Mr. Fowler is the founding partner of the international law firm, Fowler Rodriguez, with offices in New Orleans, Houston, Miami, Gulfport, Mobile, Bogotá, and Cartagena.

Mr. Fowler is recognized internationally as a trial lawyer having tried hundreds of cases to both juries and judges including high profile, complex litigation and cases of national concern.

He has written and lectured extensively on private international law and world trade.
Mr. Fowler is active in promoting trade and investment for the City of New Orleans.
Mr. Fowler works in the field of human rights and is Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Cuban American National Foundation. Mr. Fowler is a frequent guest on national television on Cuba issues.
He serves on the United States Commission on Civil Rights (Louisiana Advisory Committee).
He founded and served as Chairman of the Tulane Latin American Law Institute.
Founder, President and Board Member of the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Awarded 432 scholarships to Latino students.

Served as Chairman of the International Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
Served as Chairman of the Admiralty and Maritime Committee of the Section of International Law and Practice of the American Bar Association.
Board of Directors of the World Trade Center (Executive Committee, 2011).
The Ochsner Hospital-Alzheimer’s Board.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission Board.
Executive Board of the Southeast Louisiana Council of the Boy Scouts.
Trustee of Camillus House (Miami).
National Hispanic Steering Committee for Juntos Con Romney, 2012.
Served on the Board of the United Way.
Serves on the Maritime Law Association’s Section of the World Maritime Treaty Organization, CMI.
Mr. Fowler published a book with Amazon.com, My Cuba Libre: Bringing Fidel Castro to Justice.
Born in Havana, Cuba, on October 12, 1950.

Cases of Note

MARITIME / OFFSHORE ENERGY

Maritime Disaster:
1.Claim against Rolls-Royce on behalf of Royal Caribbean for multiple pod failures on the MILLENNIUM, INFINITY, SUMMIT and CONSTELLATION. Royal Caribbean et al v. Alstom and Rolls-Royce, Case No. 03-18350 CA 20, 11th Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida
2.QUEEN MARY 2; mermaid pod claim against Rolls-Royce. Tried and won $24 million jury verdict. Carnival v. Rolls-Royce PLC & Converteam, Case No. 08-23318-Civ-Seitz-O’Sullivan, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.
3.M/V SEABULK AMERICA- Shipyard dispute relative to defective construction of the hull; counsel for Vesta Insurance.
4.PHI-Helicopter crash on drilling rig, 15 dead -1988
5.M/V COLUMBUS-Grounding off the coast of Jamaica-2002
6.D/B TOLTECA -Pipeline damage 2000
7.M/V PROFITIS ELIAS - Grounding off Veracruz Mexico-1997
8.M/V MAY FLOWER III-Destruction of Property, Hurricane Katrina
9.M/V ARABELLA & M/V BUNKER KING-Barge breakaway incident
10.M/V GLOMAR CELTIC SEA - Mooring winch break failures - 2002
11.D/G GSF ARTIC I, Breakaway of Drilling rig during Hurricane Katrina striking Stone Energy Platform- 2005
12.GSF HIGHISLAND III- Hurricane Rita, Damage to Hog Bayou field well head
13.DEVELOPMENT DRILLER I-Salvage Claim
14.ADRIATIC VII - Damage and destruction of APACHE platform during Hurricane Rita
15.MN EL HIPPO GRANDE & TIDEMAR 265 - Arrest of vessels and crew in Guatemala.
16.M/V HATCH TIDE- Striking of pipeline causing explosion and four deaths in Santa Marta, Colombia - 1996
17.M/V CHEROKEE PRINCESS- Damage to propeller in Buenos Aires, Argentina
18.M/V KICKAPOO BELLE- Stevedore damage to crane in Mansanilla, Mexico - 2000
19.M/V CHEROKEE PRINCESS-Loss of crew at sea by wavewash-2001
20.M/S CELEBRATION - Alleged wavewash incident - 1996
21.M/SV DESTINY- Main engine breakdown - 2000
22.M/S INSPIRATION - Coral reef damage
23.M/S FANTASY - Alleged wavewash incident
24.M/V CHUCK - 1997
25.M/V TEDDY BEAR - Salvage Claim
26.M/S CRYSTAL SERENITY - Electrical failure of starboard pod
27.M/S CRYSTAL SERENITY - Generator disaster
28.D/B CHEMUL - Pemex platform broke away from its moorings and caused extensive damage in Port of Mobile during hurricane
29.M/V NORDIC- Claim against US Coast Guard for damages and loss of vessel
30.M/V BLACK RIVER- Damage to pipeline
31.M/V CASTILLO DE SALAS - Breakaway from anchor which caught on energy pipeline in the Mississippi River
32.M/V KATHY JEAN - Fishing vessel disappearance
33.McDonough BARGE ABC-71 - Crew deaths involving contaminated gas in barge
34.M/V FORUM CHEMIST - Salvage claim

