Sean D. Cowdrey
Sean D. Cowdrey is a partner at Beach | Whitman | Cowdrey, LLP. He is a native of central Illinois. From 1984 to 1988, he attended North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota receiving his Bachelor of Science degree and then attended Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1991, graduating with honors. While in law school, Mr. Cowdrey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Melinda Johnson, Ventura County Superior Court Judge. Mr. Cowdrey received the American Jurisprudence Award in Civil Remedies.
After being admitted to the bar in 1991, Mr. Cowdrey developed his legal skills in a variety of areas of the law by working at several Ventura and Santa Barbara firms. In 1998, Mr. Cowdrey opened his own law practice in Ventura. In 2001, he joined the predecessor law firm to Beach | Whitman | Cowdrey as a partner where he primarily defended numerous long-term health care companies against claims of elder abuse. Mr. Cowdrey has continued his health care practice with Beach | Whitman | Cowdrey, LLP.
Mr. Cowdrey’s practice emphasizes litigation, specifically in the areas of elder abuse and neglect by nursing homes and other long term health care providers, medical malpractice, HMO/health insurance liability, personal injury, wrongful death, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and business matters. In addition, Mr. Cowdrey continues his active civil appellate practice. Published opinions include Goliger v. AMS Properties, Inc. (2004) 123 Cal.App.4th 374 [arbitration agreement signed by daughter of nursing home resident not enforceable]; Ostayan v. Nordhoff Townhomes Homeowners Ass’n. Inc. (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th 120 [homeowners association has no duty to notify members of commencing litigation]; Ventura Unified School District v. Superior Court (2001) 92 Cal.App.4th 811 [right of public entity to have case tried in its home county]; Lisa M. v. Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (1995) 12 Cal.4th 291 [vicarious liability of health care facility for sexual battery]; Accardi v. Superior Court (1993) 17 Cal.App.4th 341 [statute of limitations for sexual harassment]; and Roach v. Lewis (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 1170 [dismissal of case for failure to timely serve defendant].
Mr. Cowdrey is admitted to practice before all California state courts, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Ventura County Bar Association, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and Defense Research Instate, and is an affiliate of the Rutherford Institute and the American Center for Law & Justice. He regularly serves as an arbitrator by appointment by the Ventura County Superior Court. He resides in Camarillo with his wife and three daughters.
