Lowrey and Fortner Law Firm has provided full range legal services to Mississippi for over 40 years.
With the firm’s combined experience of 150 years, there is no question it is a well-loved and trusted practice.
With powerful long-time attorneys such as Erik Lowrey and Tom Fortner practicing for many years, rumors have circulated that the legacy built may be coming to an end.
That just simply isn’t the case.
Erik and Tom have no intentions on retiring. Law is in their blood, sweat and tears, but it would be foolish of either of them to not prepare for the future...whenever that comes.
Shawn Lowrey, Erik’s son, is fully prepared to continue the legacy his family has built.
Erik, Tom and Shawn have put together a team that combined will raise the bar for the firm.
But one thing is clear: Lowreys are here to stay. Having a family owned and operated business is important to the Lowreys.
“Continuity. Often in life your name and reputation are the things that are the most valuable to you as time goes on. A proven track record of professionalism, responsibility and our clients knowing that we will give them the best advice possible and the highest degree of competency means a lot,” Shawn said. “We have been in practice for about forty years now, and Erik and I have practiced together for about half of that. Some things are passed down in a family. These are those things.”
Erik and Shawn are very hands on when it comes to creating the path for the next 40 years.
Shawn says Erik is still teaching him and the rest of the firm valuable lessons on how to run their own practices.
“He has taught me ethics, responsibility and knowing when it is time to go to war,” Shawn said. “We actually handle things in different ways, and I make no effort in attempting to handle a problem like him. However, we both have the capacity to take any of our cases to trial with diligence and competency, and that ability was learned through effort.”
These traits are exactly why it is impossible for Shawn to imagine his father retiring.
“Have you met him? His single minded relentlessness in pursuit of the community, whether it be the library he loves, the downtown community, or his clients, is unparalleled. Erik is a one of a kind, and one day when he is not with us anymore, we shall not see his like again,” Shawn said.
Relentless is a good word for Erik and his work.
A prime example of Erik’s relentlessness and ethics can date back to a lawsuit in 1993.
Erik was the lead attorney on a case bringing light to strip mining on rivers that caused extensive damage.
The DEQ approved this type of mining, so Erik appealed the decision.
The work hurt the state he loved and defended, and so he fought to end this type of mining forever. And he did.
The Supreme Court ruled that the rivers of our state belong to the people, and not an individual. The court ruled that companies had to back off the rivers in Mississippi.
Read more on the case here: https://www.leagle.com/decision/19931177620so2d55711168
We could list hundreds of examples of Erik’s dedication and drive towards finding justice for the people of Mississippi.
But know this: Every case. Every client. Every possible chance to set things right, a Lowrey will be there.
“ I know we represent our clients, and we do so zealously and vigorously,” Shawn said. “Everything else comes after that. We aren't going anywhere. There will be Lowrey's practicing law at this firm for the remainder of my life.”