Sinking:
35.M/V JOY- Sinking off the coast of New Orleans - 1975
36.M/V MR. JOHN- Sinking off the coast of Africa
37.M/V DOULA TIDE-Sinking at Port Elizabeth
38.M/V HAPPY RUNNER - Sinking in the Mississippi River
39.BARGE 269- Sinking off the coast of Mexico - 265 crewman thrown into the sea with loss of life
40.M/V OXY PRODUCER - Sinking of integrated tug and barge

Oil Spill:
41.M/V AMOCO CADIZ - providing advice to Astilleros Españoles
42.M/V STONE FUELER-Oil spill & Sinking-1998
43.M/V AELOSIS - Alleged oil spill in New Orleans- 2001
44.M/S TROPICALE- Oil spill in Mississippi River- 1994
45.M/S SENSATION- Oil Spill in Tampa
46.M/S CELEBRATION- Oil spill
47.M/S INSPIRATION - Oil spill
48.MN EMILY S. & BARGE MORRIS J. BERMAN- Oil spill disaster, San Juan, Puerto Rico - 1994
49.M/V CATHY SETTOON - Hit and run of the ExPert oil well causing massive oil pollution - 2009

Fire:
50.Astano Shipyard - Spain - Fire and explosion of drilling rig under construction
51.CHUC-A - PEMEX Drilling platform - Fire and explosion in Mexico with loss of life and destruction of platform - 1997 l
52.M/S ECSTASY - Fire onboard - 1998
53.M/S TROPICALE - Fire onboard - 1999
M/W WARSAW - Fire on coal shipments from west coast to Taiwan
55. M/S CELEBRATION - Fire onboard - 2000
56. CTE MACARENA - Fire 1992
57. M/S CARNIVAL SPLENDOR - Engine room fire 2010 58. BARGE 525 - Explosion and loss of life

Collision / Allision:
59.M/V BALTIC MERMAID collision with M/V MARSHAL KONYEV-1996
60.M/V FORMOSA SIX - Collision with M/V FLORA
61.M/V ISLA AZTECA- Allision with M/V MODU: TOTONACA-2004
62.M/V BANAHAW Collision with M/V GEORGIA LADY-1989
63.OCEAN CARRIER I - Collision with mooring dolphin in Cartagena, Colombia -1993
64.M/V CAL DIVER I - Collision with MISS PATRICIA and BOA BARGE 10 - 1995
65.M/S INSPIRATION - Collision with tug, M/V W.O. WATSON, and tow - 2001
66.M/V MARINER III - Collision and loss of life with S/B HILARIA 2003
67.M/V EARTHRACE - Collision with fishing vessel off coast of Guatemala - 2007
68.Submarine USS DRUM & M.T. SEI BRIGHT - Collision
69.M/V STONE FUELER - Collision with M/V OSCO CASTER - 1988
70.M/V BANAHAW - Collision with the GEORGIA LADY- 1989
71.M/V MISS LURLEEN - Collision rig portable 2003
72.M/V OBO VENTURE - Collision with ANGELIC SPIRIT - 1998
73.GLOMAR LABRADOR - Struck by M/V IRVING FOREST in North Sea
74.M/V TONGALA - Allision with dock causing massive damage
75.M/V HOS BEAUFORT – Collision with mobile, semi-submersible offshore construction support platform in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche – 2011

