowell is the author of “Update on the Hatfields and McCoys: Did the Tax Collectors and Producer-Processors’ Collaboration Solve Wyoming’s Gas Valuation Problem?” National Association of Division Order Analysts, Volume MMVIII, No. 3 (September 2008); “Your CEO Must Sign on the Dotted Line! The Louisiana Department of Revenue Defines Who Can Validly Sign Agreements,” Louisiana State and Local Tax Report, Volume 15, No. 4, State Tax Press (Apr. 2006) and “Confidentiality of Juvenile Information Since the Public Information Act,” Texas State Bar Juvenile Section Report, Volume 17, No. 2 (June 2003). She also taught a Continuing Legal Education seminar entitled “Sales and Use Tax: A Beginner’s Basic Course.”
*Per Louisiana Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4, the descriptions of our fields of practice do not state or imply certification, specialization or expertise in any particular area of law, unless the description specifically states that the particular lawyer holds a certification or other expertise recognized by the applicable State Bar or regulatory authority.
** "The Wyoming State Bar does not certify any lawyer as a specialist, or expert. Anyone considering a lawyer should independently investigate the lawyer's credentials and ability, and not rely upon advertisements, or self-proclaimed expertise." -- Rule 7.2, Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct |
