Donald Dowling was born and raised in San Bruno and is the product of the City’s fine public school’s education. Currently, Mr. Dowling is a partner at Ross, Hackett, Dowling, Valencia & Walti. Mr. Dowling’s extensive legal career has shaped him into the attorney he is today.
During his second year at the University of San Francisco, Donald Dowling began working for Melvin Belli’s nationally renowned personal injury law firm. After his graduation, Mr. Dowling became an associate at the firm where he worked on products liability, aviation, class action and medical malpractice cases. In 1980 Mr. Dowling decided to return to his roots, and joined a small firm in San Bruno, then known as Ross, Hackett & Segal. Saul Ross, the firm’s founder, became Mr. Dowling’s mentor and dear friend. Mr. Ross had a wide breadth of experience, having served as a military attorney during World War II, then later as the City Attorney for San Bruno and subsequently as San Bruno City Judge. During his legal career, Mr. Ross handled cases in virtually every area of the law, from capital criminal cases, personal injury, business, estate and family law. Regardless of the type of case, Saul Ross approached the matter with diligence, enthusiasm, and remarkable keen legal insight. Even more importantly, he always placed his client’s interest as the top priority, and strived to obtain for them the best, yet pragmatic result. This ethic was passed to Don Dowling.
Initially, Mr. Dowling focused his practice on personal injury, automobile accidents, defective products, and medical malpractice. Over the years, at the insistence of his mentor, Mr. Dowling has expanded his practice to include most areas of civil litigation, including elder abuse, real estate, business and estate cases. In addition, his practice provides estate planning and elder law planning for his clients.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES:
California State Bar, Since 1979
AREAS OF CONCENTRATION:
Civil Litigation
Personal Injury
Products Liability
Medical Malpractice
Elder Abuse & Elder Law
Real Estate Litigation
Business Litigation
Probate Litigation
Estate Planning
EDUCATION:
University of San Francisco
Juris Doctor, 1979
University of California, Davis
Bachelor of Arts, 1975
Academic All American in Basketball
PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Current Member of the San Mateo County Bar Association
10-year Member of the San Bruno Planning Commission
Former Board of Director of the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society
Former Board of Director of the San Mateo Bar Association
Former Board of Director of the San Mateo Trial Lawyers Association
Former Board of Director of the Woodside High School Foundation
AWARDS & RECOGNITION:
Received Martindale Hubbell Highest Rating for Legal Ability and Ethics Standards each year for the past 15 years
Named Super Lawyer by San Francisco Magazine for 8 of the last 10 years.
San Mateo County Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2008
REPRESENTATIVE CASES:
Product Liability Case, (1993): Jury verdict in Plaintiff’s favor. Found product defective and awarded $2.7 Million.
Plaintiff v. Kaiser, (2006): Jury verdict in Plaintiff’s favor. Found liable for failure to diagnose cancer and awarded $1.2 Million.
Personal Injury Case, (2002): Recreational activity accident resulting in serious injury. Jury verdict awarded Plaintiff $875,000.
San Bruno Pipeline Explosion vs. PG&E, (2012-2013): Elected to the Executive Committee for the coordinated litigation proceeding. Personally represented 37 Plaintiffs. Settlement obtained, terms confidential.
“Butte Fire Cases” vs. PG&E (2016): Ongoing.
