Experience

• Mr. Bowker focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, international disputes, and government-related litigation under the US Constitution, Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, International Organizations Immunities Act, Anti-Terrorism Act, Alien Tort Act, Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Helms-Burton Act, Immigration and Nationality Act, Defense of Trade Secrets Act, and Administrative Procedure Act. As the following representative matters demonstrate, he has handled a wide array of complex commercial and governmental matters, including both national and international disputes in which he:

  • Successfully represented plaintiffs Vanguard Shipping and Logistics and its affiliates in US litigation against a former director for fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and unfair and deceptive business practices. See Vanguard Logistics Servs. USA, Inc. v. Robinson (C.D. Cal.);
  • Won a federal trial court victory resulting in a $580 million judgment for plaintiff bondholders in a US litigation against the Republic of Venezuela for sovereign debt defaults and breach of contract under the waiver and commercial activities exceptions to immunity in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act; and subsequently pursued enforcement actions against Venezuelan assets frozen the United States. See Altana Wealth v. Republic of Venezuela (S.D.N.Y. and D. Del.).
  • Won a complete dismissal, affirmance on appeal, and denial of cert for defendant The Metropolitan Museum of Art in US litigation brought by the executor of an estate claiming to be the rightful owner of Pablo Picasso’s The Actor, based upon allegations of Nazi-era duress at the time of its sale in Paris in 1938. See Zuckerman v. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (S.D.N.Y., 2d Cir., Sup. Ct.).
  • Successfully represented Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal in a global campaign—including litigation, negotiation, and diplomacy—to obtain the release of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich from unlawful detention in Russia. See Gershkovich v. Russian Federation, Opinion No. 11/2024, A/HRC/WGAD/2024/11 (United Nations WGAD).
  • Successfully represented The Washington Post in a global campaign—including litigation, negotiation, and diplomacy—to obtain the release of Post reporter Jason Rezaian from unlawful detention in Iran. See Rezaian v. Islamic Republic of Iran, Opinion No. 44/2015, A/HRC/WGAD/2015/44 (United Nations WGAD).
  • Won a federal trial court victory resulting in a $180 million judgment for plaintiffs—The Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and his family—against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, for acts of terrorism, torture, and hostage-taking in violation of US law under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. See Rezaian v. Islamic Republic of Iran (D.D.C.).
  • Successfully represented Apple in US litigation against NSO Group, the creator of Pegasus spyware, for violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violations of California Business and Professions Code, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. See Apple Inc. v. NSO Group (N.D. Cal.).

  • Won a complete victory in the Supreme Court, following multiple victories in the lower courts, in a landmark First Amendment case for a coalition of public health NGOs that successfully challenged on free speech grounds a statutory pledge requirement imposed on recipients of federal funding to fight HIV/AIDS overseas. See Agency for Int’l Development et al. v. Open Society Int’l, Inc., et al., (Sup. Ct.).
  • Won a complete dismissal, affirmance on appeal, and denial of cert for defendant The Metropolitan Museum of Art in U.S. litigation brought by involving a claim to a masterpiece painting, Paul Cézanne’s Madame Cézanne in the Conservatory, allegedly taken in violation of international law during the Russian Revolution. See Konowaloff v. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (S.D.N.Y., 2d Cir., Sup. Ct.).
  • Won a complete dismissal for defendant The Metropolitan Museum of Art in US litigation involving a claim to a masterpiece painting, Vincent van Gogh’s Olive Pickers, allegedly sold under duress during the Nazi-era. See Silver et al. v The Metropolitan Museum of Art (N.D. Cal.).
  • Successfully represented the international home-sharing platform Airbnb in US litigation, and related international arbitrations, brought by users and prospective users claiming discrimination in connection with Airbnb’s policy decision to de-list certain properties in disputed territories, including the West Bank. See Harow v. Airbnb (N.D. Cal.) and Silber v. Airbnb (D. Del.).
  • Won a complete dismissal for defendant Sembcorp Industries Ltd. in a securities class action brought by investors claiming securities fraud and misrepresentation relating to alleged bribery of government officials in Brazil. See EIG Energy Fund XIV, L.P., et al. v. Petroleo Brasileiro, S.A., et al. (D.D.C.).
  • Successfully represented US oil and gas drilling company Helmerich & Payne against Venezuela’s national oil company, PDVSA, in a case involving claims for the taking of property in violation of international law under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. See Helmerich & Payne v. Republic of Venezuela (D.D.C.; D.C. Cir.; S. Ct.).
  • Currently represents U.S. businessman and environmentalist, Morad Tahbaz, and his family in a US litigation against Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for acts of terrorism, torture, and hostage-taking in violation of US law under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. See Tahbaz v. Islamic Republic of iran (D.D.C.);
  • Currently represents global pharmaceutical company Genentech in an ongoing putative class action involving claims of aiding-and-abetting acts of international terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act, in connection with the sale of life-saving cancer drugs to Iraq’s Ministry of Health during the war in Iraq. See Atchley et al. v. AstraZeneca et al. (D.D.C., D.C. Cir., Supreme Court).
  • Currently represents international development contractor Chemonics in ongoing US litigation involving claims of aiding-and-abetting acts of international terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act, in connection with contract development work for the US government during the war in Afghanistan. See Cabrera et al. v. Black & Veatch et al. (D.D.C.).
  • Currently represents the Pan American Health Organization in ongoing putative class action involving claims of human trafficking under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, in connection with the deployment of 15,000 Cuban doctors in the context of a Brazilian public health program. See Rodriquez et al. v. Pan American Health Organization (D.D.C., D.C. Cir.).