Michael F. McGowan specializes in civil litigation, particularly the defense of insureds under professional liability and commercial general liability policies.  He has extensive experience in the area of insurance defense litigation, having represented myriad professionals in professional malpractice actions, as well as property owners in premises liability litigation and general contractors in construction accident litigation brought pursuant to sections 200, 240 and 241 of New York's Labor Law.  Mr. McGowan has also represented manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in product liability actions and has represented other types of institutional defendants in general negligence actions.  In addition, he has represented property insurers in first party actions brought by policyholders. 

Mr. McGowan is experienced in all aspects of litigation, including trials, in both state and federal court.  He has extensive appellate experience, and has argued cases before the First, Second and Fourth Departments of the Appellate Division of the State of New York.  Mr. McGowan represented Sara Garber, M.D. before the New York Court of Appeals in the landmark case of McDougald v. Garber, 73 N.Y.2d 246, 536 N.E.2d 372, 538 N.Y.S.2d 937 (1989), in which New York's highest court addressed the issue of what categories of hedonic damages are recoverable by plaintiffs in personal injury actions.

Mr. McGowan is a licensed insurance broker and regularly attends the bi-annual continuing education courses required of licensed insurance brokers in New York State .  He is also a contributor to the International Risk Management Institute's (IRMI) 2004 publication entitled Professional Liability Insurance and has been a presenter at ExecuSummit's annual seminar on errors & omissions insurance.