Maryland and Washington DC Condominium Construction Defect Lawyer
Nicholas D. Cowie is a Maryland and Washington DC Condominium Construction Defect Lawyer. He is a partner in the law firm Cowie Law Group, P.C. with over 28 years of experience negotiating repair agreements, settling construction disputes and litigating construction defect warranty claims on behalf of condominiums and homeowners associations (HOA’s). He established the “Construction Law” course at the University of Baltimore School of Law where he served as an adjunct professor of construction law. Mr. Cowie’s legal work with the Legislature and the Courts of Maryland has resulted in the development of laws that greatly strengthen the rights of homeowner and condominium associations in construction defect claims.
Nicholas D. Cowie is the instructor for the Community Association Institute seminar course entitled “Successful Strategies for Resolving Construction Defect Disputes with Developers” and is a lawyer highly regarded for his knowledge of construction defect law. Mr. Cowie is best known for handling complex legal disputes and litigation matters, including construction defect cases on behalf of Condominium Associations and HOAs.
Nicholas D. Cowie is also the lawyer responsible for drafting and leading the effort to obtain passage of warranty reform legislation (Senate Bill 597) for Condominiums and HOAs that was passed unanimously by the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by Governor O’Malley, effective October 1, 2010. See Warranty Reform Article by Nicholas D. Cowie. Most 
recently, Mr. Cowie drafted legislation known as HB 77 and SB 258, which protect the rights of Condominiums and their unit owner members in cases of latent construction defects by preventing developers from shortening the statute of limitations for construction defect claims. Both bills were passed by both houses of the Maryland General Assembly and were signed into law by Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, effective October 1, 2018. See New Law Prevents Shortening Statute of Limitations Article
Mr. Cowie served as trial and appellate legal counsel in the Montgomery County condominium construction defect case Milton Co. vs. Bentley Place Condominium in which a jury awarded $6.6 million against a developer and a builder for construction defects in addition to an award of $500,000 in attorneys fees. See Blog Post and Article. Mr. Cowie and the law firm of Cowie Law Group served as legal counsel in a Anne Arundel County construction defect case in which a jury awarded $5.6 million for construction defects against a national builder. See Blog Post on Eden Brook Condominium, Inc. v. NVR, Inc, trading as Ryan Homes. The vast majority of construction disputes handled by Mr. Cowie are resolved through negotiation without ever having to file a law suit. More recently, Cowie Law Group was one of the law firms instrumental in obtaining a $356 million judgment in favor of a Washington DC condominium association for developer construction defects and misrepresentations about the quality of construction in the case entitled Wardman Tower Residential Condominium Unit Owners Association v. JBG Smith Properties, et al., No. 2020 CA 004807 B (D.C. Super. Ct.). The Cowie Law Group team included attorneys, Nicholas D. Cowie, George A. Bealefeld, III, Albert G. McCarraher, and Stanford L. Kimmel, III. See Cowie Law Group Article: “Court Awards Washington DC Condo $356 Million for Construction Defects.“
Nicholas D. Cowie is a lawyer licensed to practice law in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Nicholas D. Cowie
ndc@cowielawgroup.com
410-327-3800 / 301-830-8315 / 202-670-6289
MARYLAND & WASHINGTON DC CONDOMINIUM CONSTRUCTION DEFECT LAW BLOG