Law School Mourns the Death of Richard A. Bowman (’65)

Richard A. “Dick” Bowman (’65), renowned product liability litigator and founding partner of the law firm Bowman and Brooke, passed away Sept. 7. He was 75.

Raised on an Iowa turkey farm, Bowman graduated magna cum laude from Cornell College in 1962 and attended the Law School on a full scholarship, graduating cum laude and Order of the Coif. He began his career as a trial lawyer at the firm now known as Gray Plant Mooty. In 1985, he cofounded Bowman and Brooke with his good friend Jeffrey R. Brooke (’69) and launched a national practice that would see him dubbed the “father figure of automotive transport litigation.” Bowman first-chaired nearly 100 emotionally charged cases in 37 states, including the landmark crashworthiness case Larsen v. General Motors Corp. He testified before Congressional subcommittees and the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding product liability, was cited by The National Law Journal as a “litigation trailblazer,” and was named a Minnesota Super Lawyer every year since the honor’s inception. He retired in 2012 but remained of counsel with Bowman and Brooke until his death.

“Dick’s energy, enthusiasm, and compassion endure through those of us who knew him and through the core values he instilled in our firm,” said Paul Cereghini, Bowman and Brooke chairman. “For decades, Dick’s larger-than-life personality dominated courtrooms coast-to-coast—anytime, anywhere, fearless and peerless.”

Away from the office, Bowman was a hot-air balloonist, a ballroom dance competitor, a cross-country motorcyclist, an animal lover, and an avid reader. He served on the boards of the Minneapolis Aquatennial, Calvary Lutheran Church of Golden Valley, the Twin Cities choir Magnum Chorum, and the Lafayette Club.

Bowman is survived by his wife, Terri; children Robert, Kimberly, Lori, and Lance; and granddaughter Brenna.

A memorial will be held Sunday, Sept. 18, from 1-4 p.m. at the Lafayette Club, 2800 Northview Road, Minnetonka Beach, Minn. Memorials are preferred to the Animal Humane Society of Golden Valley or the Delta Phi Rho Lecture Fund at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.