Cowles Symmes is a member with Page, Mannino, Peresich & McDermott, PLLC.  He handles mass tort, complex commercial and personal injury litigation and has represented a wide variety of businesses and personal clients. Cowles represents multiple clients in complex commercial, premises, and products liability litigation.  He has also developed and managed defense strategies while serving as national coordinating counsel for clients sued across the United States.

Cowles has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, was selected as a Mid-South Rising Star by Lawyers 2010-2013 and has been acknowledge by his excellence in practice by being selected as a Super Lawyer in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Cowles attended undergraduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi and law school at Mississippi College before being admitted to practice law in 2001. He is also involved with his local community, as well as the business and legal community throughout Mississippi.

Practice Areas

• Commercial litigation
• Asbestos defense
• Environmental litigation
• Toxic torts
• Insurance defense
• Gaming law
• Construction law
• Products liability
• Premises liability

Experience

In 2000, Cowles joined a private law practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he handled civil litigation matters, including insurance defense, personal injury, domestic litigation, and toxic tort defense involving lead paint litigation and asbestos throughout Mississippi.

In 2003, Cowles joined Page, Mannino, Peresich & McDermott, PLLC in Biloxi, Mississippi

Education

Mississippi College School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2000

• Phi Alpha Delta

University of Southern Mississippi, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1996

Professional Associations

• Mississippi Bar Association
• Harrison County Bar Association
• Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
• Defense Research Institute

Community/Civic Activities

• Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, former Board of Directors
• Gulfport Youth Sports Association
• South Mississippi Soccer Club

Representative Cases

• Ridgway Lane & Associates, Inc. v. Watson, 189 So.3d 686 (Miss.2016)
• Magruder v. Amica Mut. Ins. Co., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8591 (S.D.Miss.2009)
• Langston v. Bigelow, 820 So. 2d 752 (Miss.App.2002)
• Callender v. Imperial Palace of Mississippi, LLC, 2008 WL 4372739, (S.D.Miss.2008)
• Adkins v. Ametek, et al., Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2003 WL 24011960 (S.D.Miss.2003)(Civ.A. No. 1:02CV728GR)-available at LexisNexis

Outside of the office

Outside the office, Cowles enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, and playing with his three children. Cowles is a member of Trinity Methodist Church.