Elizabeth J. Bower is a partner in the Litigation Department and Co-Chair of the Accounting Litigation & Enforcement Practice Group. Liz concentrates her practice on multiparty, multiforum, complex, commercial litigation, as well as significant corporate internal investigations. Liz’s practice focuses on representations of accounting firms and auditors, insurance companies, insurance brokers, audit committees, and other financial institutions and corporations.
Liz’s ability to spot and simplify the important issues has enabled her to successfully represent clients across industries in a variety of disputes and board level risks over her twenty year career, including civil securities actions, accounting and other professional liability actions, various contract and business disputes, adversary proceedings in bankruptcies, SEC enforcement actions, PCAOB investigations, FCPA investigations, and data breach and cybersecurity response.
Liz is Co-Chair of Willkie’s Accounting Litigation & Enforcement Group. She also serves on the Firm's Business, Conflicts & Ethics, Counsel Compensation, and DC Associates Committees.
Liz was highly commended in the category of "Gender Diversity Lawyer of the Year" at the Chambers Diversity and Inclusion Awards: USA 2019.
The Legal 500 U.S. (2023) also recommends Liz in the area of General Commercial Disputes, and has highlighted her “expertise in corporate international investigations and multi-district litigation.”
Experience
Immediately after law school, Liz served as a law clerk for United States District Court Judge Richard L. Voorhees in the Western District of North Carolina.
Liz is a member of the UNC Law Foundation Board of Directors.
Liz is a member of the Leadership Advisory Committee of the National Women’s Law Center.
- "Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege and Work-Product Doctrine in Internal Investigations," American Bar Association: Pretrial Practice & Discovery Practice Points (October 26, 2020)
- "Penn State Women: Leaders of Today and Tomorrow" (September 2019)
- "Legal/Compliance: Response to Cyber Incidents," ACLI Annual Conference (October 2018)
- "The Future of DACA: Which Branch of the Government May Decide the Fate of the Immigrants Granted Deferred Action Status?" Immigration and Human Rights Committee of the D.C. Bar International Law Committee Luncheon (July 2018)
- "Data Security and Privacy Issues in Civil Litigation," The Sedona Conference Working Group 11 Annual Meeting (March 2018)
- "Ethical Considerations for In-House Counsel Relating to the Security of Confidential Information Produced in Civil Litigation," Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference (October 2017)
- "Data Security and Privacy Issues in Civil Litigation," The Sedona Conference Working Group 11 Mid-Year Meeting (September 2017)
- "Fireside Chat: Where Companies and Activist Shareholders Have the Same Goals," Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference (September 2016)
- Counsel to Big 4 accounting firm in civil litigations and arbitrations brought by investors in alleged tax shelters.
- Represent Big 4 accounting firm in SEC investigation of a packaging company’s accounting and independence practices.
- Represent a foreign accounting firm in internal investigation relating to business practices.
- Conduct internal investigation for audit committee of large insurance company relating to potential accounting improprieties.
- In re Insurance Brokerage Antitrust Litigation: Counsel in federal multidistrict litigation arising out of government investigations of insurance industry.
- In re Facebook, Inc. IPO Securities & Derivative Litig. (S.D.N.Y.): Representing Facebook, Inc. and its officers and directors in over 40 securities and derivative lawsuits filed in connection with Facebook's May 18, 2012 initial public offering.
- In re LandAmerica Financial Group: Counsel to debtors in large, complex chapter 11 cases, including more than 100 adversary proceedings.
Credentials
Education
University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., 2001 Pennsylvania State University, B.A., 1997
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
United States Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit United States Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit United States District Court, District of Columbia United States District Court, Southern District of New York United States District Court, Eastern District of New York United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit United States District Court, District of Maryland
Clerkships
Voorhees, Richard L., United States District Court, Western District of North Carolina, September 2001 - August 2002