Mr. Zachary Howerton is a trial attorney representing clients in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, toxic tort, and environmental litigation.

In his diverse civil practice, Mr. Howerton is driven by a desire to advocate on behalf of victims to fight for their right to recover for harms they have suffered. In the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice, Mr. Howerton is focused on helping clients receive substantial compensation and required medical care for the serious injuries and losses they have suffered through no fault of their own.

Similarly, in the areas of toxic tort and environmental litigation, Mr. Howerton helps clients receive compensation for contamination of their property, loss of use and value of their property, and the impact these have on his clients’ health and wellbeing. He also advises and represents cities that have experienced widespread contamination and seeks substantial compensation for his municipal clients.

In everything he does, Mr. Howerton believes that a proactive, thoughtful, and strategic course of action, formulated in consultation with his clients, is the most effective means of pursuing a desired result. He values getting to know his clients and their stories, giving individualized time and attention in order to provide detailed and focused representation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Howerton served as a law clerk to the Senior Judges in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, including the Honorable Truman A. Morrison, III, the Honorable Susan R. Winfield, the Honorable Patricia Wynn, the Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, the Honorable Judith E. Retchin, and the Honorable Geoffrey M. Alprin. In chambers, Mr. Howerton supported the judges in all aspects of their trial docket, including conducting legal research, advising on fact-finding and legal decisions at trial, and drafting decisions and orders.

Mr. Howerton graduated magna cum laude from Vermont Law School, the nation’s top-ranked environmental law program at the time. There, Mr. Howerton served as Articles Editor of the Vermont Law Review and a student clinician at the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic. As a clinician, Mr. Howerton furthered litigation before the Surface Transportation Board, successfully challenging the construction of a proposed rail line. He also worked with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to facilitate proper lead management practices.

During law school, Mr. Howerton served as a law clerk at the United States Department of Justice in its Environment and Natural Resources Division. He helped to advanced enforcement cases under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Further, during law school, Mr. Howerton served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. In chambers, Mr. Howerton assisted with the development of an opinion on a motion to enforce under the Clean Air Act as well as a decision on cross motions for summary judgment under the Endangered Species Act.

Prior to law school, Mr. Howerton earned a Master of Science in Ocean and Earth Sciences from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Mr. Howerton focused his advanced studies in chemical oceanography under the tutelage of his advisor, Professor and Eminent Scholar, Dr. David Burdige. Mr. Howerton’s thesis, titled Phosphorus Cycling in Calcium Carbonate Sediment-Seagrass Systems, focused on the fate and transport of the limiting nutrient for growth in key ecosystems. His experience allows him to view environmental law issues holistically, from both a legal and a scientific perspective.

Mr. Howerton serves as a volunteer attorney with the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, providing pro bono legal assistance to those working to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. He was recently recognized by Super Lawyers as a 2024 Rising Star of Maryland.

When he is not working, Mr. Howerton enjoys time with his family, exercise, movies, traveling, and sports.