Attorney Bios

Murray E. Abowitz is the founding partner of Abowitz & Welch, a predecessor of Abowitz, Timberlake, Dahnke & Gisinger, P.C.  He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and Seton Hall University School of Law.  Mr. Abowitz practices nationally and has served as national and regional counsel for companies in asbestos, medical devices and general litigation.  He has also served as national punitive damages counsel and has been court-appointed Liaison Counsel in complex federal litigation.

Mr. Abowitz has been admitted to practice in numerous state and federal courts and the United States Supreme Court.

Sarah J. Timberlake has been a partner with Abowitz, Timberlake, Dahnke & Gisinger, P.C., in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for over twenty-five years and currently serves as the Managing Partner.  She joined the firm in 1980 upon graduation from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.  She received her undergraduate degree from the same school, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree.  Her professional experience includes the areas of employment, bad faith, coverage, insurance, general negligence, premises liability, products liability and transportation law and she maintains a trial and appellate practice in these areas while also counseling clients on dispute resolution alternatives.  She is admitted to practice in all Oklahoma state courts, the United States District Courts for the Western, Eastern and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

George W. Dahnke received his B.A. degree from Westminster College (MO) and J.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Law.  Following graduation from law school, he served as an officer in the United States Army, Artillery Branch, from 1965-1967.  Mr. Dahnke has extensive experience in a wide range of litigation, including commercial, securities, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, product liability, tobacco and professional liability cases.

Kayce L. Gisinger is an experienced trial attorney who practices in the areas of product liability, personal injury, insurance, auto and trucking negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice and general negligence.  Additionally, Ms. Gisinger has represented several companies in asbestos litigation on a regional level.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gisinger was an Assistant District Attorney in the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office where she tried over one hundred jury trials.  She is admitted to practice before all Oklahoma state and federal courts.

Mary B. Scott has been a member of the Oklahoma Bar since 1988 and practices general civil litigation.  She also has experience in general business and corporate law, real estate law and estate planning.  She was Assistant Administrator of the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court from 2001 to 2004.  She is admitted to practice before all Oklahoma state courts, the Federal District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kenneth A. Brokaw is a 1983 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law.  He has extensive experience in insurance defense, products liability, premises liability and insurance coverage litigation.  He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Oklahoma and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.  He is a member of the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel. 

Michael N. Brown has been practicing law in Oklahoma since 1983.  Mr. Brown served as a Russian linguist aboard submarines in the United States Navy and obtained his B.A. degree in Russian language from Indiana State University.  Mr. Brown received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1983.

Patricia L. Franz is a 1998 graduate of the Ohio State College of law.  While a visiting student at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, she was the recipient of the Journal of Supreme Court History's Hughes-Gossett Student Award for the paper, Ohio v. The Bank:  An Historical Examination of Osborn v. the Bank of the United States, The Journal of Supreme Court History, 23(1) 1999.

William C. McAlister serves Abowitz, Timberlake, Dahnke & Gisinger, P.C., in an "Of Counsel" capacity.  Mr. McAlister's area of practice includes legal and appellate research and writing.  He also prepares insurance coverage opinions and assists in insurance coverage litigation.  He is an arbitrator and a mediator.  Mr. McAlister is experienced in insurance coverage, products liability, construction and aviation law matters.  He also has experience in commercial and banking law matters.  Mr. McAlister received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.  He obtained his law degree from Oklahoma City University. 

Ms. Steele joined the firm after almost six years of litigation experience practicing in areas of insurance bad faith, coverage, products liability, professional malpractice, premises liability, personal insurance, and insurance defense.  She continues to practice in these areas and is admitted before all Oklahoma state and federal courts, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the federal courts for the Eastern and Western District of Arkansas.