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M. John Bowen, Jr.
Of Counsel
803.799.9800 Main803.933.1514 Direct Fax
803.753.3278 Main Fax
jbowen@mcnair.net
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Columbia, SC Office
1221 Main Street
Suite 1800
Columbia, SC 29201 Paralegal
Kathy Handrock
khandrock@mcnair.net
803.753.3378 Direct
Overview
John Bowen was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. Following graduation from law school in 1968, John served as Staff Attorney and then as an Assistant Attorney General for South Carolina. In 1970, he was named Chief of the Antitrust and Consumer Protection Division of the South Carolina Attorney General’s office. From 1972 until 1976, John served as general counsel to the South Carolina Public Service Commission. During that time he assisted in the organization of Committee on Law in the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and became its first chairman.
John joined McNair Law Firm, P.A. in 1976 and was subsequently made a shareholder of the firm. He managed the Administrative/Regulatory and Governmental/Legislative Affairs sections of the firm for a number of years.
John’s early practice emphasized litigation, antitrust and regulated industries matters. Since 1980 he has worked primarily on public utility matters. His current practice emphasizes telecommunications and electric utility issues.
From 1976 to 1978 he served as special counsel to a committee of the South Carolina Legislature and to the Governor of South Carolina with regard to utilities and energy.
John advises and regularly represents telephone companies in regulatory matters before the SC Public Service Commission, state circuit/appellate courts, SC Supreme Court and in FCC matters. Key matters have included all aspects of implementation of the federal Telecommunications Act, including negotiation and arbitration of interconnection agreements; creation and implementation of the State Universal Service Fund; pay telephone deregulation; access reform, rate rebalancing and creation of the Interim LEC Fund; and inter-carrier compensation reform.nJohn also represents clients who are organizing partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations. Most of these clients are within the communications industry – including wireline and wireless communications providers, fiber optics suppliers, Internet service providers and other communication-related businesses. For them, John drafts management and operations agreements and plays an important role in assisting ongoing operations.
- South Carolina Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Richland County Bar Association
- South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
- City of Columbia Chamber of Commerce
- Utilities Committee, SC Administrative and Regulatory Law Association
- Diaconate, First Presbyterian Church
- Sigma Chi Fraternity House Corporation Board, Vice Chairman
- Sigma Chi Fraternity Foundation Board, Chairman
- Deacon at church
- Palmetto Club Board, Treasurer
- Major General, Army of the United States (ret)
- Named, The Best Lawyers in America© (2005-2019)
- Awarded, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating*
*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent®, and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
