OCBA Appellate Law Section
Member, 2018 - Present
The California Appellate Law Podcast
Co-host, 2020 - Present
Fowler School of Law at Chapman University
Adjunct Professor, 2015 - 2017
Orange County Human Relations Commission
Commissioner, 2012 - Present
Orange County Federalist Society
Board Member, 2007 - Present
Huntington Beach Tomorrow
Board Member, 2013 - Present
Fowler School of Law, Chapman University University of California, Irvine, J.D., cum laude
Tim's practice focuses on both trials and appeals. In his litigation practice, Tim represents clients in cases involving lender disputes, real estate development disputes, trespass and easement disputes, fraud and fraudulent transfers, breaches of fiduciary duty, promissory notes, trade secrets and unfair business practices, conversion, and most types of business and financial disputes.
In his appellate practice, Tim works directly with trial attorneys throughout litigation, including dispositive motions, evidentiary hearings, trial, and posttrial motions, writs, and appeals, in state and federal courts. Tim has substantial experience in obtaining stays of judgment enforcement during appeal.
Using both trial and appellate court remedies, Tim specializes in developing unique legal strategies for his clients. Tim's trial and appellate victories total over $60 million.
Tim is co-host of the California Appellate Law Podcast, providing legal updates and practice tips to trial and appellate attorneys.
Tim taught civil procedure as an adjunct professor of law at the Fowler School of Law from 2015 to 2017.
Outside of his legal practice, Tim is active in his community in Huntington Beach. Tim and his wife, Andi, worked with councilmembers in 2017 toward making HB the third Orange County city to stop using glyphosate and toxic herbicides in city parks.
While in law school, Tim served as Editor-in-Chief of the Chapman Law Review. Before practicing law, Tim helped run a successful IT sales and consulting firm in Orange County that continues to serve small businesses and individual customers in the region. He graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in philosophy, and is an alumnus of St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower.
C&C Properties, et al. v. Shell Pipeline Co., et al. (E.D.Cal. 2019) (pipeline easement dispute resulting in $40 million judgment upon jury verdict in favor of client real estate developers)
#1 Verdict in California for Trespass and Top 20 Verdict for All Categories
Domingo Villas, Inc., et al. v. Tarnutzer (Cal.Ct.App. 2019) ($1.9 million judgment upon jury verdict reversed in favor of client real estate developer)
Yang v. Sui, et al. (San Bernardino Sup.Ct. 2018) ($10 million jury verdict in favor of client online retail business owner)
#1 Verdict in California for Fraud, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, and Conversion
Dohr v. Lintz (Cal.Ct.App. 2019) (complete defense of $25 million in claims against more than 20 defendants based on alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud, including three appeals)
Shapiro v. Dohr (Cal.Ct.App. 2017) ($5.1 million judgment in promissory note dispute reversed in favor of client real estate developer)
Casey v. Ferrante et al. (C.D.Bkr. 2015) (invalidated QPRT trust in first-of-its-kind ruling in favor of client Chapter 7 trustee)
Peterson v. Rubio (Cal.Ct.App. 2015) (rescission ordered by Court of Appeal in favor of elderly client borrower)
Citizens for a Fair Trash Contract v. City of Los Alamitos (O.C.Sup.Ct. 2011) (invalidating city trash contract on behalf of client citizen group)
Choi v. Orange County Great Park Corp. (2009) 175 Cal.App.4th 524 (awarding attorneys' fees to client citizen group in suit enforcing public disclosure concerning the Irvine Great Park)
Tim Kowal, “Are Anti-SLAPP Orders Judgments?,” CEB DailyNews (Aug. 21, 2024).
Tim Kowal, “A Day Without a Court Reporter,” Cal. Litigation (May 2024).
Tim Kowal, “Super snap removals’ not permitted in Ninth Circuit,” CEB DailyNews (April 24, 2024).
Tim Kowal, “Lack of statement of decision leads to reversal” CEB DailyNews (Dec. 14, 2023).
Tim Kowal, “How to Preserve Appellate Rights in Your Arbitration Agreement,” CEB (Nov. 9, 2023).
Tim Kowal, “Don’t Seek Default Without Notifying Opposing Counsel,” CEB (Oct. 26, 2022).
Tim Kowal, “Preparing the Appendix in Federal Appeals,” NALA, Q3 2022 Facts & Findings (Aug. 2022)
Tim Kowal, “Draft Your RFAs With Costs of Proof and Settlement in Mind,” CEB (May 13, 2022)
Tim Kowal (Presenter), “Preparing the Excerpts of Record for Federal Appeals,” NALA (Mar. 24, 2022)
Tim Kowal, “The Risks of Serving Too Many Interrogatories,” CEB (Sep. 24, 2021)
Tim Kowal, “Don't Fall Into the "No Statement of Decision" Trap,” CEB (Dec. 17, 2021)
Tim Kowal, “Making Sense of the California Supreme Court's Publication Rules,” CEB (May 21, 2021)
Tim Kowal, “Something You Didn't Know About 998 Offers,” CEB (Apr. 30, 2021)
Don't Be an Activist, Be a Neighbor: How to Persuade Your City Council, presented at the 12th Annual Golden West College Peace Conference: Peace and the Global Economy: Emerging Issues & Practical Solutions (Apr. 2018)
Timothy M. Kowal, Dirty Work: Disgorging the Profits of Trespassing Pipelines, Orange County Lawyer (Oct. 2017)
Who Will Redevelop Redevelopment?: Power and Pragmatism in California Redevelopment Law, 12 ALB. L. ENVTL. OUTLOOK J. 93 (2007)
Rethinking Eminent Domain: The Restitutionary Approach to Just Compensation, 9 CHAP. L. REV. 463 (2006) (Winner, First Prize, Pacific Legal Foundation, Seventh Annual Judicial Awareness Writing Competition, 2006)