Overview
With nearly 30 years of legal experience, attorney Cindra Dowd focuses her professional practice on complex personal injury, product liability and sexual harassment in the workplace. Cindra is also a private pilot certified by the FAA, which gives her practical insight into the firm’s aviation practice. Cindra has also successfully recovered settlements on behalf of employees in cases involving whistleblower protection (qui tam), healthcare fraud, racial discrimination, illegal unpaid overtime practices, and FMLA violations. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for her work in qui tam law, protecting the rights of whistleblowers. Cindra served as a law clerk for the Honorable Hal J. Bonney, Jr. of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and is a past President of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar. Cindra has earned a Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished® rating for High Professional Achievement. Cindra is a committed advocate for the rights of individuals everywhere.
Cindra thrives on helping people during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Whether assisting car accident victims to recoup compensation following a head-on collision or guardrail accident, seniors who have been taken advantage of in nursing homes, or families affected by childhood lead poisoning or a birth injury, she works tirelessly for her clients. Cindra understands the importance of getting into the trenches with clients and fighting for what they deserve.
Cindra has litigated cases throughout the country and joined the Payne Mitchell Ramsey Law Group to continue litigating personal injury cases, product liability cases, whistleblower cases and employment law matters.
Notable Results
- $3.2 million: The case presented claims under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and under a Virginia state statute which, the plaintiffs’ contended, requires payment of wages at time-and-a-half for any hour worked above their regularly scheduled hours.
- $575 thousand: The case presented claims under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and under a Virginia state statute which, the plaintiffs’ contended, requires payment of wages at time-and-a-half for any hour worked above their regularly scheduled hours.
- $747 thousand: Employee who needed one more day of FMLA leave, and who acted within county’s deadline for notification of that need for additional leave. County violated FMLA in terminating her on the day it thought her FMLA leave expired; the Norfolk U.S. District Court’s award of just over $747,000 includes front pay and liquidated damages for the county’s bad faith.
- $2 million: The infant, despite being a healthy full-term infant, suffered profound brain damage from oxygen deprivation. The infant’s brain damage occurred after ominous signs of fetal hypoxia and acidemia went unheeded by the hospital OB/GYN over the course of several hours.
- $250 thousand: A senior living at an Assisted Living facility at risk for falls suffered a fall and ultimately died from his injuries.
- $245 thousand: The case presented claims under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for overtime work not paid by the employer.
- Cindra Dowd has successfully represented victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, but these results will remain confidential.
Awards + Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished® rating for High Professional Achievement
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Qui Tam Law 2021–present
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2024
Professional Involvement + Leadership
- Virginia State Bar, Litigation Section; Member
- Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association; Past President
- Boyd-Graves Conference; Past Member
- James Kent American Inn of Court; Past Member
- Upon graduation from law school, Cindra served as a law clerk for The Honorable Hal J. Bonney, Jr. of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- National Trial Lawyers; Member, Top 100 – Civil Plaintiff
Publications + Speeches
- “Bankruptcy and Debt Collection”, How to Get Results in Collection of Delinquent Debts in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 1993; Civil Litigation, Virginia C.L.E. Bridge-The-Gap Seminar, 1994 and 1995
- “Liens and Credit Issues,” Advanced Real Estate Law in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 1996; Real Estate Closings and Transactions, Virginia C.L.E. Bridge-The-Gap Seminar, 1997
- “Damages, Complying with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in Virginia”, 1997
- “Technology in the Discovery Process” and “Organizing Document Production from Discovery Efforts,” Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in Virginia, National Business Institute, Inc., 2001
- “Bankruptcy Issues Related to Mortgage Foreclosures,” Virginia Foreclosure and Related Bankruptcy and Title Issues, National Business Institute, Inc., 2002
Education
- Duke University, B.A. in Psychology, 1987
- Penn State Dickinson Law, J.D., 1991
Admissions
- Texas State Bar, 2021
- Virginia State Bar, 1992
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia