Family Business Awards 2025
Dowd family’s legal legacy spans five generations, with no signs of slowing down.
Second and Third Generation
The Dowd family legacy of law — from police officers to attorneys to judgeships — goes back at least five generations and is already poised to continue well into the future.
Today, Douglas Dowd and his brother William Dowd are principals at the law firm that their late father, Edward L. Dowd Sr., started in 1957.
“I came to work here in 1978 along with my dad and Uncle Bob,” Douglas Dowd said. “I used to pick dad up and bring him to the office until about 2002 when he stopped coming in.”
The St. Louis-based firm specializes in legal malpractice cases.
The Past
Edward L. Dowd Sr. didn’t follow his father and grandfather into the police department, where they spent nearly 90 years combined, but he leaned into familiar territory when he opened his law practice.
He earned his law degree in 1942 from Saint Louis University and Washington University before entering the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent. He also served as Circuit Attorney of St. Louis and President of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners.
In 1948, after serving in World War II with the U.S. Marine Corps, his brother Robert G. Dowd Sr. earned his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and then joined Ed in 1957 to form Dowd & Dowd.
The brothers served in numerous law-related roles over the years, including as assistant city counselor, magistrate judge, municipal judge, and circuit attorney for St. Louis. Ed also ran for Missouri lieutenant governor, although he did not prevail.
Dowd descendants continue to carry on the law mantle throughout the region. Various members have served as circuit court judges in St. Louis, on the Court of Appeals with two terms as chief judge, and as an appointed judge on the Missouri Supreme Court.
“It’s a pretty proud tradition of law-related careers for the family,” Douglas Dowd said.
The Present
The small firm has 10 full-time employees, six of whom are family members. It is one of few in the area that actually sues other attorneys on behalf of clients — often considered a controversial role.
“The majority of our cases really involve legal malpractice claims, meaning claims against lawyers on behalf of their former clients for mishandling their divorce case, their patents or their personal injury case,” William Dowd said. “When people ask why we’re suing lawyers, my response is that somebody has to do it.”
William, who has spent 36 years as an attorney, also handles estate planning involving wills and trusts, along with legal malpractice cases.
The Future
Eighteen different family members have contributed to the firm’s success over the years, including five of Edward Dowd Sr.’s sons, three of Robert Dowd Sr.’s sons, and eight grandchildren of the two founding brothers.
The Dowds have already determined that Douglas’s son, Clayton, and Douglas and William’s nephew, Alex Lumaghi, will be responsible for managing the firm when Douglas and William retire.
More About Dowd & Dowd
- Year company founded: 1957
- Leadership: Douglas Dowd (President); William Dowd (Principal); Richard Dowd (Principal)
- Number of family members involved: 6
- Number of full-time employees: 10