Mutiny:
76. M/V NYUTA - Mutiny-1975

INTERNATIONAL LAW, LITIGATION AND ARBITRATION:
Multiple Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases relative to the U.S. offshore oil and gas industry representing officers, directors and corporations.
ICSID Arbitration between Spanish client against the Government of Costa Rica relative to the national contract for inspection of vehicles countrywide. Pending.
Representation of officers of U.S. publicly held company in criminal and civil actions brought by labor unions in Spain. Pending in Spain since 2001.
Represented Fidelity and Deposit of Maryland the bonding company for the contractor of the Pan American Highway in multiple civil and criminal disputes with the contractors. Appeared before the courts of Panama.
Represented U.S. interests in dispute with Chinese company relative to representation agreements.
Represented MasTec, Inc. in commercial litigation brought by shareholders of Spanish Company. The case was dismissed and MasTec Inc. received a letter confirming that the allegations were false. The claim was filed in a Miami federal court but stemmed from Spanish litigation.
Arrest of ship in Japan to collect claim for bunkers sold in the U.S. The collection was in full.
Represent Halliburton in Colombia in multiple areas including labor disputes over the past 20 years.
Represented manufacturer and mortgagee of four (4) planes confiscated by the Government of Venezuela alleging the purchaser carried illegal drugs.
Appeared before the Government of Spain to provide an opinion on Spain’s rights to treasure recovered from Spanish Galleons and Spain’s dispute with salvors.
Represented Brazilian exporters of steel to US in litigation in the U.S. and in Brazil.
Represented US company sued by YPF, Argentina’s Oil Company for breach of contract to purchase oil.
Multiple matters affecting the U.S.-Cuba policy, including OFAC related issues.

POWER PLANT PROJECTS:
Handled contract for Guatemalan client, transporting and erecting power plant in Guatemala for Duke Energy
Representation of Colombia Energy Company in various power plant projects

HUMAN RIGHTS:
Mr. Fowler was born in Cuba and became a refugee in the United States in 1960. Most of his adult life Mr. Fowler has been involved in issues regarding violations of human rights in Cuba. For the past 20 years, Mr. Fowler has been pro-bono General Counsel of the Cuban American National Foundation, the largest Cuban exile organization in the world. Mr. Fowler has worked to have the Cuban dictator indicted for crimes against humanity, genocide and violations of human rights in various countries including the United States.

He has written extensively on this issue and appeared numerous times in radio and TV shows speaking on the subject.

He is active with the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, an organization devoted to supporting the dissident movement in Cuba and aiding Cubans who make it to the United States.

Mr. Fowler was one of the attorneys for the little Cuban boy, ELIAN GONZALEZ, who sought to remain in the United States after his mother died in the Florida Straits bringing him to freedom. Mr. Fowler argued the case in Federal Court in Washington, D.C. (Elian Gonzalez, a minor, by and through Lazaro Gonzalez, v. Janet, Reno, et al, # 00-00819 (HHK).

CIVIL RIGHTS:
Mr. Fowler civilly prosecuted to jury trial cases on behalf of African Americans who have been abused by police in New Orleans. One noteworthy case was the matter of Forde, et al v. Lee, et al, #: 2:91-cv- 01163MLCF. That federal case was presided by the Honorable Martin Feldman. Mr. Fowler’s team was able to obtain a successful jury verdict in favor of Brian Forde, a black New Orleans Saints football player, who was brutally beaten by the police. It was one of the largest civil rights verdicts in Louisiana. Judge Feldman awarded Mr. Fowler his attorneys’ fees.

Mr. Fowler also successfully sued the United States Coast Guard and the United States Government for their negligent treatment of Captain Bram Coumou whose civil and human rights were violated when he was released to the Haitian Government for prosecution for a crime the U.S. Coast Guard knew he did not commit. Bram C. Coumou v. The United States of America, et al, #: 2:93-cv-01465-ML It resulted in a multimillion dollar verdict against the U.S. Government. It was a jury trial in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

EXPROPRIATION:
Represented John W. Stone Oil Distributor, LLC against Transco for expropriation of gas caverns in Louisiana.

ANTITRUST:
Represented Louisiana company in anti-trust civil action in federal court brought by Ochsner Hospital for alleged anti-trust and price fixing violations.