DLA Piper partner Stephen Cowan receives Howard E. Kane Award

DLA Piper partner Stephen Cowan recently received the Howard E. Kane Award, which was established in 2006 to recognize a member of the firm’s Real Estate practice for exceptional service to the firm, the legal profession and the public. 

The award was named in honor of Howard Kane, a former DLA Piper partner and its first recipient, who played a key role in developing the firm’s Real Estate practice over a period of 25 years. Cowan is the sixth recipient of the award, which has previously been presented to Portia Morrison, Elliot Surkin, Ted Novak and Daniel Taylor, in addition to Kane.

“The Howard Kane Award is an honor that goes well beyond simply recognizing someone who has successfully handled a large number of high-profile transactions – this award is much more than that. It’s about character and about caring about our profession,” said John Sullivan, US chair and global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Real Estate practice. “Steve has an incredible legacy, and this is one of those rare situations where legend is the right word.”

“Our firm benefits greatly by having Steve here as a partner, as a friend and certainly as a leader in the industry,” said Frank Ryan, DLA Piper’s US chair-elect. “He makes the firm a better place, not just by his brilliance and the work that he has done, but by who he is as a person.”

Cowan has served a number of leadership roles in the firm, including as managing partner of the San Francisco office, location head of the San Francisco Real Estate practice, co-head of the California Real Estate practice, vice chair of the US Real Estate practice and as a member of the firm’s Policy Committee.

His practice focuses on real estate, finance, real estate fund formation, bankruptcy and workouts. He has significant experience representing non-US investors in the purchase, sale and development of US real estate. He has also been a frequent lecturer and author in the fields of real estate, finance and bankruptcy.