Biography
Professional History
Personal & Scholastic History
Professional Associations
Since beginning his legal career in 1998, Mr. Bower has vigorously defended a diverse base of clients accused of a wide range of crimes. Mr. Bower has not only represented American citizens, but has also utilized his fully fluent Spanish skills to effectively communicate with and defend Spanish-speaking citizens of the United States, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, as well as other South American, Central American and European countries. Mr. Bower has successfully represented clients accused of federal crimes ranging from 14-ton cocaine international drug trafficking and attempted drug importation by use of a semi-submarine in the Atlantic Ocean, to white collar crimes such as mortgage fraud. He has also successfully defended clients accused of state adult and juvenile crimes ranging from simple misdemeanors such as possession of marijuana and DUI, to the most serious of felonies punishable by life in prison such as armed home invasion and armed sexual battery.
After graduating cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, Mr. Bower began his legal career as a prosecutor for the people with the Office of the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office - the fourth largest prosecutor's office in the United States. Mr. Bower aggressively prosecuted and rightfully obtained justice in the most serious of criminal cases, including murder, armed sexual batteries, drug trafficking, and DUI manslaughter, amongst others. Mr. Bower was the lead prosecutor of dozens of jury trials, nearly one hundred bench trials, and the author of successful appellate documents. At his peak as a prosecutor, Mr. Bower was named a Division Chief and took on the task of supervising and mentoring lesser-experienced prosecutors. As a young prosecutor himself, Mr. Bower met a fellow blossoming prosecutor and immediately found that their philosophies and trial strategies were a seamless match. This young prosecutor was none other than future law partner Mr. Mark J. O'Brien. While they trained together by teaming up as jury trial partners and conducting legendary mock cross-examinations, neither O'Brien nor Bower anticipated the long-term impact that this competitive and professional relationship would have on their future legal careers.
Mr. Bower left the D.A.'s office after being recruited to work for a Miami defense firm, where he agreed to work as the trial associate for a named partner. Working for someone else was short lived, boring, and not enough to satisfy Mr. Bower's need to be the true captain of the ship - a ship owned by the most important person to any criminal defense case… the client.
The foundation was set for the creation of O'Brien Bower, P.A. Both having been prosecutors and trial associates of a large defense firm, Mr. Bower and Mr. O’Brien decided to join forces in order to combine their experience and focus exclusively on the representation of clients accused of committing crimes throughout the the State of Florida and the United States. Mr. Bower and Mr. O'Brien formed O'Brien Bower, P.A., a multi-faceted criminal defense firm tirelessly devoted to the successful defense of its clients accused of serious criminal acts.
While the firm’s primary office is located in Tampa, Florida, Mr. Bower has successfully represented clients before federal trial and appellate courts in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Ocala, and before state trial and appellate courts in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Monroe County, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Lee County, Collier County, Citrus County, Hernando County, and Volusia County. Further, he has taken on federal appellate matters before the United States Supreme Court and the 11th Circuit United States Court of Appeals, as well as state appellate matters before the Second District Court of Appeals, the Third District Court of Appeals and the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
Personal & Scholastic History
Mr. Bower has had competition and criminal law in his blood since before becoming a federal and state criminal defense attorney. In his pre-attorney years, Mr. Bower was an Academic and Athletic All-American, and a defending two-year State Champion athlete. He went on to become a Division I, scholarship athlete at the University of Michigan, where he became an individual All-American as well as the member of a varsity athletic team that won three consecutive Big Ten Conference Championships. How do these accomplishments relate to the handling of your criminal case? Mr. Bower applies his engrained dedication, focus and commitment to the zealous advocacy for his clients.By becoming a published author while still an undergraduate student, Mr. Bower commenced his evolution of becoming a scholar of criminal law. Mr. Bower investigated and wrote "Cuba: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," a chronicle of several incidents involving the murder of Cuban citizens fleeing the communist island - one of which involved the criminal hijacking of a tugboat. As an undergraduate, Mr. Bower also had the opportunity to assist his legal mentor in a human rights case that involved the illegal detention of thousands of Cuban migrants at the Guantanamo Naval Base.
At the University of Miami, Florida, School of Law, Mr. Bower confirmed that his professional passion would revolve around criminal law. While barely tolerating classes such as civil procedure and finding nearly all other legal topics mind-numbing, Mr. Bower immediately excelled in criminal law. He received the "CALI Excellence for the Future Award," given to only one student for excellent achievement in Criminal Substantive Law as determined by the professor, who is a nationally renowned practicing criminal defense attorney. Mr. Bower was also awarded the Dean's Certificate of Achievement for outstanding academic performance in Criminal Procedure.