Amy Tawney

By Gabriela Schoolcraft

On any given day, Amy Tawney might structure a complex bank merger, steer a financial institution through shifting regulations or mentor a young attorney through a first major transaction. As a partner at Bowles Rice LLP and chair of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Group, she operates at the intersection of precision and trust, where deals are consummated not just on strategy but also on relationships built over decades. For Tawney, those decades tell a steady story of loyalty to her clients, firm and the state she has always called home.

Raised in Charleston, WV, Tawney grew up next door to her grandparents in a neighborhood she still lives in today. Her childhood was marked by close family ties and competitive sports. She was a state champion swimmer in her younger years and later earned all-conference honors as a softball catcher at West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC). The discipline of athletics, along with the guidance of her parents, instilled the work ethic that would define her career.

While in college, Tawney participated in the Governor’s Internship Program and was placed at United Bank, where she returned each summer and formed long-term relationships. Those early experiences deepened her interest in banking and transactional work.

Tawney graduated from WVWC with an accounting degree and joined Bowles Rice LLP immediately upon graduation from law school. Her background in accounting led her to gravitate toward business-focused law. Her practice developed within the Banking and Financial Services Group, where she now leads a team serving financial institutions across the region.

“Banking clients are so sophisticated,” she says. “I thrive on complex projects that require collaboration.”

She has guided institutions through expansion, regulatory change and transformative mergers, often becoming a trusted advisor.

One of Tawney’s most complex achievements came in 2008 when she helped a client acquire three whitewater rafting companies in a single closing, negotiating with multiple sellers while the client raised private capital. The company later grew into an industry leader before being sold in 2024—a full-circle moment she was proud to help facilitate.

Mentorship has been equally central to Tawney’s career. She credits Sandy Murphy and Marc Monteleone with shaping her approach to client service, leadership and balance. Murphy demonstrated how to build a responsive, team-based practice while raising a family. Monteleone taught her how to manage a transaction to achieve a successful result in a timely fashion and how to navigate difficult aspects of a transaction.

Community service has long paralleled Tawney’s legal work. She serves as chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee at Christ Church United Methodist and sits on the board of the West Virginia Mansion Preservation Foundation. Over the years, she has coached youth baseball, served as treasurer for Capital Midwestern Little League and volunteered at her children’s schools.

“I choose causes based on my values and where I can be most effective,” she says. “I’ve had a blessed life with people supporting me at every step, and I believe in paying it forward.”

Tawney has raised two sons with a strong support system. Her husband, parents next door and in-laws who live within five miles have made it possible to manage a demanding career without sacrificing what matters most.

Though she could have pursued opportunities elsewhere, Tawney has never considered leaving her firm and West Virginia. She is focused on developing the next generation of banking attorneys at Bowles Rice to carry the practice forward. West Virginia and Bowles Rice, she says, have given her everything she needs.

“The people of West Virginia are truly amazing—so kind and genuinely good at heart,” she says. “The quality of life here is something I could not find anywhere else. I don’t need to look any further.”