Benjamin W. Dowers

Partner

Benjamin W. Dowers is a partner with Gunther Legal, PLLC in the Fort Lauderdale Office. Mr. Dowers is board certified in Construction Law and handles cases and claims dealing with admiralty and maritime law, business and commercial litigation, construction law, subrogation, and automobile and trucking liability defense throughout Florida in both state and federal courts. He represents individuals and companies in state and federal courts with breach of contract disputes, business disagreements, and various other claims. Currently, Mr. Dowers is an active member of various bar associations and the Claims Litigation Management (CLM) organization.  

During his time at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Mr. Dowers served on the Florida Law Review as the Bylaws Committee Chairman,and was also a member of the Florida Moot Court Team. Prior to law school, he was a Third Mate aboard drill ships and supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and Angola, Africa. In 2006, Mr. Dowers graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of the five federal academies, on a nomination from U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and U.S. Congressman Michael Bilarakis. During his time at Kings Point, Mr. Dowers sailed to over 15 countries as a deck cadet aboard various commercial and military support ships. He obtained his U.S.C.G. Second Mates Unlimited License as well as a commission as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve

Areas of Practice

• Admiralty and Maritime Litigation and Transactions
• Construction Defect
• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Automobile and Trucking
• Premises Liability
• First Party Insurance Defense – Property Claims

Bar Admissions

• Florida, 2011
• Texas, 2017
• All U.S. District Courts in Florida 

Education

• University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
  • J.D. cum laude – 2011
  • Honors: Dean’s List
  • Honors: Book Awards in Admiralty Law and Land Use Planning
  • Honors: Member, The Florida Moot Court Team
  • Law Review: The Florida Law Review, Member & Bylaws Committee Chairman
• United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York
  • B.S. – 2006
  • Major: Maritime Business – Logistics and Intermodal Transportation

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Member, Leadership Florida Connect Class 11
• Past President, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida
• Member, Claims Litigation Management
• Member, Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club
• Member, Broward Bar Association
• Member, Federal Bar Association  
• Member, Florida Defense Lawyers Association 

Publications

• Panel Speaker, Perrin National Construction Defect Conference – 2021: A Coast-to-Coast Analysis on CD Trends, November 2021
• Panel Speaker, CLM Annual Conference – Avoiding the “Not-It” Syndrome: Keys to Risk Transfer Across Jurisdictions, August 2021
• Challenging Expert Opinions: Extrapolated Findings Based on the ASTM E2128 Standard for Evaluating Water Leakage of Building Walls, Dec 12, 2020, DRI Critical Path
• Florida §558’s Duty to Defend Challenge, CLM Construction Claims, Spring 2017
• “Necessary” Practice Pointers to Secure Maritime Liens, Federal Bar Association, Admiralitas, Summer 2017